Lauren Liess

Liess's aesthetic is minimalist and heavy on black, white, and cognac shades of leather. She has a lot if texture in her spaces, which makes them interesting despite the lack of color and "stuff."

While I liked a lot of her spaces, I think she really could have stood to use a bit more color in at least some of the spaces.

Also, there were so many photos of the same spaces, over and over, shown from just slightly different angles - the book needed more variety, period.

Note: She also uses a lot of textiles from her own line, and I find self-promotion like this a bit annoying when it's done in excess.… (más)

I read about this book and was intrigued by the description and the subtitle The Field Guide to Decorating. I knew nothing of the author and it turns out she's got an industry going on - in addition to being a decorator, textile designer, and author of two books, she writes a popular design blog and has five young children. Her husband partners with her in the business and it is possible to get a sense of an unrealistic lifestyle - I wanted to know who did the cooking and parenting in her household, and how she found clients with such big budgets.

The book has an abundance of beautiful color photos which illustrate many of her decorating guidelines. Fundamental elements of design include rugs, lighting, window treatments, floor plan, color. Intangible elements are comfort, charm, and authenticity. The captions describing the photos are productive and descriptive and if that's all you read you will still enjoy the book and its helpful information.

Despite her guidelines, Lauren does say "let go." It comes down to being comfortable and "to realize that real homes have a bit of mess at times, and that's OK." Thanks, Lauren! Because otherwise readers could feel depressed that their homes will never live up to those you have designed.

I didn't like all her design choices, but appreciated her explanations for those choices. I was encouraged to see that she admires quirks and inconsistencies. So if she ever comes over to my house, I hope she will enjoy its authenticity and personality.… (más)