Teja Lele’s new book Live Smart: Living Like Your Grandma

Teja Lele says that being a minimalist means less, but less means nothing. , photo credit: special arrangement

From the collection of Rukmini Ray Kadam | photo credit: traumatizer

In his recently launched first book, live smart, Teja Lele suggests going back to the ‘old fashioned life’. For those yearning for a simpler, more meaningful life, the architect-turned-author says the way frugal grandmothers lived eons ago translates to ‘less stress and clutter, and more self-reliance’. Now, Teja doesn’t suggest you live like you’re 80, but highlights how “in today’s time, an old-fashioned lifestyle has transformed into living like our grandmothers By consuming less, being intentional in your choices, making your own, reusing things, and repairing clothes,” says the author currently as an editorial consultant for a Bengaluru-based start-up are working.

live smart, published by HarperCollins, has a major portion on DIY-ing your way to a more minimalist decor aesthetic, with sections dedicated to health, beauty, kitchen, and home. “It’s not that I don’t like shopping, but I remember being forced to reconsider my choices when I read Kate Flanders.” year of low (On conscious consumerism),” says Teja, who now closely follows Joshua Baker’s blog Being Minimalist. He is quick to add that there cannot be a “one-size-fits-all” approach to adopting this philosophy. “Minimalism can be applied to almost all areas of our lives, but the home is where we can start.” If you are a beginner, Teja is about de-cluttering and organizing again and again, choosing quality over quantity, bringing in reusability, resisting frequent upgrades and most importantly, mindlessly following trends. suggests not to do so.

Having said that, Teja explains that “being minimal means less, but less means nothing.” So, use the nice china and light the lovely candles. At home, she is “consciously trying to create from what I have and reuse old items”. The first instance, when Teja needed a bedside table, he glued the wooden back of a broken clock to a large cylindrical speaker, which was no longer working. In another DIY endeavor, an old table that was being sent to the scrapyard found new life when it was covered with Jaipuri tiles. “Old tires from the family car were painted and turned into a table for the outdoors. There’s so much that can be made!” Teja suggests starting with a pair of denim that can set you up for many easy DIYs. “Making aprons, covering books/diaries, or making bunting. I also use fabric/paper scraps to make bunting that I use or give away as gifts. Old lentils/oatmeal and sugar/sea salt are ideal for homemade scrubs.

DIY Chair Planter by Jen Hadfield | Photo credit: @tatertotsandjello on Instagram

For those she admires for adhering to a clutter-free and DIY decor philosophy, Mandi Gubler’s vintage revival blog tops her list. “Mandi is extremely practical and I really think her DIY drip tray for plants is something we can all make,” says Teja. Another favorite in a planter. Closer to home, she follows Rukmini Ray Kadam’s DIY hacks on her blog, TrueMatter. “She taught us how to revamp a beachside-shabby chic apartment in Mumbai. Best tip: painting the laminate,” says Teja.

nidhi.adlakha@thehindu.co.in