Excerpts from Nourishing Home

The goal is to publish my upcoming book, Nourishing Home, in 2026. Meanwhile, I will share excerpts each week along with some illustrations.

A little about me

I thought everyone grew up in a home like I did. My mother was a painter and sculptor. My father had a hobby of making ceramics and built-in furniture. My sister did weaving and mandalas, and my brother made ceramic bowls. I contributed paintings, ceramics, and built-in furniture. Our house was filled with the things we made or the things friends of the family had made. Wasn’t everybody's? Our home buzzed and resonated, and we all took it for granted.

When I became a designer, I had already been immersed in arts and crafts. I had a degree in Fine Arts and had completed an apprenticeship in carpentry and joinery. I worked as a carpenter in historical restoration in Sussex, England, and for an interior designer on a custom Malibu home, designing custom furniture and fixtures. Once I started my own design business, I began to see a paradox. My clients wanted my help, but they didn't honestly know what they wanted, and they were in design kindergarten. Over the years, I discovered I was not foremost a designer, I was a listener, a teacher, a mentor, a collaborator, and a co-creator. The more I let go of being a designer, the more I had to offer.

Initially, I had to be a disruptor. My client had expectations that I had to challenge. Why have something if it doesn’t nourish you? Why furnish your home with trends? Why copy your best friend or what some social media influencer promises will bring you contentment? Why support mass production in Asia? Don’t be a clone, a copycat. Don’t worry about what others may think. Why not find something that resonates, tells a story, generates a quality memory, and supports a craftsperson? Live with belongings that nourish every day. If they don’t nourish, then ask yourself why they are in your life.

The fantastic thing is that people fundamentally get it. Most of my clients are adept at identifying their favorite foods, the music that excites them, or their top ten movies, but ask them about their favorite design vernacular and they freeze. They know what they don’t know, that there isn’t a map but a journey. My role as a guide is to embark on a journey of exploration, widening the collective mind to new perceptions and meaningful possibilities.