As we’ve shared before, adding art to our home is something we hold very close to our hearts — especially when it’s created by talented local female illustrators. And another thing we treasure just as much is our three babies, so we knew we wanted to commission a piece that captured our entire family together! 
One illustrator whose work we’ve admired for a while is @hahahafi on Instagram. We first came across her pieces through other home accounts and immediately fell in love with her use of colour and playful artistic style. It felt like a perfect fit for our space. 
We had a specific spot in mind too — just outside our kitchen. For now, it’s filled with a piece I kept from my old rental, but I’ve always wanted to replace it since it reminds me a little too much of my previous job (LOL). 
Although she has a website with standard portrait options, we reached out to Hafi directly on Instagram because we wanted something customised: a portrait of both us and our pets. Right now online, its separated by pets only OR humans only. She kindly worked out a price for our requested size (32 x 32 cm, instead of the usual A4 or A3), and once we agreed on what to include, we sent her our reference photos. 
The first draft was already about 98% there — we only made small tweaks to colours, placements, and spent some extra time deciding on the background. Throughout the process, Hafi was so kind and patient with our requests, never making us feel bad for asking. We’re really grateful for that. And here it is: the final design, which we absolutely love! We can’t wait for it to be delivered and finally hung up in our home.
18 September
