Over a year ago, I had the extreme pleasure to be interviewed by the Cohesive Home mindful duo, Kate and Melissa, in their Values + Home Design Series.  Asking intentional questions, these women have not only created a blog space of meaningful content, but a podcast as well.  As a striving minimalist + creative, always seeking to find greater release in simplicity + rhythm, I appreciate their work immensely.  Below you will find our interview edited for timeliness.  Enjoy, and make sure to stop by or listen in with them soon. Their authentic approach and meaningful prose will not disappoint.

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.

We are the Beims hive.  This name is an honest attachment due to many mispronouncing our name for years with a long 'e' rather than 'i' associating us with bees. It’s true.  It just so happens that it suits us, and through the years we have naturally formed an entire lifestyle from the symbolism in design, living, function, and community in many ways - at least we’ve tried. Truly, it’s perfect, and hive was significant to us before it ever became our namesake - HIVEhome. 

We are a happy hive, though not without the reals of life, and our HIVEhome consists of five exuberant creatively bent extreme blessings.  Being our “old soul”, our only teen speaks volumes in poetry, dance, and visual art.  She’s also quite the engineer.   Our eldest son is our STEM + history trivia expert, and much like his father he loves information of all kinds.  My sweet petite and middle daughter is a bright-eyed diva who knows what she wants.  She has more energy and enthusiasm in her miniature being than some in a lifetime.  Our second to youngest is tender, yet spirited, and dare I say stubborn?  He spends most his days building + contemplating his next snuggle sesh. And, our youngest, is pure sunshine.  The family dotes, we won't lie. He was a bit of a surprise, one could say, and we are intensely grateful!

As home educators, we have the pleasure of spending ample time with our children.  However, it still seems fleeting.  They are growing, evolving, and changing right before our eyes. Family time consists of creating, dreaming, adventuring/traveling, and eating. To our joy, we have procured foodie friends, and our favorite moments are around a plentiful savory spread with music and a warm atmosphere. Life is abundant, to say the least, and we are certainly blessed.

WHAT'S YOUR DESIGN PHILOSOPHY AND HOW HAVE YOU USED THAT TO CREATE YOUR HOME?

I often refer to our style as comfortable minimalism.  I love the blend of modern design with traditional concepts.  Design is poetry to me, and I want spaces to speak and compel people to listen.  Therefore, it is very important that the items in these spaces serve a purpose as well as a meaning.

Our personal style has been a journey, as I think it should for most. Our way of living and our approach to design has changed through the years as we have transitioned and grown into us, essentially.  "Less is more" is definitely the mantra I’m continually striving for in balance.  I still go through phases of collecting.  It depends on the season.  For example, I still have five straw purses, collected over several years, that I think beautiful and will someday be a gallery wall, I think.  They speak to me.  But in reality, who needs five straw purses - handmade or not?  

That said, having seven under one roof can accumulate, so we have a consistent 'pattern of purge.' (It seems music should follow that phrase.)  Let's face it, to maintain my sanity and clarity, I need the ability to tidy my space amongst the natives.  In many ways, minimalism was a necessity as our family grew, and we agreed with the philosophy as well as the aesthetic.  I've designed our home according to who we are, and how we want to feel.  

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR FAMILY'S VALUES (OR FAMILY CULTURE) IN A SENTENCE OR TWO?

Our family culture is lively and striving for honesty, I would say.  We want who we are inside our walls to be the same as who we outside our walls.  It may sound silly, but that isn't always easy or even normal, it seems.  We are not worried about being normal, however.  We'd like for our living to be authentic, creative, kind and inspiring if I had to be even more concise.

WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO LIVING SIMPLY AND HOW HAS IT BENEFITED YOUR FAMILY? 

As I mentioned before - Necessity. With each addition to our family our structure and function had to evolve.  Also, my compulsion to create my space in accordance with living poetry influenced us to live simply.  Our, dare I say, tight budget was assuredly an influence as well, and often birthed the greatest creative influence.  One must learn to work with what one does or does not have, being content with that expression or finding means to creatively exceed the bounds.

We do not have a couch, for example.  (Note: This is no longer true, as of this year. This interview occurred over a year ago.) We haven't had one for over five years, and I'm not in any hurry, apparently, to get one.  Ha.  Some people think this is crazy, while others never even notice.  In our current living space our living room functions as our creative studio, and for the moment a couch is unfitting.  I mean it, and guess what?  We don't really miss it.  If a couch were to be inserted into our living space, where would we dance, practice ensembles, do family yoga, or play relays on a cold/windy day?  Simply put, it isn't a priority at the moment. 

WHAT DO YOU LOVE BEST ABOUT YOUR HOME AND WHY?

The windows + glass sliding doors marry the kitchen and backyard.  I often lean toward mid-century design due to the inside-outside concept. It took months to clean from ill repair after being vacant for several years, but worth the labor ten-fold.  One of my greatest delights is looking out from the back window while preparing a meal and seeing my children run, laugh, and play.

Our central dwelling space is cohesive with our design + brand concepts but also our passions to live open + free. We brought down a wall to make sure the kitchen and its impact was foremost. Impacting me each day with its symbolism of eternity, the white hexagon backsplash extends to the ceiling. I literally feel hope in its presence daily, thus the importance of dwelling in a space that speaks. I decided to not have upper cabinets and chose clean + modern useful tools coupled with hand-made items telling a story beyond our walls and into our history adding texture + character.  But it is that which is living that adds color to the space.  A color that manifests space to grow, learn, create, and reflect - a HIVEhome.

Andea Beims

Mother of five and wife to one, Andea K. Beims spends her time between the sometimes chaotic but always creative reals of life. 

As a home educator, serial creative + entrepreneur, founding HIVEhome and HIVEhome Market, she pursues her passions with her family- including, but not limited to, art/design, health, creative movements, truth + social justice, and supporting authentic people doing authentic things.

CREDITS:

Photos by HIVEhome team-member, Jessica Collins of https://jessicacollins.photography.

Original Interview by Cohesive Home