This German Homestead Is A Nature Lover's Dream: Let's Take A Tour
Minimalism meets playfulness in Sandra Lörch's home in Cuxhaven, on the North Sea coast of Germany. She and her partner Tom fill their space (@mimameise on Instagram) with funky details and odes to the natural world for unique, exciting decor. Here, Sandra, Tom, and their three very photogenic cats show us around the European escape.
What are three words that describe your design philosophy at home?
Naturalness, sustainability, individuality.
Your furniture is stunning. Where do you like to shop for furniture and accessories?
Most of our furniture is vintage or secondhand, purchased from the flea market or eBay.
Do you change up your home at all once winter hits and the weather gets cold?
With the exception of a few wintry little things, everything remains as it is. I don't really make the furnishings depending on the seasons.
What object in your home brings you the most joy and why?
Our cozy sofa, because it is big enough for us and our cats.
What's the oldest thing in your home? The newest?
The large wardrobe in the hallway—in which all our jackets, coats, and backpacks are stowed—is our oldest piece of furniture. It's from the Art Nouveau period around 1900. Our latest piece of furniture is the bench in the living room.
What noises can be heard in your home? What smells are there?
Good music coupled with some car noise from outside. (Cobblestone pavement is nice looking but inconvenient as a road material!) Our flat usually smells like coffee, yummy food, and incense sticks.
How does your home support your health & well-being?
We have many houseplants that are good for the indoor climate. The old, original wooden elements such as the wooden floor from the year of construction (1904) and the large old windows, which let in a lot of light, spread a lot of peace and well-being, too.
What's the most sentimental thing hanging on your walls, and what's the story behind it?
About 25 years ago, as a teenager, I bought Björk's album Debut and put the corresponding poster on the wall. A few years ago, I printed the cover on a large canvas.
Recreate the look:
Emma Loewe is the Sustainability and Health Director at mindbodygreen and the author of Return to Nature: The New Science of How Natural Landscapes Restore Us. She is also the co-author of The Spirit Almanac: A Modern Guide To Ancient Self Care, which she wrote alongside Lindsay Kellner.
Emma received her B.A. in Environmental Science & Policy with a specialty in environmental communications from Duke University. In addition to penning over 1,000 mbg articles on topics from the water crisis in California to the rise of urban beekeeping, her work has appeared on Grist, Bloomberg News, Bustle, and Forbes. She's spoken about the intersection of self-care and sustainability on podcasts and live events alongside environmental thought leaders like Marci Zaroff, Gay Browne, and Summer Rayne Oakes.