A bit about yourself:

My name is Anastasia and I was born in the Ukraine, later we relocated to Germany.

I have a blog anastasiabenko.com that is more a portfolio where I share my private and professional work from my life as a stylist, photographer, artist and vintage shop owner.

Most of my work is dedicated to interiors & prop styling, illustration and travel photography and of course lots of floral designs.

Where you live and who you live with:

I live in Dortmund, in a bungalow from the 1960s. There I live with my partner and our Persian kitty-grandpa ‚Einstein‘.

Favourite/coolest item in your home:

I own lots of art and love to rearrange it as my mood or seasons change

Fail-safe decorating trick:

Always: seasonal and lush flowers arrangements :-)

First thing you thought of this morning:

It has to rain soon!

A talent you wish you had:

Singing! Boy, do I wish I could sing….

Advice to your younger self:

Learn to listen to your gut and intuition…

Favourite band of all times:

The question was, favourite 3 bands of all times, right? ;-) The Doors / Radiohead / 30 Seconds to Mars

Your style icon:

I admire creatives with humble personalities, yet with a signature style that is bold enough to move the world

Favourite /least favourite colour:

Favourite colours: Dark green, cognac coloured leather, burgundy and a brownish blush

Least favourite colour: orange

Best way to de-compress:

Drawing, painting and as a brand new gardener: gardening

A superpower you wish you had:

Traveling back in time

Cats or Dogs:

Persian Cats and pugs

Anastasia's Little black book of Dortmund

Coolest thing about Dortmund:

I live in Dortmund, which is located in the ‚Ruhrgebiet‘- the Ruhr area of Germany. Known for heavy industry in the past it has now grown into a very interesting area. The cities grew next to each other and sometimes you won’t realise that you exit one city and enter another.

Despite of what most people think about this area, it is very green, so I love to go for long walks and explore all the different landscapes.

Where you like to hang out:

Compared to other areas in Germany I love how you can travel from one big city to another in a very short amount of time.

I can travel to Cologne in one hour and am very thankful for impressive museums there like Museum Ludwig.

As an art historian I love to go to museums, also I love the gorgeous Von der Heydt-Museum in Wuppertal, the Museum Folkwang in Essen and of course Museum Kunstpalast and The Kunstsammlung in Düsseldorf.

Top 3 local stores:

I am very much an outdoorsy girl and don't go out a lot. I love to spend time in the garden or at home. I love to host bbq’s for friends, also I don't shop that much, but I can recommend all the small flea markets in the area, as you will always find gorgeous flea markets every other day in the driving distance of 30 mins.

Top 3 online interior stores/brands:

Abigail Ahern

Tine K Home

And of course my shop where I sell the vintage props I use for my stylings Stilzitat