This week is International Women’s Day — a moment to celebrate the creativity, resilience, and contributions of women everywhere. At heiter, celebrating creative women has always been close to our hearts. This month, however, we wanted to place an extra spotlight on the inspiring women who shape thoughtful ideas, meaningful brands, and communities around them.

For this interview, we spoke with Sabine, Creative Director and Co-founder of Sagitta, a natural skincare and probiotics brand rooted in prevention, craftsmanship, and care for people and planet.

In our conversation, Sabine shares insights into her daily routines, the philosophy behind Sagitta, and the small rituals that help her find moments of Heiterkeit in a busy life.

KG: Hi Sabine, thank you so much for being here and agreeing to tell us a little bit more about yourself, your work — and how you find more “Heiterkeit” in your everyday life. Not only are you the Creative Director and Co-founder of Sagitta, a natural skincare and probiotics brand, you are also a wife, mother of three, and dog mum. What does a typical day look like for you?

S: I like to get up early, around 5am (I go to bed with the kids — by that time I am pooped 😂). First thing in the morning, I cuddle our dog, which sets me up for a great day. Being greeted so happily first thing is just really nice. I make tea, do some stretching and mobility exercises, listen to good music, have a shower, and get to work answering emails and figuring out what the day looks like.

I vacuum every morning and use that noisy time to map out my day in my head. (Visualisation is a powerful thing.) And then the juggle begins :)

KG: You juggle a lot. How do you try to stay calm in the chaos — and find heiter moments?

I am generally not that phased by work things, as there is often some action you can take to improve them. However, someone once said to me, you are only as happy as your unhappiest child, and I totally agree. As long as the kids are happy and healthy, everything feels like it’s running smoothly.

I make a lot of cups of tea… always a heiter moment — sitting down with a cup of tea.

KG: If you had to describe Sagitta to someone who had never heard of the brand, what would you say? Also, what values would you highlight for them?

We believe that prevention is key, but the health system is not set up for prevention at all. We want to educate and share information on how to stay healthy and what tools can support that — whilst keeping our planet healthy and supporting crafts, creativity, and midwifery, because you only have one start in life.

KG: The Sagitta brand and values resonate with me in so many ways, but one of the things I love most is your contemporary aesthetic. Tell us a little bit more about what goes into creating the packaging, working on your imagery, and the Sagitta branding in general.

S: My background is in design, and I was very fortunate to work with amazing people who trained my eye — to see, to notice, and to stay with a craft long enough to make it a little simpler, to work that bit harder on it, and to evaluate more thoughtfully.

A lot of thought and creativity go into great design, and at Sagitta we are willing to put that work in. Time is always the biggest challenge and what you choose to allocate time to. We feel it’s worthwhile to push really hard here and create something completely new and unique.

KG: We just talked about how contemporary your brand feels and all the steps that go into creating that, but Sagitta has actually been around for many years. How did it all start, and at what point did Sagitta turn into the brand we know today?

S: Yes, that was lucky, because our history gives us a lot of opportunities to draw from and bring into the present day.

It was in 2012 when I proposed starting Sagitta again to my dad, and he luckily agreed. That coincided with his retirement — and that’s how it all began.

KG: I love the Sagitta products and have used them regularly for more than six years. My personal favourites are the probiotic deodorant, the prebiotic shampoo, and most recently, the pre-microbiome serum. They have all contributed to how much fresher, healthier, and calmer my body, scalp, and skin feel. What are your top three products and why?

S: It’s hard to pick one… I do occasionally eat the deodorant (for advertising purposes), which makes it such a crazy product. I’m proud of making things that are so healthy yet effective that you could eat them and give them to your children without that twinge of guilt.

The urea serum and Schrubbel are really special too. The handmade Schrubbel is such a lovely object, and the serum works incredibly well, which often comes as a real surprise to customers who have struggled with bad feet for years.

*Some of the famous Sagitta products including the probiotic deodorant and prebiotic shampoo Katharina loves*

KG: In your work, you talk about and promote healthy habits. If someone is looking to introduce more of them into their daily life, where should they begin?

S: Start super, super small. The easier you make it for yourself to follow through, the more likely you will.

