Joanna is the mindful mom, and the very bubbly woman, behind the Lazy Mom’s Blog. She recently welcomed us into her lovely modern bohemian townhouse. She has the cutest, sweetest girls and is expecting a 3rd baby (she’s not lazy, she’s more like a superwoman) and she has a very interesting philosophy to keep things simple for a happy family life. Amen!

I know every time I read one of her blog posts, I feel a little less anxious about not being a good enough mom for my boy. I often come away with an awesome recipe to try and a few tips on how to handle my toddler’s tantrums. Pheeeww!

So we had a little shooting session at Joanna’s place which is full of life, good vibes and colour. We just love how she’s taking full advantage of her small 1200 square foot home and having fun decorating it. While we were visiting her home and taking pictures, she shared some amazing tips on how she makes her house work for her family.

This is a picture of her girls’ shared bedroom which is the cutest thing ever, if you ask me.

1.   Consider a shared bedroom if you have more than one child.

“I believe that when young children share a bedroom, they become closer.” Joanna has written an entire blog post about organizing a shared bedroom, a good read, right here.

Spot the Baba Souk treasures in their room: Mint Leaf Poster, Fluoro Heart Poster, Pineapple poster, Peace & Love Poster, Pompom Garland, Pink Cactus Pillow and Throw, a Baby Boucherouite Rug and a Moroccan Basket.

And of course, a shared bedroom is a space saver. She prefers keeping one room to create a playroom for her girls and that brings us to our next tip.

2. Keep all the toys in one room or one area of your home.

That sounds amazing to me. I’m probably not the only one stepping on legos every day… We chatted about that concept. As I told her, I have no space for a playroom and she suggested it could work even if you don’t have an actual playroom. A dedicated area with clear boundaries for the kids can work. This is where the third tip comes in.

3. Create Rules and stick to them.

Here are a few rules Joanna’s family lives by:

• Toys stay in the playroom (except for decor items and fur friends that are allowed in the girls’ bedroom).
• Screen time is allowed in the playroom only.
• The living room is the grown-up living space. No eating in that room. Her girls are only allowed to read books or play quiet games in the living room.

Joanna insists the best way to have her girls cooperate is making the rules very clear and NEVER derogate from them. To be honest, I think I need Joanna to come and set the rules in my home, haha!

Also, it’s important to reserve space for your adult decor so you enjoy it as well. There needn’t be mermaids and barbies everywhere in your house. We love her art wall, a beautiful modern bohemian style! (From Baba Souk: The Peace & Love Poster and the Mint Leaf Illustration)

I love adding neutral pieces with character to my home that I can move around and fit with my ever changing decor – like the beni rug here in the living room and my gold pouf!

4. Have two functions for the same room.

Joanna’s girls are really into crafting. That said, she needed a decent size table for her girls to be able to craft comfortably, so she decided the dining room would also serve as a craft room. You can’t see from this angle but she has some practical storage on the other side of her dining room, all the craft supplies are in that room, easy to reach and find, and most importantly, well organized, so her girls can tidy up in a snap once they are done. (Rules guys, rules!)

How cute are our small pastel rugs in there? Perfect fit for a modern bohemian look!

5. No matter how small your house is, have fun with your decor and switch things up with seasonal inspiration.

Joanna is very good at this, I’ve seen her decor morph fantastically with seasons on her Instagram feed. Her house is her playground. I don’t know about you, but I know I could play around more and change things up more often. It keeps things fresh and inspiring. Joanna says she donates what she thinks she won’t be using anymore and she keeps what she treasures most.

For example, in her kitchen, she changes her window decoration regularly, she switches up what she displays on her open shelves (Can you spot our ceramic collection?) and she changes her rug regularly.

She plays with what she has and moves things around often which keeps her happy and inspired. Sounds like fun, right? -Stephanie

Location: Joanna’s Home
Styling: Camille Picard
Pictures: Baba Souk

While visiting our friend, Maca – who just moved into the cutest house – we were inspired to create a happy bohemian living room. Not only is this theme very well suited to her fun personality, but, to be honest, our Montreal winter is never ending this year and we really needed some happy colour therapy! Speaking of which, if you need a dose of colour, pickup your phone to check out Maca’s Instagram profile, it’s candy for your eyes!

A big dose of colour, wonderful textures & plants is a sure way to create a happy space. Also, I’ve said this so many times, all you need is a Moroccan rug 😉 It’s the centrepiece you need to start creating your decor. We picked this one, which is a super colourful Azilal rug and paired it with these wonderfully textured Boucherouite pillows. Add a few baskets to the mix and start creating a fun bohemian decor. You’ll need a few plants, of course, and our must have gold pouf. Add a few of your favorite posters and there you go! It’s really not as complicated as it looks. Start by picking your rug and your sofa, then create a fun colour palette with accessories.

These are the Baba Souk items we used to style Maca’s living room:
1. Our favorite Fatima Peace poster, this luscious Monstera leaf poster. 2. Boucherouite Pillows. 3. This Azilal Moroccan rug. 4. Some cute Moroccan baskets. 5. Our fave vegan gold pouf.

I love this view. I wouldn’t mind hanging there on a cold winter day! Oh by the way, if you haven’t read Justina Blakeney’s new book yet, The New Bohemians Handbook, I highly recommend it. It’s super inspiring and the subtitle “Come Home to Good Vibes” describes it perfectly. A great weekend read! – Stephanie

Location: Maca
Styling: Camille Picard
Pictures: Baba Souk