How to Live with Objects: A Guide to More Meaningful Interiors

by Monica Khemsurov, Jill Singer

"A stylish guide to artful objects, both new and vintage, and how to use them to design a remarkable home, from the founders of the trendsetting magazine Sight Unseen. With a collection of anecdotes, tours of remarkable homes, and modern and meaningful design advice, Monica Khemsurov and Jill Singer take you on a fun, educational, and highly visual journey through two questions at the core of their design what are objects, and how do we live with them? Why should we collect them, and how can they impact our lives? Like a chat with your most stylish friend, How to Live with Objects guides collectors, art lovers, and design enthusiasts towards a more sophisticated and skilled mindset in acquiring vintage, rare, and new objects and shows you how to style them in your own home. Appealing to every type of space, this book emphasizes the importance of objects, regardless of your style preference, and illustrates exactly how to find and utilize d�ecor to maximize the thoughtfulness of your space. From a deep dive into thrifting, showing readers how to find that find so it doesn't end up being the one that got away, to style tips and tricks, How to Live with Objects is an indispensable tool for home owners and art enthusiasts alike"--

Genres: Nonfiction, Design, Art, Architecture

318 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 15, 2022

Reviews

[Isabella Akhtarshenas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book because they didn’t give you too many “rules” to live by, but they offered a bunch of different methods and ways to live with different objects. Felt super jazzed when they mentioned names that I know and worked with from my Philly. I also appreciated all of the different perspectives in the book, the contrast with each other to demonstrate that choosing objects to live with is a deeply personal choice with no right or wrong way.

I have always been obsessed with the objects I live with, so this book was both deeply validating for me and also provided insight to *why* I love the objects that I do. This books sits on my coffee table with a few other prized books I love and I page thru it from time to time.

[Mara · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a design newbie, I knew none of the names of the people profiled in this book. They were all so different in their aesthetic but thoughtful in how they described their approach to design in their own homes. The term Memphis movement came up over and over again so I did some research to educate myself. Seems to resonate with many of the designers here.

Very high-end rooms are shown but it’s not unreachable. I loved the encouragement to stalk Ebay, FB marketplace and Etsy for the best scores. It also encouraged me to try the knife edge pleated lampshade DIY that has, til now, intimidated me.

[Aiden Bowman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incisively written and beautifully illustrated — achieves the very delicate balance between gorgeous coffee table book and engrossing, first-hand account of *why* we choose to live with the objects that surround us. 10/10 for anyone aesthetically minded and interested in unpacking just why we seem to love "stuff" so much.

[Mimi Stein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous book on aesthetics and living well.
Inspiring design.

[Kelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a refreshingly thorough and well-reported design manual in an era where 'aesthetics' have been flattened into photo carousels on social media. Honestly, this book makes me so happy and optimistic about what interiors can do to improve our everyday lives—and it's true for everyone, not just the extremely wealthy.

[mol · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars, finished
really interesting layout and ultimately a very educational take on the topics of interior design and self expression, i just didn't find myself enjoying or feeling particularly inspired by many of the styles presented. it did make me want to go thrifting like right this second though.

[Karla Lojen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so much more than I expected. I’m savoring every page, filled with inspiring interiors, unique objects, and meaningful stories. It’s packed with styling tips, DIYs, and thrifting advice for creating spaces with real soul—a rare find in today’s design world.

[E · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too many words - not enough photos for a design book.

[Cliff Kuang · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best interiors books of the last five years, and one of the most original. I’ve bought a ton of them, and I keep reaching for this one. Beautifully curated.

[Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clearly >85% of these people do not have children.

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF. Maybe got 1/3 of the way through? Not bad advice, but none of the information presented was new to me. Mostly just recapped principles I already follow in my life.