We are Tanja and Tanja – very easy to remember. But it is Tanja with a J., not Tanya or Tania.
Tanja and I met during a trade show in Hamburg in 2013. We started talking, and it somehow felt as if we had known each other for years. It turned out that we both live in Berlin, only about 30 minutes away from each other. Obviously, we met up for breakfast where we talked about life, the challenges we were facing as freelancers and the freedom that it affords us. We chatted about our ideas and aspirations and we soon realized that our mindsets were very similar. We both have an entrepreneurial spirit but our skills are different. They complement each other.
My friend Tanja has a very colourful house as you can see in our blog. She is a mother to two girls, and they all love their colorful lifestyle. She is obviously the creative mind behind our blog. It was launched in December 2014. Our blog is a combination of Interior Design and DIY. The most important rule is that it needs to be colourful, fun and unique. We did not want to limit our blog to German speakers only because we think great ideas can be found anywhere in the world. A lot of unique and creative designs are coming from Sweden and Denmark but also Australians share some pretty unique design ideas on the internet. With our blog we want to inspire people from all over and show them how much fun it is to live in a colorful world, and how easy it is to make something not everyone else has. Pssst. We also offer room design as a service, and are available to do this internationally.
I am the marketer, blogger, the experienced globetrotter who is always on the hunt for something special. I moved back to Germany after having lived abroad for almost 10 years. I also love color, but I tend to be more minimalistic.
Do you think Germany is a multicultural country?
I have lived outside of Germany for many years and only moved back in 2009. The only city I could imagine myself living in was Berlin because of its multicultural nature. People from all over the world live here. When you walk through the city you can listen to people speaking in English, Spanish, and Italian etc. Even at some cafés and restaurants you are being waited on in English. I don’t think the rest of Germany is as multicultural as Berlin; I’d rather say it is very German.
Has “multikulti” failed in Germany?
I think mulitkulti has mainly failed in Germany. The immigration laws are too strict and do not make it easy for foreigners to come live and work in the country. There are some loopholes, but it’s not easy for skilled foreign workers to find a good job here. Berlin is a little different because of the start-ups scene which attracts young and international people.
What is needed to be integrated into the German society?
If you want to be integrated into the German society you need to speak German. English is still not spoken everywhere, and in the long run it will be hard to get around without German language skills. Immigration and other government officers, doctors and teachers – they all speak German and sometimes it is the only language they know.
Inga 
English