Danish model, mother, maker - Johanne Landbo is quickly becoming our model muse. A nature girl, just like us, Johanne grew up in the countryside of Denmark. Now calling Barcelona home, after a decision driven by a desire for that sense of freedom. Johann and her young family packed their lives into three small suitcases and embarked on their new Spanish adventure. Landbo has an incredible eye for interior designs, constantly renovating and reinvigorating her surroundings. Mother to her beautiful daughter Magda, Johanne speaks very honestly about becoming a mother and that responsibility she feels to ensure her daughter is raised with an understanding and appreciation for mother earth, the privileges of each day and how to live sustainably.
“I am originally from Denmark, up north in the countryside. I grew up surrounded by grass fields, nature and horses. For me, nature has a special place in my heart. Even though I love the hustle and bustle of the city and the inspiration that comes from surrounding yourself in such diverse cultures.”
“I recently moved to Barcelona with my boyfriend and my young daughter Magda, who is now 1. We live in a quaint rooftop apartment with a big terrace surrounded by greenery. Before this, we were living in Copenhagen in a small townhouse. We were drawn to the warm weather & sunshine in Barcelona, unlike the grey Danish weather. So we sold everything we had, packed three little suitcases and here we are, enjoying our fresh start.”
“We feel so free here, Barcelona is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The sea is so close, most of the streets are calm and yet the atmosphere is so vibrant. We hope to stay here for a couple of years, it already feels like home even though we only arrived 2 months ago.”
“Lukas and I love aesthetics, we are both interested in photography and architecture. My passion is definitely interior design, so for me what we surround ourselves with, is really important. I have spent years decorating, redecorating, renovating, painting walls and puzzling around with ceramics, just to create the exact feel that I want for our home. That’s why we chose this beautiful penthouse here in Barcelona, the brown wooden panelled walls, the red tiles and the big rooftop garden. The minimalistic feel and the calmness throughout this place are what matters to me most.”
“Becoming a mother has been one of the most rewarding and most challenging moments of my life. To form a little human, the responsibility to grow another being and to make sure that she grows up to have good values. I feel the guilt of being away from her when travelling and the tiredness from giving up my needs for hers. It will always be her before me, and that can be changeling in a lack of sleep and energy kind of way.”
“We had a lot of difficulties getting pregnant, so I am thankful every single day to have her and grateful that she chose us as her parents. It took 3 years of trying different treatments and procedures for us to get pregnant and I had to stop working for a while to take care of my health. It was a hard time in our lives, but it made Lukas and I stronger, both together as a couple and as individuals. Magda is such an easy and happy child, so I think this is the way karma works. It was a horrible struggle for us to get her, but when she came everything seemed to fall into place.”
“Our little family is predominantly vegan. We cut out meat 5 years ago, as we value animals and life on earth much more than the taste of meat. We are very privileged to live in a world where it is possible to eat fresh, healthy vegetables. So, for us, it didn't make sense to kill animals. We just felt like it was a sustainable choice in a world that really needs it.
“We want Magda to learn the value of life and appreciate the things mother earth has given us. We take so many things for granted today that we easily forget how privileged we are. That is also why we don’t own a house full of stuff, as we choose to appreciate each thing in our home. When our clothes or furniture break, we repair it. When we need something new, we buy vintage. When we want something, we ask ourselves “is it nice to have or need to have?” We use way too many resources today for producing instead of repairing and reusing. To live a more sustainable life is what we aim for every day. We can’t do it all but we can do something and I think that is the most important thing.”
