Off the grid, well what does it mean?
It’s basically for people who have made a conscious decision to be self-sufficient and not rely on anybody, but I think that these days we use the term lightly for when we go off Social Media for a while. So trending this Autumn is something I think we all really need. To go off the grid for a little while. It’s actually really nice. Have you tried it?
I have friends who are really good at taking time out and ignoring emails and social media for a couple of days. They work really hard, but some days of the week are dedicated to reading or spending time outside and they stick to it. I’m not one of them, but I don’t have my phone in my hand 24/7 either. More and more I feel the need to get off the grid as it’s called, as I find myself online most of the time and it can be exhausting. It’s good to keep updated, but if we take a weekend off here and there to spend time outdoors or simply spend with family or friends, do we really miss much?! I think we can catch up on most things.
I actually think going off the grid can be really productive. Doing more tactile activities is something I really want to get back into. I would like to start sewing again, do more creative cooking and maybe even get some of those DIY projects on my list done. Once we get a garden, I’ll no doubt be spending a lot of time working in the garden too. It’s something I’ve really missed. After 3 years in an apartment, I think a garden is one of the top items on my list when we start looking at houses.
I recently discovered something really useful. It’s a tool called the Tomato timer. It’s helped me a lot. I’ll explain how it works. The clock is set for 25 minutes and it counts down, then an alarm goes off. After the 25 minutes walk away from your screen for a little while and do something else. Then come back and set it again.. Most of the time the 25 minutes fly and you don’t know where the time went. What I find the most useful though, is that you quite quickly figure out what you’re wasting your time on. If after 25 minutes you can’t really say what you’ve managed to do then you’re dowing something wrong, in my opinion anyway. During my breakes I typically do all my boring tactile tasks like the washing and the dishes, but at least I’m not sat down for hours at the time. I actually think I’m more productive with the timer than without. I recommend that you try it.
So, how can we translate the Off the grid trend to Interior Design? This Autumn we’ll see more earthy colours, more natural patterns, chunky knits and there’s more of a focus on handcrafted and unique products.
Unique beach house with handcrafted basket and rug Credits: Interior Design: Arent&Pyke Photography: Felix Forest Photography Styling: Megan Morton
Hand crafted walnut spoon by Belayahvoya. I wonder how long it took to make..
Hand made eco mesh bag from S2 20.
Hand dyed wave quilt from The Future Kept.