Sanctuary: Creative Homes with Intention, Meaning and Beauty

The editors of In Bed Journal, the blog of the eponymous textiles company, explore how individuals imprint their personality on their homes in this largely successful coffee-table book. Profiling homeowners across the globe, the authors describe how one woman’s decision to decorate her abode in Eltham, Australia, with secondhand furniture, including a coffee table custom built in the 1960s for the home’s architect, reflects her commitment to sustainability. The L.A. home of Neada Deters, founder of organic skin care products company Lesse, embraces the same “less is more” philosophy that she brings to her products, the authors contend, showing how the sparsely decorated rooms evoke the feel of an art gallery. Elsewhere, the authors discuss how a Toronto couple’s passion for Japanese design inspired them to style their house after a traditional Japanese inn with beige walls and shoji screens. Biographical background on the homeowners sheds light on how aesthetics reflect personal sensibilities, but frustratingly, some of the photos give little idea of the homes’ interiors. For instance, the images for one Vancouver residence consist largely of close-ups of the bed and dining table. Still, this brings welcome attention to the human side of design. (Apr.)