You know those homes that simply stop you in your tracks? That’s how I feel about the home of Kristina Rasmussen, aka Scandinavian Stylist. I pretty much adore everything about this small space: from the clean and crisp color palette to the natural touches sprinkled throughout. I mean, have you ever seen such sexy branches?? And don’t even get me started on the soaking tub… Kristina’s home is the ultimate in well-styled minimalism that’s also oh-so-cozy.
Home Tour: Inside the Perfectly Minimalist Modern Home of Kristina Rasmussen
Who: Kristina Rasmussen
Where: London
Number of years spent living small: 15
To start, tell me your story about how you ultimately ended up choosing a small space?
Well one of the most important lessons I have learned is that life is better with less. I got head hunted at a young age to be the creative manager for one of Denmark’s largest departments stores. This made it possible for me to buy a larger house early on. After a big personal challenge I decided to give up my job, my home and go traveling. I only carried a backpack with me. But this was the beginning of a simpler life for me. When I met my husband in London, I said I have no dream of a big home, I would rather have a life that’s big on experiences instead. So we sold his house, we looked for an apartment for a long time but finally we found a smaller home, which is half a house in London right by the forest. We are now a family of 3 in our home.
What is your biggest challenge in your small space?
We often don’t see the full potential of small spaces, hence most of our neighbours have added expensive extensions. So in the beginning my biggest challenge was to do things differently and think outside the box. Wanting to start a family we often think we need a lot more space and stuff that we really do. Its possible to make a big impact with a small space. But I have worked with interior design for years and I love a good creative challenge, hence our house is a DIY project and on a tiny budget which allows us to be more financial free.
What is your favorite part about living small?
As a family we so enjoy having more time and money for what we really love in life. But also it gives more calmness and creative energy in our everyday lives. I really needed that when writing my e-guides on how to create a Year Round capsule wardrobe and looking after my little one at the same time. But our absolute favourite part is that it frees up more time for traveling and see the world together.
What is your number one hack for living small?
Declutter! We reduced what we owned by 70%. If it’s a new place, try to live in the home for a while instead of having everything done right away. Approaching the process of creating our home with a slower pace helps us to make better solutions that is more in tune with our lifestyle and needs. So my top tip is:
- Keep only what is important, beautiful and useful.
- Tailormade solutions to fit the space and your actual needs is super helpful.
Do you ever feel pressure to be “minimalistic” or feel guilty about buying things you don’t “need” for your home?
If somebody pressures me, it’s myself, but it comes from a place of self care…. As I said in the beginning, my life is so much better with less, so I ask myself some in-depth questions and make sure that I only buy or keep items that truly serves our lives.
What have you learned about yourself by living small?
That creating good and simple habits is key for a great everyday life. But also how little I need to be happy and comfortable in my own home. This whole process really has helped me to be much more content with what I already have so I can focus on the people around me and myself.
What’s your number one storage hack?
Have a home for everything and make it easy to put your stuff away otherwise, you wont do it. I love using lifted wall-mounted cabinets or closets as it makes the space look bigger and it makes cleaning so much easier… and I’m sure we all like less cleaning, right? :)
Who is your biggest small space inspiration?
I actually got inspired a lot on my travels to Asia and to see how simple yet beautiful we can make life. But also from a Danish TV program with 2 designers that made spacesaving solutions for growing families, otherwise the documentary Minimalism is really interesting.
What do your friends and family say about your choice to live small?
At first many thought it was a bit funny. When we have guests they get a bit surprised as we have so few things and no TV, but some have even said that our home has a spa-like feeling….which we take as a compliment :)
So now they are so kind to recommend me to their friends, when some feel overwhelmed and need fresh interior ideas or calmness at home. I love helping others with their spaces and seeing the great impact it has on their lives, too.
Thank you so much to Kristina Rasmussen, for giving us a peek into your home! Be sure to follow Kristina’s Instagram feed for more inspiration.
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