Katrin

I met Katrin for the first time in my kitchen during a small gathering of „digital“ ladies. There she stood with a fresh baked bread and a bottle of homemade elderberry syrup. In each hand a piece of her concept of life: an almost self-sufficient life in the countryside. I am fascinated how determined she pursues this goal. With the same dedication she’s renovating her old country house bit by bit. Doing this is hard work, but with discipline, passion for details, a great sense for aesthetics and together with her husband she’s mastering this challenge. And let’s not forget the rest of the family: one dog, four cats and three chicken. Katrins’ lovely interior style feels to me as charming as her personality: dreamy in a familiar tune, a bit nostalgic and balanced with good portion of pragmatism.

Where do you come from?
I was born and raised in Munich. However over the past 10 years I’ve lived in Düsseldorf, Vienna and Berlin. From a professional point of view I have a degree in German literature and history of arts. After uni I somehow got into PR and have worked in several agencies and communications departments.

Where do you want to go?
Three years ago my husband and I bought an old farm in Southern Brandenburg, where we now live with quite a few animals. This is a dream come true for both of us so right now I don’t want to go anywhere, geographically speaking. Professionally, I now work from home as a PR writer which suits me very well.

What drives you?
A teacher once accused me of being an aestheticist because I thought our school books were so poorly designed. He was right, of course. However these days I seek beauty not in books but in my immediate surroundings – which results in decorating our house or tending to the huge garden.

What holds you back?
Usually, lack of time and money. And sometimes, my weaker self.

Three things that you would like to have done in five years‘ time.
On top of the list is a proper vacation – two weeks by the sea. I don’t really mind where, even the Baltic Sea would be fine! We have an old house, a huge garden and lots of animals so travels are difficult to budget and arrange. We haven’t had a vacation for the past three years, it’s about time! Another thing I always wanted to do is running a marathon, but this has been on my list for at least 15 years… Last but not least I’d love to write a book – about gardens, old houses and the people who live there. A girl can dream!

Katrin Scharl lives in the Brandenburg region near Berlin and works as a PR editor. She’s blogging at Taking Notes and you can find her on Twitter and on Instagram as @LillianDay.

We shot at Katrins’ home. This old countryside house with a huge garden is located in a small village in the German area Spreewald.