Something that has become increasingly clear to me as a parent is the concept that two opposing things can be true at the same time. As an expat living in Switzerland, with two small children in the middle of a global pandemic, it didn't take much for me to experience chronic overwhelm and depletion. The sense that the daily tasks would never end, and that I somehow had to get some kind of control over that mounting, never decreasing load. So on the one hand, I felt like control was important. But then on the other hand, there's a whole other part of my personality, and my intrinsic beliefs, which wants to give my children a creative space to find their own interests to be independent and free thinking. And most importantly, also independent of me. So I simultaneously believed that we should have structure, we should have routine, everything should have its own place in the world and in our home. And that our systems shouldn't be this difficult, shouldn't be this repetitive, there shouldn't be so much drudge in just getting day to day tasks done. Equally, I wanted my house to be creative, full of open-ended expression.
I analyzed all the things that were wrong with the kids products that I had in my home at that time. I found it frustrating how they didn't acknowledge that children, when they're in their early years, are almost closer to puppies than they are to humans.
Not only am I someone who's easily overwhelmed, and needs systems, but I'm also highly analytical, and very much a systems thinker. That's how this whole thing came about. I analyzed all the things that were wrong with the kids products that I had in my home at that time, and made a universal wishlist. I found it frustrating how they didn't acknowledge that children, when they're in their early years, are almost closer to puppies than they are to humans. They generate and revel in mess. Sensorially they love it, proverbial pigs in….mess. They're in full flow when exploring, investigating, chewing, stroking, pulling, grabbing, at their toys and play mats. That playfulness worked well for them, and me, but generated quite a lot of work for me. In parallel, my youngest son who's now three was starting on the path to baby lead weaning. Which, although highly beneficial, can be loosely translated to parent-led cleaning. And we don't have a dog, so I was picking things up off the floor, on my knees, and I just thought there has to be a better way!
I got to researching and at first I had those specific needs in mind. I also knew that I was tired of buying new products at every new age and stage and also tired of throwing myself into the research, reading reviews endlessly, only to find that even the best performing products were only relevant to my children for a short period of time. And then they were either relegated to storage for an in-between period of time, from my oldest to my youngest, or to the basement until I would find a fictional window of time in my busy routine to photograph and put them up online to claw back some of the endless financial investment in children's products.
It's what gets me up in the morning, besides my family, and it's a huge creative outlet. And most of all, it's somewhere where I can see that I've been impactful.
That second option, the selling option, never really materialized and I ended up giving away a lot of products for free, which I'm happy I did. But equally, the emotional labour is real. So that's a little bit of the backstory, and it's come full circle because I've never been busier. I still work part time as an architect. I have two children five and under. I'm still very much an expat with an exclusively paid village. Now I run this brand on the side, and it's my driving force. It's what gets me up in the morning, besides my family, and it's a huge creative outlet. And most of all, it's somewhere where I can see that I've been impactful.
They will always be the most expensive prototype ever made for my own personal use, or a successful product range that has spread worldwide, as it has done, and continues to do.
There is absolutely nothing that gives me greater pleasure in life, even more so than the freedom that the huske products offered me personally, than the freedom that the mats have offered my customers and how positively they are impacted in daily life. So, it's come full circle because the overwhelm has only increased over time. I've taken on more balls to juggle in the air. But I have never been more glad of the mats on that basis. They will always be the most expensive prototype ever made for my own personal use, or a successful product range that has spread worldwide, as it has done, and continues to do. So yes, it started with overwhelm. It continues with overwhelm, but my life is just that much easier for having the mats in them. And that's my personal win, and my pride and joy!
Shop yours today and spread a little joy in your daily life!
Kate is owner and founder of studio huske, a swiss-based kids interior-products brand which is dedicated to developing premium quality, phase-less. genderless, robust, wipeable children's products. The range celebrates texture and colour and textiles which appeal to both the adult and the child's eye alike. Produced sustainably in small batches in Korea, the vegan leather textile used is OEKOtex 100 certified and has a Korean eco label. Studio huske products are intended to be a daily support in the lives of both parents and children. Designed by an architect mother for her own kids- by parents for parents.
Kleinstadt: Geschenktipps: Für die grossartigen Kinder in unseren Leben
Un Due Tre Stella Baby: Only one word: amazing!
Wildflowers Blog: Made for Mess, Designed for Joy!
First image, travel shot: Judee Schliefer, of Three Little Lions
Leave a comment