Home Decor Interview:

Sarah Greenman from "La Maison Boheme"

1.  Hi Sarah, thanks for joining us today. Please tell us a bit about yourself, your "La Maison Boheme" blog, and anything else you'd like to mention.

Thanks for having me at Decor Medley! My design background is mostly in the theater. I love creating spaces that reveal the inner workings of the inhabitants. I guess you could call it character-driven design. I began as an actor and designer and then I added playwrighting to the list.

When I had children, I decided to stay home with them which meant that I needed a channel for my creative energy. So my blog, La Maison Boheme (French for The Bohemian Home) and Etsy vintage shop were born.


2.  First off, welcome back! You took a road trip to Atlanta to visit family and friends, which you chronicled on your blog. With so much history in that part of the country, it must have been a designer's dream. Please tell us briefly about some of the cool places you saw and visited, and did you buy any items for your home while you were out there?

Thanks, it was a lovely trip - the first road trip that we've taken with our sons - seven months and three years old! I have never traveled in the Southern part of the country until now and am eager to return for more more more.

Atlanta was a treasure trove of thrift stores, consignment shops and all manner of boutique design spots, but I think my favorite stop on our trip was Natchitoches, Louisiana. I made the mistake of only allowing an afternoon when I really needed a few days to fully explore and understand this amazing little town.

While I was there, I found an old chandelier that was taken out of a home in New Orleans. I'm getting ready to install it in my master bedroom. I'd been searching for just the right lighting fixture and I was so thrilled to find it hidden away in a little bookstore!


3.  For those who may not be familiar with the Bohemian style or way of life, please give them your best summary of what it entails and what draws you to it so much?

Ada Clare once wrote "The Bohemian is not like the creature of society, a victim of rules and customs; he steps over them with an easy, graceful, joyous unconsciousness, guided by the principles of good taste and feeling."

This sentiment is at the center of bohemian life and has become my motto for living. When making art, writing a play, cooking food or designing a room, I aim to step over static, outdated rules and customs with grace and a joyous unconsciousness guided only by my personal aesthetic and intuition.


4.  As a blogger and mother of two little ones, you probably have little downtime for things you enjoy. One of your passions is acting and being a playwright. How often do you do participate in that? And when you do, is it mainly local theater, or is it something more?

I haven't had time to do any acting since my sons were born, but that will change as they grow out of the infant and toddler stage. I'm a stage actor, so I don't do film or TV.

Most of my jobs are for regional theaters and I've had some voiceover work as well. I'm still writing, though, plugging away at my scripts. I've had plays produced in Seattle WA, Portland OR, Oakland CA, and in New York. I'm having a reading of one of my plays on April 21st at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX.


5.  A lot of people are not familiar with the term "doula." Please explain what this is and tell us a little about your background and participation as a doula?

The word "doula" comes from the ancient Greek meaning "a woman who serves" and is now used to refer to a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth.

My journey to “doulahood” began with my work as a certified massage therapist. I was drawn to working with pregnant women and witnessed the benefits of massage throughout pregnancy. From early on, I knew I wanted to be a part of the birth community.

After the birth of my son, I found myself on the path to becoming a doula. This work is a really good fit for me. If you're interested in more information about it, please visit my website www.ineedadoula.com.


6.  Whereabouts in California are you from originally? And did you find it difficult to adjust from California to life in Dallas?

I was born and raised in Paso Robles, CA. I've always been a west coast girl, living in California, Oregon and then Seattle, Washington before moving to Dallas. I moved with my husband, who was hired at a university in Dallas. I had never been to Texas and was 7 months pregnant. To say it was a culture shock is an enormous understatement. It was like moving so a new planet.

I have to say though, that Dallas has really grown on me. Now, I love it.


7.  You joked in a video post on your blog that you do what you love, but make little money doing it. Obviously we hear a lot of artists say that, and as people grow older and start families, the financial needs do increase proportionally. Do you often wish you had chosen a different career path that was more financially rewarding, even if it wasn't something you loved to do? Or are you happy with how things turned out?

Oh sure. Sometimes, when I'm eeking out two weeks of groceries at the dollar store, I think, "Hmmm... maybe I should have founded Microsoft or something." But I am a very happy person and I think my happiness and my family's happiness is directly linked to my "follow your bliss" attitude.

And while I don't expect a king's ransom for the work that I do, it is picking up. It takes guts to be an artist - to be a bohemian and fly in the face of standards created by others, but the rewards are immeasurable.


8.  Sarah, thanks again for joining us, we really enjoyed going through your blog and reading your story. For this last question, please tell us your favorite part about blogging, and how has your life changed since starting "La Maison Boheme?" Thank you and have a great week!

My favorite part about blogging is that it is a daily practice. To have a daily catalog of images that inspire me, a place to record my thoughts and connect with a like minded community is an affirming way of feeding my artistic soul. La Maison Boheme reminds me to be my truest self at all times.

Thanks for the interview!

That was a great interview and an interesting look into the life of a very talented person. 

Sarah, thank you so much for opening up to us and sharing your life with our readers.  We hope everyone heads on over to "La Maison Boheme," and be sure to also check out her Etsy shop and doula business.

Thanks Sarah!