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June 21, 2019

We are thrilled to be joined this month by Dorte Januszewski who, along with her husband Malcolm, runs Lewes Map Store, an online shop selling gorgeous homewares, skincare and accessories. Dorte has an eye for naturally beautiful compositions - she takes all the product shots for the shop herself and is a marvel at nature flatlay photographs on Instagram. Inspired by the Sussex countryside around her hometown in South East England, Dorte collects treasures from walks and expeditions and uses them to create stunning images. The products in her store are also infused with this love of nature, and are created by artisans and designers who share Dorte and Malcolm's passion for timeless, quality craftsmanship. We caught up with Dorte to find out about what she loves most in our 5 Good Things categories. Here's what we discovered:

Thanks so much for joining us, Dorte! Can you tell us about your favourite things? What sets your heart a-flutter and brings you joy or peace?

5 Good things dorte januszewski

Homewares

We live in a beautiful Victorian conversion in Lewes, East Sussex, with very little storage. Our home is very eclectic, filled only with pieces we either need or really love. When it comes to homewares, natural materials like linen, classic design and functionality are very important to me. I adore handcrafted pieces, which I often source directly from makers. You can find some of them in our online shop Lewes Map Store, like these beautiful crafted wooden coffee scoops by Hatchet & Bear and our new botanical inspired tea towels featuring three pencil illustrations by my husband, artist Malcolm Trollope-Davis. I also love to pick up finds in flea markets and antique shops we encounter on our travels. Each piece has to have a purpose or little story to tell.

linen natural homewares

Clothes

‘Buy less, choose well, make it last’ – Vivienne Westwood

A quote I truly believe in! When it comes to clothing I prefer quality over quantity. Functional, thoughtful and contemporary pieces are top of my list, something I can wear again and again. I love my boilersuits from Lucy & Yak, a sustainable fashion brand with strong ethical values. I also have my eye on a beautiful pair of denim dungarees from independent womenswear label SIDELINE and love finding vintage clothing.

Travel Essentials

When we go on our adventures I love to take photos, so I rarely leave without my camera. You will also find my favourite stripy top, beloved denim dungarees and comfy sneakers or sandals in my luggage. I only use natural and organic skincare, so I always make sure I pack Remedies to Roll for Travel by Neal’s Yard, Rescue Lip Balm by Miss Bee Balms and a small bottle of Hammam Moisturising Serum by Old Faithful, which all fit nicely in this handcrafted Waxed Cotton Travel Bag. Oh, and a good book. I love having time to read!

travel accessories summer

Relaxation

I find quality time with my family, a walk in nature, running on the South Downs and trips to our allotment hugely relaxing, and it also makes me very happy! For some tranquillity I love lighting a pure botanical candle made from a hand blended mix of essential oils, for example refreshing bergamot, calming cedarwood, deeply relaxing vetiver. The scent feels very relaxing and I often have one lit in my studio too. It works wonders!

Inspiration

My inspiration for my creative work comes from the world around me, especially from nature, often from treasures I discover on our adventures. I love the uniqueness of each object I find, the different colours, textures and forms. Each one filled with precious memories and they usually find their way into my product photography and my nature flatlays.

What a pleasure to have a peek into Dorte's beautiful world! We are very grateful to her for sharing her 5 Good Things with us. If you'd like to find out more about Dorte she also runs courses on using Pinterest for creative businesses as part of Curly Carrot.

For more in the 5 Good Things series go here and here.

 

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