Quizzing the Creatives: Sara May
Among her many creative projects to date, Sara May has worked with sustainable materials to completely transform a Swedish barn space into an innovative apartment. Her project (and blog) is called 36 organic m². This week she generously shared with me her inspiration and more.
How does a typical work day pan out for you?
I’ve just got two weeks left at my job as a carpenter before I'll go back to school to study construction management. So right now I wake up at 6:15am, put on my clothes and jump on my bike to get to work at 7:00am. For eight hours I do regular carpentry work. After that I usually meet up with my husband for some veggie sushi, coffee and a chat, and then I go to my studio. I’ve just got myself a new studio at an artist collective house downtown. There I'll work on a painting for a couple of hours before I jump on my bike and go back home. Then a little time in front of my computer before I go to bed around 10:00pm.
Where do you turn to for inspiration?
Nowhere in particular, it just pops up, it can be anywhere or anyone. The colour and font of an old coffee ad, a person with lots of positive and focused energy doing their own thing – or crazy houses built with lots of love.
What has been your most interesting project to date?
My apartment. These last two years I've rebuilt a barn at the family farm and turned it into an apartment in my spare time. I’ve worked with sustainable materials and techniques. I’ve built without loans, and to be able to do that I’ve done everything myself and mixed cheap (or even free) recycled materials with new good ones. Another plan with the project is to inspire and to show people how to build sustainable houses, so I’ve held a building class and have been lecturing about the project. I’ve also blogged about the project to reach out to as many people as possible.
BEFORE: Sara's kitchen space pre-renovation
AFTER: Renovated kitchen space
Sara has created her own pantry with a convenient in-built chilled larder. The larder is chilled using a simple ventilation tube connected to the outside.
The ultimate song to work to?
Most of the time I listen to the radio, and pretty much only the channels P1 and P3 – Sweden’s non-commercial, independent, public service radio. Or just anything with Dolly Parton, I love her!
Best part about what you do?
To see my ideas grow and transform into something real. And a great bonus is that other people like what I do and get inspired from it!
What would be your dream creative project?
I've already started it! It’s the project to expand and develop the farm where we live. It's just in the beginning of a long process. I want to grow more food, build a greenhouse, create more art, rebuild the big house, build guesthouses, start a bed and breakfast, hold courses and throw big parties! …There is no lack of ideas!
Favourite city in the world?
Berlin or Melbourne maybe. I like rough cities with lots of old brick houses. But since I've moved back to the Swedish countryside where I grew up, I don’t want to travel anywhere, I just love it here!
Where is your favourite escape?
Right now it is to paint! I've tried to learn to meditate but I'm too restless for that, so to paint is probably the closest I'll come to that!
Favourite way to spend a Saturday?
A perfect Saturday for me starts off without an alarm clock, I wake up when I feel like it and have a coffee on my porch with my cat in my lap. During the day I'll do something creative, like painting or working on any of my projects. At dinner time my husband comes by and we cook a nice meal together. And when I fall asleep I'll do it with a great smile on my face, a body all tired from the work during the day and a great feeling that I accomplished something great!
What was your most memorable meal?
The dinner at my wedding two years ago! We kept the wedding really small and cosy with just the closest family and friends. The dinner was held in my parent’s garage which they had decorated with pink ribbons and pink flowers from their garden. We had homemade spinach and mushroom pies and organic wine. My husband made a fantastic black wedding cake with pineapple, apple, ginger and basil flavours – inspired by a drink at his favourite Indian restaurant in Stockholm. After the cake we danced to our favourite song 'Crusin'' by Smokey Robinson! Images via Sara May
