At Home with Leonie

We visited interior blogger Leonie Eberhard in her old apartment in Hamburg Harburg, which she fills with flea market finds, IKEA classics, and other vintage treasures. In the interview, Leonie reveals her strategy for getting hold of those coveted items on eBay Kleinanzeigen, what challenges she faces as a self-employed mother, and how she deals with them.

Vida: Hello Leonie

Leonie: Hello, lovely to have you here.

V: Yes, finally. I think after the 5th attempt. One of us or one of you always had Corona. We've made it now and are in your beautiful apartment in Harburg. Perhaps a few key details about the apartment beforehand.

L: We live here in 140 sqm. It's an old city villa and we've been living here for 2 years now. Stucco ceilings, floorboards, double doors, and simply our home.

"Stucco ceilings, floorboards, double doors, and simply our home."

V: You are particularly known on Instagram for finding, arranging, and presenting special vintage finds. Where do you find these items?    

V: Is there a specific strategy, do you search for something specific, or if you see something, do you buy it?  

V: We are here in a room that you haven't presented on Instagram very often, or perhaps not at all yet. In your son's nursery, which also features a beautiful Kelim Gashgai from us. Tell us how you approached the interior design here?    

L: It took a very long time because, of course, you also want to wait for the child's personality to emerge, and that was my main strategy. I looked at what kind of child I have, what he needs, and how he plays. After that became clear, I built a small retreat for him where he can read or where we can cuddle, and I kept the colours quite neutral because I don't want to impose my personal taste on him, and I try not to fall into classic gender roles and colour schemes. That's why it's more gender-neutral. We previously used this room as a passageway, an intermediate room, and a study, and we've kept a few elements from that. For example, the shelf over there. That used to be my standing desk. Of course, this is a child's room now, but perhaps I'll want to use it differently later, and then I can still find its old use.

V: In your opinion, what are the biggest pitfalls for parents when furnishing a nursery?  

 L: Impractical furnishings. If you focus on things being beautiful but not practical, the child cannot use their own space. It's about creating a place where the child can find their way around independently and doesn't rely on my help to get to their toys or books, or to move around the room independently. Only then can independent play be encouraged. If you keep that in mind and furnish the room practically, then it's a very good solution for both parties.

"It's about creating a place where the child can find their way around independently and doesn't rely on my help."

V: Another question that interests me for personal reasons: How do you combine being self-employed with a 16-month-old baby?  

L: Difficult. I found self-employment when I was on parental leave. So it all came at the same time. For me, the question was: how do I manage to be a mother, keep myself in focus, remain part of the working world, and balance family and career? For me, the logical next step was to find a form of self-employment. With us, I've created a time window through external childcare where I can work, but I also clearly have the afternoon to spend with my child. I think everyone has to find a way for themselves to do justice to everyone reasonably. It's completely different for everyone. It's important to see it as a continuous process. What worked 3 months ago might not work now, and then of course there are days when I have to work all day. Then my husband has to step in. So everyone should find their own way. It is sometimes very draining.  

V: Yes, and I especially think that you are always making compromises day by day, which often exclude you. You usually find the compromise for your child, for your partner, for work, and that doesn't include yourself in the slightest. Where is the time for yourself? Have you found a solution for that?  

L: No, not really yet, to be honest. What I've established now are the few routines I have during the day, and I take time for them. When I got ready for bed in the evening, I was always in a rush and did it within 5 minutes because I thought "Oh no, what if the little one wakes up now? Then I have to go to him again." No! This is my half hour in the evening. If there's something with the little one, my husband takes care of it. I put on music or a podcast and really savour it. That's my time with myself. I think currently it only works if I create small islands in my day where I look after myself.  

V: Was there anything that particularly surprised you as a new mother? Something that nobody told you beforehand? There are quite a few things, I think at least, but is there anything you would specifically like to tell another expectant mother: Hey, nobody told me this, but I'm telling you now!

L: The romanticisation of the mother role! The idea: Oh, I'll go on parental leave and be at home with my child, and when they're tired, I'll put them down and they'll sleep. No.  

V: And the truth is?  

L: The truth is: my child doesn't sleep just because I put them in a bed. He's a so-called "contact napper", which is why I carried him in a sling for a year. For a whole year, attached to me all day. But of course, every child is different, but it is and remains work. It's beautiful work and you get an incredible amount back, but it's also extremely exhausting to adjust your body to another being all day. In fact, I lent out my body for about 1 year, and that really surprised me.

V: Back to the apartment. Is there anything you want to change as your next project? Something you haven't communicated yet. Something you have in mind that you really want to tackle, which we might see on your Instagram soon?  

L: Yes, we are currently redesigning the bedroom a bit, and there's a lot happening here in the house. We are actually expanding further. I'm working hard on beautiful concepts for more rooms, and that could be coming soon.  

V: We are very excited about that. Thank you for letting us visit. It was a great pleasure to finally meet you in person.  

L: Likewise. You are great – that needs to be said too. It's so nice to get to know the people behind the brand and the product – whom you already admire – and to have a personal exchange.

V: We can only agree. Thank you very much.  

L: Thank you.