Feels Like Home

Two people inherit the exact same antique wooden dresser. It's solid oak, with dovetail joints and original brass pulls, a beautiful piece by any measure. The first person hires a professional to strip it, sand it, and paint it a flawless, high-gloss white. They replace the antique pulls with sleek, modern hardware. It looks perfect, like a picture from a catalog, sitting pristine in their guest room. The second person sees the same dresser and notices the small, dark ring where a glass of water once sat, the tiny nicks along the bottom edge from a long-ago vacuum cleaner, and the way the finish has worn away on the top two drawers from decades of hands pulling them open. They clean it, polish the original brass, and rub wax into the wood, letting the marks of its history deepen its character. It feels like it has a story.

Which room feels more like a home? It’s this question that drove interior designer Lauren Liess to write "Feels Like Home." After years of creating beautiful spaces for clients, she noticed a pattern: the homes people loved most were the ones that were deeply personal, comfortable, and even a little imperfect. A successful designer and the author of several acclaimed books, Liess realized that the true goal was to capture the essence of the people living inside it. This book is her answer to the constant pressure for perfection, a guide to embracing the lived-in, story-filled beauty that makes a house truly feel like home.

Module 1: Home as a Sensory and Emotional Sanctuary

We often think of home in visual terms. The color of the walls. The style of the furniture. But Liess argues this is a limited view. A true home engages all five senses. It’s an emotional and sensory experience first, and a physical structure second. Think back to a place you truly felt safe. Liess recalls the smell of her childhood homes. The way the light hit the floor. These were emotional anchors. They created a feeling of safety and belonging.

This leads to a powerful insight. A home's atmosphere is more important than its style. You can have a perfectly styled house that feels cold and sterile. Or you can have a simple, imperfect space that feels warm and joyful. The difference is atmosphere. Liess suggests we design for a feeling, not just a look. Do you want your home to feel calm and restorative? Or energetic and creative? Answering this question is the first step.

So how do you build atmosphere? Liess points to the senses. For sound, she uses music to shape the mood. Calming playlists to soothe her children. Upbeat music for weekend fun. For scent, she uses specific candles in different rooms. A cypress blend for the living area. A garden-inspired scent for the kitchen. These choices are deliberate. They build layers of memory and association over time. You can intentionally craft a home's atmosphere by engaging all five senses. This means considering sound, scent, touch, and even taste. The smell of onions sautéing can be as much a part of your home's identity as the color on your walls.

Furthermore, texture plays a huge role. Natural materials like wood, stone, and plaster feel different from synthetic ones. They feel warmer. More grounded. Liess uses rough, honed surfaces for a relaxed vibe. Polished surfaces feel more formal. The tactile experience of a space directly influences your mood. And here's the thing. This is about conscious choices. Incorporate natural elements like wood, fire, and plants to ground your space. A simple branch from the yard in a vase. A candle lit at dinner. Opening a window to let in a breeze. These small acts connect us to something primal and calming. They transform a house from a container for our stuff into a sanctuary for our lives.

We've explored how to create atmosphere. Now, let's look at the practical foundation that makes it all possible.