Liess Lauren - Habitat the field guide to decorating

Every work of man which has beauty in it must have some meaning also; that the presence of any beauty in a piece of handicraft implies that the mind of the man who made it was more or less excited at the time, was lifted somewhat above the commonplace; that he had something to communicate to his fellows which they did not know or feel before, and which they would never have known or felt if he had not been there to force them to it.WILLIAM MORRIS, 1841

To my Beautiful Grandmother, Patricia Cox,
who has led me to that indescribable spark
of excitement more times than I can count.
Your encouragement to follow this dream of mine
has meant more to me than youll ever know.

Editor REBECCA KAPLAN

Designer SARAH GIFFORD

Production Manager DENISE LACONGO

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014959572

ISBN: 978-1-4197-1785-7

Text copyright 2015 Lauren Liess

Photographs copyright 2015 Helen Norman

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid.

Published in 2015 by Abrams, an imprint of ABRAMS. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher.

Abrams books are available at special discounts when purchased in quantity for premiums and promotions as well as fundraising or educational use. Special editions can also be created to specification. For details, contact specialsales@abramsbooks.com or the address below.

115 West 18th Street
New York, NY 10011
www.abramsbooks.com

THANK YOUS

THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE without whom this book would never have happened. Id like to thank the team at Abrams for believing in me and in this book, and especially my editor Rebecca Kaplan, for her insight and determination, and Zachary Knoll, for his kindness and attention to detail. Thank you also to Shawna Mullen and Andrea Danese for keeping the book on track. To Sarah Gifford, my book designer, who got me right away and created something more perfect than I ever thought possible. To my agent, Berta Treitl, who has championed me on and has truly been there for me in every step of this process, thank you.

To Helen Norman, whose photographs bring life to this book and who is not only an amazing photographer, but a kind and loyal friend.

Id like to thank our clientsboth those whose homes are in this book and those whom weve worked with throughout the yearsfor trusting us, welcoming us into your homes and lives, and most of all, for your friendship. Im so grateful to you all.

I cant thank the team of people we work with on a regular basis to complete our projects enough. Paul and Nancy Johnson, your beautiful creations always exceed our expectations and youve taught me so much. To Michael Carr and the team at CarrMichael Construction, I cant thank you enough for never saying no, and for your anythings possible attitude. To Preston and Brian Key and the delivery team at NRoute for your flexibility and senses of humoryes, I see those texts! To Michael Franck, for your constant kindness and creativity. To Michael DiGuiseppe, for your flawless wallpaper installs, even when weve asked you to make tented ceilings and it seemed impossible. To the many wonderful suppliers, manufacturers, contractors, architects, and artists we work withthank you for caring so much about your work and for making our clients so happy. Special thanks to Sid Cutts for one of the fastest and smoothest out-of-state renovations weve ever been a part of.

To my blog friendsespecially Eddie Ross, Jaithan Kochar, Brooke and Steve Giannetti, Paloma Contreras, Joni Webb, Michele Ginnerty, Maria Killam, Debra Phillips, and Loi ThaiIm so thankful for your friendship, inspiration, and encouragement; it means the world to me. To the magazine editors Ive come to know and love, thank you for believing in me.

To my blog readers, you have done more for me than youll ever know. You helped me gain my confidence and find a voice, and I am forever grateful to you.

To Meghan Short, my assistant designer, who is incredibly talented, kind, and honest, and makes me laugh on a daily basis. Youre truly my right hand and you know youre family to us. To Febe, for all that you do. You are Wonder Woman.

Thank you to my friends and family for still loving me even though Ive disappeared for months on end with work and the book. To my little sister, whose shoes are much bigger than mine though she doesnt yet know it. To my parents, especially, for supporting me unconditionally through every single move Ive ever made. To my childrenChristian, Justin, Luke, and Giselefor being my everythings.

And finally, Id like to thank my husband, David, who is also my business partner and my best friend. I get so much of the credit for this business, but you pour your heart and soul into it and work behind the scenes to make it all happen, often while sleep-deprived. Your tirelessness, thoughtfulness, wit, and love keep me going. Im truly excited to wake up each and every day because of you.

CONTENTS

PART 1
THE FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS OF DESIGN

PART 2
THE INTANGIBLE ELEMENTS OF DESIGN, OR JE NE SAIS QUOI

PART 3
ROOM BY ROOM GUIDE

INTRODUCTION

field guide / fld gd n.

an illustrated manual for identifying natural objects, flora, or fauna in nature

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

Habitat: The Field Guide to Decorating can be read chronologically from front to back, or it can be used as a reference guide for specific topics. For easy reference, the index in the back of the book lists many of those topics and the page numbers on which they can be found. The book is broken down into three parts: the Fundamental Elements of Design, the Intangible Elements of Design, and a Room-by-Room Guide to the rooms of a house.

I STUMBLED ACROSS MY FIRST FIELD GUIDE, an herbal encyclopedia, when I was eleven years old. Captivated by its botanical drawings and entries about the herbs origins and uses, I carried that thing around with me everywhere. I spent hours outdoors, hunting for specimens that looked like the black-and-white drawings in the pages, though Im sure half of what I collected wasnt what I actually thought it was. I eventually got hold of more field guides, branching out into stones, edible plants, aromatherapy, and even mythical creatures.