Natural Living Style by Selina Lake
This month saw the release of Natural Living Style, a book by talented stylist and author Selina Lake. We’ve known Selina for a few years now, often loaning out our products for her editorial shoots in the likes of Country Living and Country Homes & Interiors.
When she approached us to be involved in the book, we jumped at the chance. Natural Living and sustainability are something as a brand we are so interested in, this book couldn’t be a more perfect fit for us. We caught up with Selina to ask her a few questions before the book launches (12th of March, available at all good book stores and Amazon).
Natural Living Style is all about sustainability in the home, what drove you to write about this?
I’ve been inspired by environmental issues which our planet is currently facing, namely the increasing amounts of plastic being produced which don’t bio-degrade and end up in landfill sites and worse still our oceans. (Yes I watched Sir David Attenborough Blue Planet program on the BBC). As a stylist I wondered how we can make our homes, works spaces and gardens more in harmony with the planet while still keeping them beautiful and stylish.
Who is this book for?
I produced the book for people concerned about sustainability, those who want to live in a eco-friendly space with little impact on the environment while also making it aesthetically pleasing, practical and stylish. I hope to inspire my readers to approach their home in a different way, we can all do our bit for the planet and in turn benefit from a home that is as waste free as possible, that can inspire and delight us.
You visited some beautiful locations for the book, do you have a favourite?
Yes I was super lucky to meet amazing creative people and visit lots different spaces including an Eco Barn in Sweden, Organic gardens in Oxfordshire, stylish boutique B&B in Denmark, an industrial renovation in London with a Parisian style courtyard garden and a fabulous structure build onto the side of an old greenhouse using all recycled materials in Boskoop, Holland a town famous for Garden Nurseries which are situated on long stretches of land, divided by narrow canals. While I was there I took a boat trip along the canals, drank botanical teas and met Dutch flower growers, floral designers and bee keepers. It is another amazing place, and somewhere I would defiantly like to visit again.
For someone interested in taking the first steps to being more sustainable and eco-friendly, what would your top tips be to start?
Through-out the book I share my style tips, plastic-free and zero-waste ideas and explore natural materials for home and garden. To make a greener home, the first step is to produce less waste. This means buying less, making full use of items you already own, borrowing and lending from/to family or neighbours and fixing anything in need of repair. The next goal is to recycle. Create an efficient system that works for both your home and your communities recycling initiatives. Recycle bins can make your kitchen look cluttered, so choose containers that look good. I like galvanised metal bins and hemp bags. Next become a savvy shopper for when you or your home does need something new, research materials, buy salvage and eco-friendly products. Natural Living Style includes a dedicated chapter on Natural Materials, I’m championing seagrass, organic linens, recycled glass and bamboo.
What steps have you undertaking in your own home to make it more natural and sustainable?
I’ve not been a fan of garish plastic made items for a long time and I always choose natural woven baskets for storage over plastic tubs, wood and metal tools to use in the garden, bamboo toothbrushes, knitted reusable dishcloths, water-based low VOC paints (volatile organic compounds) that are kinder to the planet, second-hand and hand-crated items and natural textiles for bedding and soft furnishings. Since working on the book I try and be more savvy about buying food without plastic so I regularly go to our fruit and veg market in Guildford, Surrey. I have our milk delivered in glass bottles which get collected, washed and reused and I like to explore farm shops at the weekends taking my Also Home linen shopping bag with me!
Inspirational Ideas for a Beautiful & Sustainable Home
Selina Lake, Photography by Rachel Whiting