* When you make tea or coffee, also drink a glass of water (habit stacking).

* Drink your morning drink outside to catch some morning light (it will help you sleep better).

* Walk, walk, walk. Could this phone call be a walk? Could I walk to the shop? Could I take the stairs? Walking in nature feels different — and it often starts with wearing comfortable, healthy shoes.

* Prioritise sleep. Get up at the same time every day — it will help you fall asleep at the same time, too.

* Spend time with great people. Ask yourself if they make you feel better or worse. It matters who you give your time to.

KG: Last but not least, what are the things that make you feel the most heiter?

S: Definitely my family. They equally drive me absolutely mad at times, but teenagers are also hilarious and great fun. They make me a better person every day. In the end, it’s all for them.

“Homecoming” can have different shapes and forms. This is also something Costa Rican glass artist Juli Bolaños-Durman explored when creating La Casita—“the wee house”, her new home and creative anchor. Designed in close collaboration with Architecture Office, the Edinburgh-based project brings together colour, curiosity, and conscious making, resulting in a space that feels both deeply personal and quietly radical in its approach to reuse.

Known for transforming discarded glass into joyful, sculptural pieces, Juli approaches her work with a sense of care for the overlooked and a fascination with imperfection. That same philosophy runs throughout La Casita. Every room is shaped by resourcefulness—materials reclaimed, repurposed, and given new life—while still honouring the character of the Victorian building beneath.

Architecture Office, led by Alexander Mackison, embraced this ethos from the outset. Rather than imposing a fixed aesthetic, the design evolved through a “material-first” process, letting found objects, offcuts, and reclaimed elements guide decisions. The result is a home that feels intuitive and lived-in, crafted through collaboration with local makers who share the same reverence for craft.

At the heart of the flat sits a bespoke kitchen built by Studio Silvan almost entirely from surplus timber. A gradient of Brown Oak, Oak, Cherry, Douglas Fir, and Ash forms a gentle patchwork—each species celebrated for its natural tone and texture. Even the internal carcasses are formed from repurposed Valchromat, revealing flashes of colour behind the refined fronts. It’s a space that feels warm and tactile, a quiet celebration of sustainable Scottish craftsmanship.

Stone, too, plays a playful role. Offcuts supplied by Britannicus Stone—Frosterley, Ledmore, Swaledale Fossil and Stoneycombe—have been arranged according to the sizes they arrived in, creating a joyful, almost puzzle-like surface language across the home. In the living room, a forgotten firebox led to the creation of a sculptural mantelpiece: three rescued slabs from local mason AB Mearns, assembled into a monolithic, almost totemic form. With raw edges intentionally left exposed, the fireplace becomes a grounding point—a moment of honesty within the room.

The palette stays gentle. Walls painted in Little Greene’s Re:mix range provide a soft background that lets Juli’s vibrant objects shine. But there are bursts of joy, too: a corridor painted a striking, sunny yellow, inspired by the Cortez Amarillo tree from Juli’s hometown. It casts warmth into the surrounding rooms, softening the Victorian bones and anchoring the space with a sense of home.

True to Juli’s practice, La Casita is also a living gallery—a place where her collected treasures, from glassware to ceramics, can be arranged and rearranged. As she describes it, “These everyday items surround and inspire me, each one a beautifully humble moment.”

More than a renovation, La Casita is a conversation—between artist, architect, and the community of makers who contributed. It’s a reminder that originality doesn’t need to come from newness. Beauty can be coaxed from what’s already around us, waiting to be noticed. Architecture Office’s Alexander Mackison reflects this spirit well: “The project became an exercise in composition and balance… allowing the materials to speak for themselves.”

In its quiet, joyful way, La Casita poses a gentle challenge: to look again at what we discard, to value local surplus, and to open ourselves to the possibilities in reuse. It’s a home shaped with compassion and ingenuity—a small, bright example of how thoughtful design can nurture both the everyday and the extraordinary.

Finding "Heiterkeit" in everyday life: a conversation with Sabine from Sagitta

La Casita: a colourful, considered home for glass artist Juli Bolaños-Durman