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''Technically speaking, kotoisa translates to something like "cosy" or "homely", but as anyone who''s lived it knows, that barely scratches the surface. Kotoisa isn''t about plush throws and designer lights, although it can include those. It''s about emotional warmth - the kind that seeps in quietly, unnoticed at first, but deeply comforting...Kotoisa is also a quiet rebellion against the constant pursuit of newness and perfection. In a world that tells us to upgrade and reinvent - kotoisa reminds us to notice what''s already here. To work with what we have. To find joy in the old wooden spoon, the blanket with the worn edges, the chair that squeaks a little when you lean back but always catches you just right.'' Susanna Laiho Hawkins In her first book, The Nurturing Home , Finnish-born Susanna Laiho Hawkins shows how taking inspiration from the concept of ''Kotoisa'' can transform both your home, your happiness levels and the way you live your life, one small step at a time. The book encourages you to embrace imperfection, declutter and rearrange, make the most of the light and flow of your home and bring nature and the seasons indoors. Susanna then explores a kotoisa approach to every room in the house to create a truly welcoming and nurturing home.
About the author
Susanna Laiho Hawkins grew up in rural southwest Finland, surrounded by forests, lakes and the long golden summers of the north.
She always loved words and the way they could build entire worlds, but her early path was a more scientific one. She earned a master's degree in neurobiology and moved to New York City to take a research assistant job. On a spontaneous trip to the Caribbean, she met her future husband. Two years later, she found herself living in London, working in pharmaceutical research, before eventually leaving the corporate world behind to pursue a more creative life.
For the past decade Susanna has worked as a stylist, writer and content creator. She lives in the Cotswolds with her husband, their two children, one energetic cocker spaniel called Laila and Ebba, the beautiful but permanently grumpy cat.
Her Instagram account, SH Nordic, has 1.1 million followers.
