We love visiting homes with a story, and this time was no exception. At the start of spring, we were welcomed by Natália Pažická, a Slovak greenfluencer, Forbes 30 Under 30 honouree and founder of the #everyindividualmatters initiative.
Among other places, she has lived in Prague and Amsterdam, but today we visited her in her new Bratislava apartment. In such a short time, Natália has managed to bring not only practicality and taste into her home, but above all an emphasis on materials that last.
You have spent the last few months creating a new "home", to which you invited us. Do you feel "at home" here yet?
It was love at first sight. When I first walked into this apartment, I said out loud: "Well, this one is beautiful." Even so, I thought it would take me a while to get used to the new place, but in the end it happened straight away. Perhaps it is also because it is a new build. I can feel that the apartment has no history. And I like that. It is like a new, clean canvas we can furnish our own way.
You are now commuting between a temporary home in Prague and the new apartment in Bratislava, where we are now. What is the essence of home for you?
The essence of home is my boyfriend. The fact that we have each other. We have lived together long-term in several apartments in Amsterdam too. And my boyfriend has always turned the place into a home for me.
Add a touch of colour to your home with Colour Melange decorative cushions.
Did you design the interior of the apartment yourself?
We had an architect who helped us with the solid joinery foundation, such as wardrobes, the kitchen and so on. The furniture and similar interior furnishings were handled by me and my boyfriend.
And your partner? Did you agree on everything while building your home, or was there a sticking point?
We agree on everything, so here too. (laughs) It came completely naturally - I was in charge of research and proposals because I enjoyed it, and he basically agreed with everything. We have been together for almost a decade and know each other's taste very well.
Your apartment is full of practical and at the same time incredibly stylish solutions. Your storage is genius. Where did you find inspiration?
I found all these practical solutions in a very well-known place - Pinterest. (laughs) I drew inspiration from there for many things.
Apparently you vowed not to have a single black thing at home. Will you tell us why?
I wanted a light apartment. Just one black element would be an eyesore. For me, it would disrupt the softness we were going for. As people, we already have enough black in our wardrobes; I wanted to avoid it in the apartment, and I succeeded.
How would you describe your apartment in three words?
Joy, peace, love.
How often do you change, shift or move things around in the apartment?
We don't change anything at all - everything there went through very thorough research as to whether it was the right piece and whether we needed it at all. For me, sustainability lay mainly in not buying unnecessary things. I love every single piece in that apartment and believe it will serve us for a very long time.
Which piece for the apartment took you the longest to find? And which do you have the strongest emotional attachment to?
I think every piece took quite a long time. Not so much finding as choosing. With the sofa, for example, I knew I had to see it and sit on it before we ordered it, so we went to Vienna twice before we decided. Things I couldn't find, I decided not to buy until I came across the right ones. The vase, for example - I waited about half a year for the right one.
Can you give us tips on a few favourite home brands?
Definitely Hay. I love their functional design combined with vibrant colours. Then the Czech brand sosone, which again has beautiful functional design, and everything comes from a workshop in Zlín.
What could you no longer live without?
The dishwasher. Definitely. We have a beautiful relationship; I often thank it for existing. (laughs)
Sustainability is one of your most important life values. Is that reflected in your home too?
When we started furnishing, I had a big inner struggle for a while - I had never bought so many things and so much material in my life. That is why I wanted to furnish the apartment so that it reflects exactly what we like. We did not buy anything as something temporary to be replaced soon. We preferred to go without for a while. Quality pieces, ageless design and, above all, thinking carefully about every single thing and whether we really need it. I also tried to consider the material itself, but that wasn't possible with everything - and besides, what is the ideal material these days? Everything leaves a footprint, so buying thoughtfully is the be-all and end-all.
Do you have a tried-and-tested tip for a more sustainable home that our followers might find useful?
Give yourself time to decide. You don't have to have everything in the apartment within 48 hours. We slept on every purchase - even for a week, until we were really sure it was the right piece and that it would really suit our apartment. But because I know myself and my shopping behaviour very well by now (thanks to years of conscious practice), our table, for example, was simply love at first sight. I knew straight away it was made for us.
What do you think makes any space cosier?
There are people like my mum (hi, Mum!) who find our apartment a bit empty - they are used to ornaments, figurines, magnets... Exactly those little things that create a sense of home for them. For me, though, they are dust collectors and visual clutter. In my apartment, I wanted us to be able to focus on our work, because both my boyfriend and I work a lot from home. This way I feel our apartment breathes, and I feel great calm in it.
From Natália and her space you can feel nothing but pure kindness, positive energy and a sense for design.
And what should everyone have at home?
A projector. (laughs) It is one of the things that serves me well in the apartment. I was very surprised how much better it is than a classic TV.
What is your favourite Lejaan product?
Definitely your Colour Melange collection. We have a pale pink sofa, and I knew I wanted, firstly, to protect it (laughs) and secondly, to liven it up with other shades of pink / other colours. Finding something to throw over it that wasn't a blanket, which visually didn't really serve this purpose for me, would have been very hard if I hadn't discovered you.
And what with a Lejaan label do you have your eye on right now?
So far I have everything I need from Lejaan. We have (for some people perhaps "only") two sets of bed linen - one goes in the wash, the other goes on the bed. That's enough for us. Every single thing from Lejaan brings us joy and serves us well - we don't want to accumulate excess.
If you could order any made-to-measure product from Lejaan, what would you choose?
A blanket. A blanket is probably the last thing for our apartment that we still don't have. To this day, none has met my requirements.
Natália has reflected not only herself in her new home, but also her passion for sustainability.
My favourite ritual is...
Breakfast with my boyfriend. In our home, he makes breakfast and we always have it together. He gets up earlier, makes breakfast, wakes me up and we eat together. Only then does our day begin.
My favourite spot in the apartment is...
That changes, but at the moment, every time I walk into the bathroom I tell myself how much I like it. (laughs)
My favourite home accessories are...
A painting by Viktor Frešo and the newest one by Míša Červená.
At home I like to wear...
Old "home" clothes. I don't like throwing clothes away, so some of my things are as much as 12 years old.
When someone visits for the first time, they are always surprised that...
We always prepare food, a dessert and homemade kombucha. I love good food and enjoy savouring it with people I love.
"I love every single piece in that apartment and believe it will serve us for a very long time."
Shower or bath?
Bath.
Early bird or night owl?
Night owl.
Sleeping under the stars or in a luxury hotel?
I'm afraid of ticks, so a hotel. (laughs) But I like Airbnb best, and also being in someone's actual home.
Old second-hand things or new ones?
Oh dear. I love a combination of both.
Minimalism or maximalism?
Minimalism.
Perfect order or creative chaos?
I'm chaos, but I try to be order. (laughs)
An evening at a party or in bed?
Both have their charm.
Morning coffee or tea?
Tea.
A single-colour bed or Mix & Match?
Visually Mix & Match, but from a practical point of view it's the single-colour option for me.
PRODUCTS FROM THE ARTICLE:
Wooden Essence beige bedding
Wooden Essence beige sheet (coming soon)
Monochrome Melange brown knitted throw
Monochrome Melange brown decorative cushion
Colour Melange yellow knitted throw
Colour Melange yellow decorative cushion
Colour Melange red knitted throw
Colour Melange red decorative cushion
Gentle Organic beige towels
Gentle Organic brown towels
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