Maja Larsson and Declan Clarke
Swedish photographer and baker Maja Larsson and Irish carpenter Declan Clarke have consciously built a quiet life for themselves and their young family in a small farmhouse in Småland, Sweden. Their belief in living a slower, fuller life – spending more time with their two young children, creating a home and tending their garden – rewards them with a radical sense of freedom.
“Growing up, my parents would always tell me and my two sisters that if you want a lot of money you have to work hard for it – and work an awful lot. But I’ve come to learn a different truth. If you can live on a modest income you are rewarded with an immense sense of freedom and you won’t have to spend so much time working.”
“Many people ask us if we would like to buy our own place but we don’t feel a desire or need to own property. We feel free without the burden of a mortgage, especially as one never knows what the future holds.”
“We wanted the wagon to have this feeling of an old Irish living room. I wanted it to be a place where Declan could feel closer to Ireland…every year, we celebrate St Patrick’s Day with the kids in the wagon and it’s such a cherished tradition.”
“We’re trying to live life simply and with as little impact on the environment as possible by working less and spending less money. Instead, we prioritise spending more time at home with each other and our children.”
