We have a greater need for staying at home already during the winter, but now the circumstances are also forcing us. We asked the founders of Krate.hu, one of the coolest online design stores what they recommend to brighten up our days spent at home with.
Even though Krate officially launched in spring this year, its founders, Nóri and Balázs have been working on it on and off for years. “The basic idea had been there for a long time, but it became clear during the renovation of our apartment what we wanted to sell exactly. We wanted to sell the selected items of a few larger manufacturers, complemented by limited series, manufactural pieces. We fundamentally like being at home, and the spaces we spend our time in as well as the things that surround us contribute to our days greatly.“
In spite of the short history of the online store, Nóri and Balázs have some adventurous months behind them, the majority of which was spent in quarantine. “For us, this setup is quite comfortable: we have our stock at home, we mainly work from here and our brand is about how to stay home in a better, more beautiful environment. I think once we get out of this, we’ll be black-belt stay-at-homes.“
Now let’s see how Nóri and Balázs make the time spent at home more pleasant as “black-belt stay-at-homes”! Here are Nóri’s tips:
1. Plants
“In addition to caring for plants being a fantastic activity, it also feels good to my soul if I’m surrounded by more greens in the flat. Especially when the city is all grey and gloomy – at least what I see from it through the small gap between my mask and my hat. Of course a plant does not substitute for trips in the forest, but a few (or a lot of) plants can bring nature a little closer.”
2. Cooking
“I have a hard time with monotony, having the same days all over again, so I am always looking for diversity. Usually I find it in traveling and gastronomy, but nowadays I don’t get to enjoy either, especially now that restaurants are closed, too. This is why I took out my cookbooks and started to add new recipes and ingredients to my regular, routine meals. We have more and more meat free days, and I am always surprised to see just how much potential vegetables offer. My latest discovery is a brownie made of black beans.”
3. Order
The bigger the uncertainty is in the world, the more it means to create harmony in our direct environment. We find this in an organized living space. Regardless of which home decor style you prefer, it means a lot if you get rid of the unnecessary things, and if you systemize what you have and consciously choose the things you bring into our apartment.
+1
“My extra tip is perhaps the most important, and I often have to remind myself, too, to keep it in mind: patience! Not towards the virus or the quarantine, but towards ourselves. If we are fed up for a few days, if we order hamburgers for a week, if there’s chaos in the wardrobe, well, let it be. It will change. This is not a time for world-changing things, but for tiny steps. But nothing will happen if we stop for a minute or if we take a step or two back sometimes.”
Timeless pieces for every season | Hungarian brand Manuela renews
Trip Vibes | Szentendre, Hungary
