Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? 

Tara, 30. I live with my husband James (we were married in May this year) and our cheeky bordoodle - Bernie who is almost 3 years old (but still acts like a 6 month old puppy most of the time). I’m a full time primary school teacher and I love my job, but I also love being able to be creative in my own little world through @our.neutral.abode 

We live in Sydney NSW in our very own, 1970s 2 bed apartment that we purchased back in 2019. 

What is your bedtime ritual?

I have a pretty set ritual when it comes to going to bed to be honest. I’m big on routines. I do a little tidy up of the home, lock the doors, make the bed and have my very hot shower. I take the time to do my skincare routine. I get Bernie’s bed set up in our room and hop into bed. I usually have so many thoughts running through my head so I make sure I dump anything either in my notebook on my bedside or into the notes app on my phone to unload it and try to drift to sleep. I find this helps to empty my head for a quality sleep. I also like to have my phone in “sleep” mode which stops any notifications and distractions popping up while I’m trying to wind down. 

What is your favourite spot in the house?

That depends on the time of day! My favourite place to be is in bed on a Saturday morning with a coffee made by James, and Bernie at my feet (he loves fresh Eva linen sheets as much as I do). In the evening I love to be on the lounge curled up watching a show or movie I have probably seen a hundred times before. 

What do you look for when purchasing furniture or homewares for your home?

Some factors I consider are affordability, quality & material and the space it will be in.

Space 

If I’m buying furniture or large pieces, I ALWAYS measure multiple times and even tape out the space to visualise how it will fit. This helps so much with planning out the space for bigger pieces. In terms of homewares, I try to think about where the piece will go so that it is bought with thoughtfulness and has a “spot” right away. 

Quality & Material

These go hand in hand. When I’m investing in furniture, I opt for quality made pieces that include real wood to stand the test of time. I’d rather invest in a quality piece and not have to change it than buy multiple cheaper items. This is less strict for homewares but I do try to support a range of businesses when buying homewares. 

Affordability

 As I said above, for larger pieces of furniture I look at them as an investment over time (it’s giving “girl math”) that are more timeless. Plus, it’s better for the environment! When it comes to smaller “trend” pieces of homewares I like to not invest TOO much money into them. 

How do you relax? Anything in particular you're loving lately? 

I relax by curling up on my lounge, usually rewatching episodes of friends or lately lots of Christmas movies. Although, my guilty pleasure at the moment is The Real Housewives haha. I’m also such a lists gal, so writing lists helps me to relax. 

Listening: I’m currently listening to “The Woman in Me”.

Reading: Jelena Dokic “Fearless” 

Any tips for styling your space? 

I’m a big fan of not following rules when it comes to styling and just doing what you love. If you love it, do it. Except when it comes to rugs- they should always be big enough to have each piece of furniture in the space you’re trying to segregate touching it.

What do you think of when you hear "Thoughtful Everyday"? What do you do as your own thoughtful every day?

To me, “thoughtful everyday” means to be conscious in what you do. Being self aware of your impact in every day decisions and actions. I always try and be conscious about my actions and be thoughtful about furniture pieces, that’s why I love Eva. I KNOW that everything is carefully crafted and sourced ethically with high social and environmental standards. By using Eva products, I feel like I’m contributing to and supporting a more sustainable economy.