Leanne Ford on home

What does home mean to you? 

Home is where the heart is….oh wait, they already took that one 😉 Home for me is always family and where I get to be still, creative, inspired, or just sit in the bath.

Fill in the blank: Your home should be… 

uniquely yours, what you are drawn to, what you LOVE, and should be for no one else but you! 

What advice would you give someone who wants to make their home more uniquely yours?

Ignore what the neighbors think, ignore what your family thinks, and do what you love and are drawn to. Get that art you love and that sofa you wanna jump into, and then play a little bit. Design should be a joyful, happy thing with no pressure. 

Tell us about your childhood home. What do you remember most? 

So I convinced my parents to paint our cabinets white in sixth grade, which was one of my greatest victories still to date. And I also ripped off the rug on the stairs and painted our kitchen. I was constantly rearranging the furniture in my room. I was always using my parent’s house as somewhere to play and try new things—looking back, they were very patient.

What was your favorite home you’ve ever lived in, and why? 

I am always very happy with the home I am in, but the one I am in now feels really extra good.

What is the best part of being at home? 

The best part of being at home is….that is where your bathtub is…I mean, kid… I mean, husband…I mean bathtub…

How has your idea of home evolved over the years? 

Once we had a child and we had our little family unit, it was more important that our home was close to where our relatives were. 

What are your top 5 must-haves in your home? 

Always a bathtub, all my books I have carried from house to house, art that inspires me, good music playing, and great lighting.

What, if any, rituals do you have at home? 

No rituals, zero rituals, I wish….

Describe your ideal day at home.

Waking up naturally (please), reading a book, working on a book, doing some ceramics in my little studio, thinking about fun things I am going to do creatively, having breakfast and lunch with my husband and daughter, and time for a bath and then goodnight!

How do you approach decorating your own home? 

My own home is a total work in progress. It evolves naturally based on how I am feeling, what I find out is going on in the world of design, when my Crate and Barrel furniture arrives—it’s always an evolution. When my career started, my husband would always ask me where the sofa was because I would always take them out and use them for projects, but I am trying to be better.

What is your favorite spot in your home? 

We have a library—it feels like an old dark parlor filled with all our books, and I love hanging out there. 

What helps you achieve a work/life balance? 

What things help you transition from a word day to being at home? Sarah, are you my therapist now? If you have any ideas or suggestions, send them over. It’s hard because what I do for fun is also what I do for work, so it’s hard to have a line that delineates the two, but I say at five o’clock, the computer and phone go away, and I just try to be normal. 

Have you made any recent changes in your home? 

Yes, I sure have… they are tiling a bathroom as we speak. 

If you could have a second home anywhere in the world, where would it be? 

I would love to have a lake house. In fact, Sarah, you told me we would do one together. When do we get started?

Thank you Leanne!

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