Home Is Where The Art Is
Home Is Where The Art Is
Special pieces that ground and center our space.
I’ve always been drawn to aesthetics and surrounding myself with beauty. A personalized home is a source of safety and wellbeing for me, and I love to see bits of my friends, family and self reflected in our space. When we left our Nashville house fully furnished and moved to our Los Angeles house sight unseen a year and half ago, I had to continually remind myself that a space takes time. That there are other ways to feel settled and at peace — through finding your go-to takeout spot, your favorite local park, or even the most convenient place to get your car repaired (unfortunately this was a necessity our very first week). My mom always says that it takes one whole year to feel settled in a new spot, and that has proven true for me time and time again. The longer we live in a space, we discover how we actually use it — what rooms we spend most of our time in, the way the light filters through the windows at a certain hour of day, or which area still needs some work to feel extra cozy.
To me, art is what grounds us in a space. It’s an external expression of an inner world. It’s through art that we can share our humor, our beliefs, our values, our inspirations. Homes require patience and time, and gather meaning through memories and lived experiences. Dan and I have slowly collected pieces that represent us, enrich our space, or simply make us happy. It’s not so much about the material object, but what it holds and carries with it.
When our moving truck arrived with all our bits and pieces, I cried with delight. Our books! The lamp I forgot about! The drawing my friend’s daughter made for me! This was home. Here are some of the things that color our space and bring immense joy to my daily life, and the stories behind them.
Before I get to the list, I want to give a shout out to my friend and designer Meg Towle, who created the beautiful collage above. As I continue to grow and evolve this space, I hope to bring in more special, custom editorial content like this in addition to my personal essays each month, and remain sponsor-free.
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May this space inspire curiosity, creativity, self-reflection and connection. Thank you for reading and supporting our newsletter. I cherish this warm and loving little community that we are fostering.
Love,
Elise
Christiane Spangsberg, Line Drawing, 2015
Back when Dan and I were just dating, I was tagged in an Instagram post of my living room with the hashtag “rooms I envision my pieces in” or something similar. It was Christiane, and I was immediately captivated by her work. We exchanged some messages and she generously gifted me this original drawing all the way from Copenhagen. She has since gone on to sell out many exhibits across New York, London, Paris, Sydney and beyond. It’s easily our most valuable piece!
Memor Studio, Custom Shell Vase Shape IV
Whenever Dan and I take a trip to the ocean, we collect our favorite stones and shells to bring back home with us. The majority of these specific shells came from our fifth wedding anniversary trip to Rosemary Beach. For our gift that year, we had Maxine of Memor Studio make this incredibly beautiful vase from all our beach trinkets. It’s an heirloom forever piece that I look forward to passing down one day.
Duende, Antique Iron Wavy Wall Sconces
When I started sourcing vintage pieces for Duende, I came across this pair of wavy candle sconces on Facebook Marketplace in Nashville for $20. Once I saw them in person, I knew I couldn’t let them go. They bring me so much joy, especially paired with these refillable black pillar candles.
Vintage Square Wall Clock
The clock by our front door always makes me smile, even though it isn’t currently operating! This mid-century beauty was a gift from Dan’s great uncle to his parents when they got married back in 1979. It hung in their home for years, and I often commented on it when visiting. One year, I found it wrapped under the Christmas tree for us, and have proudly had it hung at our place ever since then.
NOVA, Mid-Century Modern Oak Arc Lamp
I was at an estate sale picking up some pieces for Duende, and when I went to pay, this post-modern stunner was standing there shining in all of its glory. I was almost too scared to ask about it, but thankfully I did and it was available for… gasp… $50! I’ve seen them online selling for $1500. I will never be able to part with it.
Revivalist South, Untitled Commission
Jordan Wright Patterson’s work has always been deeply emotional for me. The movement reminds me of water rippling through sand on a beach somewhere. She works with tea or coffee to stain paper prior to cutting, and then freehands all of the cuts. Using such a blunt, harsh tool to create something so soft and soothing feels like a metaphor for life somehow. We finally splurged and got her custom framed last month — it’s now the star of our space (and I can’t wait to show you, soon!).
Bower, Fold Mirror
I had the pleasure of doing many pop-up events with my friends behind Wilder, back when they had their stunning Nashville showroom and design shop. Dan and I fell in love with this mirror there and had to bring it home with us. It adds so much depth and dimension to our hallway.
Ceramrap, Match Striker Boot
The only “Margiela” tabi boot I own… for now. I had ogled over this ceramic matchstick holder for a very long time, but they were sold out for months. When I moved to LA, the artist (Christine Mai Nguyen) asked for my address and this lovely surprise showed up on my doorstep. You light by striking a match against the bottom of the boot like they do in old Westerns. I will always cherish it.
Sohn, Right Hand Pillow
Dan and I often remind each other to hold things loosely and not try to grasp or control, which can feel challenging in life and in our self-employed careers. Eventually we stopped using words, and the gesture of opening our right palm became a symbol of this sentiment. When I stumbled upon this pillow by John Sohn, I had to have it. It adds so much personality to our Mario Bellini-reproduction sofa, and is always a talking point with visitors.
Teocali, Tzompantlis — Tree of Life / Árbol de la Vida
For our seventh anniversary this past December, we drove to Palm Springs for a couple rainy but wonderful days in the desert. We mostly hung out in our beautiful hotel room — watching movies, reading by the fire, ordering takeout — but on our final day we ventured out for some shopping and came across this moving piece of art. Tzompantlis refer to the display of rows of skulls during Mesoamerican times. These pieces often tell a story of celebration or tradition, and are made by hand in Michoacán, Mexico. They are mostly created during the months leading up to Day of the Dead. To us, this felt like a beautiful representation of life and family — honoring all who have come before us and all who will follow. The perfect little walnut display shelf is by Offcut Studio.
Mellow, Gemini Vase
I envied this vase design from the moment I saw a smaller version in Alyssa Coscarelli’s lovely home. The unique shape is playful and sexy, and the hand painted dark brown checkered pattern adds visual interest without overpowering the room.
Lola Dupre, Coby Print
Lola Dupre is a collage artist and illustrator based near Glasgow, Scotland. Dan discovered her work online, and we have long dreamed of having our dog Otto immortalized in an original wood panel collage by her. Until then, we absolutely love this weird and wonderful limited edition cat print.
NOTEWORTHY
—I Spent a Year Tracking Down My Secondhand Silverware — And It Was Worth It.
—My friend Shannon Cartier Lucy has a breathtaking solo show up through March 18th at Night Gallery in Los Angeles. We own 3 of her prints. Go, go, go!
—Another one of our favorite artists — Asuka Anastacia Ogawa — has a show opening today at Blum & Poe. I cannot wait to visit and see her pieces in person.
PLEASURE
This new-to-me interiors Instagram account.
The latest album On Grace & Dignity by the GOLDEN DREGS has been perfect for the moody, rainy days we’ve been having in California.
A couple years old, but forever and ever one of our favorite homes — Troye Sivan’s Victorian-Era Melbourne video home tour with AD.
CONTEMPLATING
How To Feel Alive Again. I absolute adore Katherine May and her Wintering book, and cannot wait to read her latest book, Enchantment.
The 21 Very Best Duvet Covers. I’m a linen gal for life, and we love our Morrow Soft Goods heirloom linen duvet cover in Willow (which was voted “softest linen duvet cover” in the article!).
‘I Need More Recklessness In My Life!’. Ask Polly is one of my most treasured email subscriptions, and this recent piece was incredible.