Book Spotlight: Feels Like Home

I’ve written before about Lauren Liess before and recently did a spotlight on her first book, which you can read here. I had pre-ordered her third book and it arrived last week. I ended up reading it cover to cover over the weekend and would absolutely recommend it.

To me, it’s interesting to see the evolution of a designer. In the projects represented in this book, Lauren has clearly sunk deeper into her aesthetic and philosophy. Her work feels a little more eccentric (in a great way) than in her previous books, like she is really owning it and taking more risks. That’s where the magic happens. The result is projects that might appeal to fewer people, but the people who love them will love them more deeply.

Here’s the thing about this book, though. It’s the text that is really fabulous, and I think that can be rare in design books.

Lauren is a strong writer and a generous sharer, and I loved reading her reflections on figuring out the way she wants to live—and then setting up her home to support that lifestyle. It really made me think about what I want from this life and how my home can help. It is a generous meditation and one that we all can learn from. I came away wanting to be a better parent, partner, neighbor, and steward, but I felt these things from a place of hope and joy, not judgement or guilt. How’s that for a powerful book?