Designer Lauren Liess
Our guest today, designer Lauren Liess, has quite an impressive rap sheet. She began writing her blog, Pure Style Home, in 2008 and has since written the two best-selling design books Habitat and Down to Earth. Her new book, Feels Like Home, is hitting shelves this Fall. Her HGTV show, Best House on the Block, follows her and her husband as they design and renovate homes throughout the DC metro area. Her work has been featured in House Beautiful, Country Living, Traditional Home, Architectural Digest, Martha Stewart Living, and many more. We talk about how she manages her incredibly busy life, embracing the imperfect, her new book, lighting toys on fire, and much, much, more!
What You’ll Hear on This Episode:
- How Lauren’s design journey began.
- More about Lauren’s new book Feels Like Home.
- How does Lauren manage her very busy life and balance her work and family?
- What does Lauren do to bring out her calming aesthetic in her projects?
- Some tips & tricks for finding the “diamond in the rough” of houses.
- How does Lauren recommend embracing imperfection?
- What is Lauren’s approach to managing all the “stuff” with kids?
- Lauren’s gardening tips and favorites.
- What are some of Lauren’s go-to white paint colors?
- Some staples in Lauren’s new book.
Decorating Dilemma
Hey y’all!
I’m a new follower and LOVE listening! No pictures, but a burning question: we sold our house and moved into a
rental while we’re waiting to build, which will likely be starting next year this time. Our rental is a lovely ranch built
in the 60’s with *very* little updating done. We obviously can’t (and don’t) want to do big things like paint, redo
floors, etc. and NONE of our furniture and decor from our previous home (it was a lake house!) really “goes” in this
house (but it’s currently awkwardly in there because…what else were we going to do with it?). We also don’t really
want to invest in new furniture/art that may or may not go into our new build. How do we make our temporary
situation feel like “home”?
Thanks!
Hilary
Hi Hilary,
We can identify with this right now! Our advice is to arrange things as best as you can and hang up some artwork even though they aren’t quite right; just enough to make it feel like home. Try to live each day one at a time. Bring in simple things like branches, flowers, candles, and good music and meals. Focus on experiences and bringing the outside! It’s so hard and we get it! It’s definitely a mental exercise in patience when you can’t quite make the space the way you want it, but find the joy where you can.
Mentioned in This Episode:
- Lauren Liess on Instagram
- Pure Style Home
- Lauren Liess & Co
- Best House on the Block
- Habitat: The Field Guide to Decorating
- Down to Earth: Laid–back Interiors for Modern Living
- Feels Like Home
Please send in your questions so we can answer them on our next episode! And of course, subscribe to the podcast in Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode. You can always check back here to see new episodes, but if you subscribe, it’ll automatically download to your phone.
Happy Decorating!
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