Reader Spaces: Meet Jasna Janekovic {Germany}
If you dream of Danish cottage design, you're soon to be smitten by the charms of Jasna Janekovic and her darling abode in Germany. I've been impressed with Jasna for quite some time now, I first found her via Flickr and I've been following her around the web ever since. She even has her own little shop on Dawanda.
Jasna is from Croatia, now living in Cologne, Germany and her name means Pure, Bright, Clear. After viewing her home, I think you'll see that this lady lives up to her name in the way she styles her unique one room space of only 33 square meters. I'm so inspired by this small urban apartment, it's so lovely and personal and best of all, budget-friendly! Her apartment has one room for sleeping/working, a kitchen, and a bathroom. But Jasna notes that, "I have a big, big wonderful garden with birds, ducks and squirrels." I asked her a few questions so you could know her better and learn about the mood she tries to create in her home, I hope you enjoy these photos and words from this bright and cheerful lady!
"The chairs are from Ikea and the table is from the 70's. I painted them all antique white but I have only three chairs. I'm looking for a fourth one at flea market."
"The tin and the wooden box are from the flea market, as always. :) I like this colorful embroidery on the little vintage tablecloths."
decor8: What are your feelings when it comes to decorating, what's your ultimate goal?
Jasna: I came to this crazy earth to create wonderful rooms with a peaceful atmosphere. This is my mission. When I was a child and my parents were on vacation I would rearrange the apartment we were living in. It is so much fun to create a new atmosphere only with new pillows or small accent pieces. I want to give beautiful feelings a physical expression. Everyone knows these great feelings for example: happiness, freedom, love, softness, inner peace, an open heart, but there are not a lot of people who have this feelings all of the time. Because of this I create things with this charisma and rooms with this atmosphere. My principal theme is Good Feelings.
decor8: How would you describe your aesthetic?
Jasna: My design aesthetic is a mixture of flea market finds, vintage stuff, white furniture and feminine details that makes for a more Scandinavian and personal look I think. A lot of people reason that you need lots of money to create a beautiful home, but they are wrong. Most of my furniture is from Ikea, but I paint Ikea furniture antique white to give them a lighter more personal look. Most of the other household goods are from flea markets and local thrift stores.
I'm trying to create a harmony between Yin and Yang in my home. I love this Asian philosophy, the harmony between heaven and earth. This is not easy, because the world becomes more and more Yang (masculine). I try to create a harmony between the five elements as well: fire, earth, metal, water, wood. My apartment is not finished, it is always a work in progress as is life - never ending.
decor8: Favorite colors?
Jasna: My favourite colours are white and blue, because white is standing for the whole spectrum of colours. The whole world is in this colour. White is light and this is our inner essence. Behind every colour are stories and emotions and feelings. Blue is standing for freedom, peace, softness, spirituality. Things that a lot of people have lost in our busy life today. I also like yellow and pink because both colours are happy and warm.
decor8: Do men dig your space?
Jasna: Some may think a man would run from my apartment but just the opposite, every man that has been here liked it. They say its cozy. My style is feminine but not kitschy. And I don't have a lot of pink in my rooms. My apartment is clear and fresh (Yang), but romantic (Yin).
decor8: What inspires you?
Jasna: My inspiration comes from the Noa Noa and House Doctor, as well as these great books: Nordlicht - Skandinavisch Wohnen, Dezembertage, and Sommerleben. They give me lots of inspiration and ideas. I get a lot of inspiration from other flickr members for interiors and from etsy members for sewing. Here are some additional links with the style I like: Country Home, Louise Body, House Style, Stines Butik, Lisbeth Dahl, Madam Stoltz, Freoli & Lysgaard, Innen von Sinnen (where I like to shop), and Odd Molly.
decor8: Anything else?
Jasna: The best inspiration I get is when I'm in Croatia at the sea or in forest. I want to bring this wonderful feeling here into my apartment. I get inspirations from books about Danish interiors, from my childhood, and from the Astrid Lindgren stories and films. I have loved them since I was a little girl.
decor8: Any decorating tips to share?
Jasna: A warm atmosphere comes from the mix of fabric with pattern I use on the pillows and tablecloths. When you want to make a room cosy, play with fabric and patterns, use the colours pink, yellow and a little bit of red, mix in wood, fresh flowers, candles, plants and pottery and flea market finds. If you want a modern fresh airy home use the colours white and blue. And don't use brown, gray and black. I do not use black, because this colour has a charisma of teariness, sickness, pain, loneliness, and hardness. I don't want these emotions, so I don't use these colours. I'm like an artist, but I don't use a brush and oil paint, I use the interior. I create my rooms with the same rules.
decor8: Would you call your design trendy, timeless, or a bit of both?
Jasna: I feel my design is timeless. I use old dishes from flea market, vintage pillowcases and so on. My apartment is timeless because it is clear and fresh and the mix with vintage stuff makes it relaxed. My home is clear but not cold, romantic and feminine but not kitschy, calm but not boring, vintage but not plain. It's happy, but not to colourful. I think the timeless feeling comes because my home is not perfect. Its a little bit like Pippi Longstocking grows up. I play with decorations from different periods.
decor8: Where do you like to hang out in your apartment?
Jasna: My bedroom because it's also my workspace. I love sitting at my table to sew or embroider and listen to the birds in my garden or the rustle of the trees. This is heaven!
Thank you Jasna for telling us all about your decorating style and inspiration, it's so exciting to hear how you pull together such a calm and relaxed space. So pretty!
Psst: The talented Jasna also has a store on Dawanda. Isn't it sweet?
(all images from jasna janekovic)