This week we welcome Angie Wendricks to our Blog. You will find some of her beautiful images on our website header. I found Angie’s Instagram feed through a recommendation and instantly fell in love with her style. I think you will also love the minimalist relaxed farmhouse style Angie creates in her home and in her studio shed.

My name is Angie Wendricks. I live in Indiana with my husband Alex and bulldog Olive. We built and designed our house with the hope of simplifying our life. I have always really craved a simple life with room to breathe and think . I find the minimal lifestyle helps with that. Less clutter and less “things “ to take care of , which gives room to enjoy other things .

I choose to have an all white interior because it’s a blank canvas. It’s very calm and serene to me. I know that a lot of people view all white as stark and uninviting, but I see it differently. The world is such a loud and busy place and when I come home I want to have few distractions and a zen-type place. I love to mix rustic wood, vintage pieces, textures, and linens for warmth to make up for the lack of color.

For me the more monochromatic the space is, the more peaceful it feels. I do love being in fresh flowers with their pops of color, and I always try to have something “alive" to look at — especially in the winter months. I don’t shop very much so I really enjoy the simple pleasures of flowers or a nice candle. When I started embracing the minimalist lifestyle I found it much more satisfying having less than having more. It makes you appreciate the things you do have and when I do buy something it’s a piece I really love and plan on keeping for a long time.

Most things we buy these days are from artisans or flea markets because I try to find unique things wherever I go. I’d have to say, one of my favorites is our dining table which we found at a local market. It’s rustic, simple, and made from reclaimed wood. The wood is on its second life here at our house.

I really love the idea of repurposed items. One rule I have for myself is: no matter how big or small the item is, it's 'one thing in, one thing out'. it helps keep the house clutter free and under control.

My day usually starts with a huge cup of coffee. I have really embraced the pour over method these last two years. It’s a slow way of making coffee that forces you to slow down and enjoy the process as well as the end product. Currently coveting Passion House coffee from Chicago!

I really enjoy walking, exercise, and spending time with my dog Olive. I find that walking is just as much a physical workout as well as mental. I find inspiration everywhere and sometimes a lot of my ideas for photos come from quiet time alone or just “being" with my dog.

I find taking photos very relaxing and therapeutic — it takes your mind and focuses it someplace else. You are totally in the moment. My brain tends to work overtime with ideas so having that time to photograph is good for me. I started taking photos at our old house before the building of our new one. I just wanted to make something beautiful, as strange as that sounds. I really crave beauty. And luckily it’s everywhere if you just look for it.

Mostly my photos are interior/still life and lifestyle photos but I really enjoy photographing landscapes, flowers, animals, and birds. I have an iPhone 7 Plus. Which is a magical little thing when you learn to utilize it. And I also have a canon rebel. The iPhone is how I taught myself. I have practiced angles, light, and time of day for photos for years. It’s just like anything else in life, you have to practice constantly.