As interior designers, we can sometimes get caught-up in a world that revolves around things, as opposed to a world that revolves around people and feelings. Ilse Crawford’s 2005 book, home is where the heart is, is a refreshing reminder of the power that interior design has to reconnect people with their basic needs and true emotions – safety, love, respect, and self-actualization. Crawford, a former editor turned designer and principle of studioilse, demonstrates that by creating safe, loving, and creative spaces, we generate more balance in our lives – something that we all seem to be lacking these days. These more comfortable, less “clinical” places “sustain ourselves intellectually, physically, and even spiritually.” They foster intimacy, privacy, and beauty and enable us to connect more readily with both ourselves and those around us. home is where the heart is is worth checking out, both for its insightful essays and its thoughtful spaces captured brilliantly by Martyn Thompson. Crawford’s design philosophy is one that we truly admire and try to emulate in the work that we do at Ore Studios. We return to this book often, and think of it as a valuable resource in the office.
Crawford’s home photographed by Martyn Thompson.