Decluttering and home staging experts Marie and Hanna Macdowall are the mother/daughter duo behind Style & Stage London. With a Swedish heritage the pair bring effortless Scandi and Hygge style to each of their projects. We spoke to them about when their desire for living with less was born.
Minimalism on Female First
When did your passion for decluttering begin?
We think it is in our genes! Being born and raised (for the most part) in Sweden we have been exposed to this simpler lifestyle. This includes a minimalist, nature deriven and functional way of life.
How and why did you decide to turn this into a business?
We realised a lot of people needed this service – they are desperate to organize and simplify their homes but don’t know how or where to start. There is proven to be a bit of a gap in the market for professional declutterers.
What is your working style as a mother and daughter team and how do you separate work and home life?
We divide and conquer. We complement each other with our age difference, skills, style - not to mention different likes and dislikes. This means that we are able to understand and help a wider audience. We sometimes struggle to separate private life and work however as we are mother and daughter we have a understanding, patience and love for each other that others would not. We feel that it is what gives us an edge and helps propel us forward rather than become stagnant. We inspire each other creativity and importantly we have a lot of fun doing it!
For those who don’t know, what is Scandi style?
Traditional Scandi style is light and airy with natural elements. Combining simplicity with functionality. For us, having spent a lot of time in Asia, we like to incorporate the effortless minimalism of Japanese interiors.
Why is it so popular right now?
The movement to simplify our lives and become better versions of ourselves can both seen and felt in a range of areas – the way and what we eat, the clothes we buy and wear etc - this is also reflected in our homes. Decluttering is said to ease stress as well as increase mindfulness. Having less clutter in our home results in less clutter in the mind, so it makes perfect sense that people would be keen to Scandify their home.
What is hygge style and how can people achieve this in their home?
Hygge is a Danish concept which can be brought to every home. It is an idea that we should embrace the darkness of winter and wrap ourselves in the comfort of our homes. Lights candles, put on your favourite playlist or film and enjoy a moment of calm with your family, pet or loved ones. Enjoy the everyday moments and you will be living a life of Hygge.
What is next for you?
We are focusing on building our home staging side of the business. It is rapidly becoming a go to for anyone wanting to sell or rent their properties. We offer a bespoke selection of furniture with a Scandi flair that sets us apart from the competition. For instance we staged and decluttered a property in Nothing Hill a while back, within 10 days the property had gone in to closed biddings and ended up selling for one hundred thousand over the asking price! It’s worth mentioning that this same property had been on the market for more than 8 months. This truly magnifies the importance of a first impression.
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