Book Club

Call It Home - The Details that Matter

Amber Lewis

Amber Lewis is one cool chick. If she is part of your Insta following, you’ll be privy to stories showing random dance parties, jumping on beds and all sorts of shenanigans happening during project installs and photoshoots. Not exactly my style on a work site, but it sure looks fun to be a member of her crew! Above and beyond all that jazz, I can’t help but be impressed with the vulnerability and strength she’s shown on social media these past couple of years as she’s waded through some pretty tough IRL stuff that we don’t often see in the land of “look at me, all is perfect”. Girl crushes aside, Amber’s first book, Made for Living, has a home on my bookshelf therefore I was keen to see if her latest, Call It Home, would measure up. 

Spoiler Alert: It’s pretty darn good!

Let’s rip off the band-aid and get the not so good stuff out of the way first. As she says herself in the intro, “…when it comes to designing a unique space – one that isn’t merely a lather-rinse-repeat of the same room over and over – the struggle is real” (Lewis, 2023). Amber is indeed very talented in creating a signature look that doesn’t mirror itself across multiple projects. However, I must admit that I saw waaayyyyyyy too many teddy bear chairs in this book! You know the ones I’m talking about…they start their initial sneak into the portrait on the front cover, edging in from the left. There is some sort of iteration of these, whether in a different shade or slightly different form, in almost every project. Granted, these add tons of texture to a space and are certainly comfortable, therefore this is more of a keen observation rather than a true critique. 

The real design crime came midway in the book, where our love of everything fluted went too far! We are first introduced to a beautiful Primary Bedroom with a lovely fluted milky white stone fireplace mantle and see the fluting echoed into the Primary Ensuite’s vanities. But then – gasp – the fluting is carried through to the marble shower walls. Now, maybe these clients don’t actually do the cleaning of their shower…but someone does…and that person will curse EVERY SINGLE MILLIMETER of those shower walls!

Personal picture taken of Call It Home

My last quip is mainly directed at the publishers. On approximately half of the pages, the text is printed in white on a light beige background which made it seem like a whisper of text and was very difficult to actually read. While I’m no spring chicken and my corneas aren’t as perky as they used to be, this is really about Contrast…yes, one of the fundamental principles of design…and this is a prime example that design matters and extends beyond “pretty spaces”. 

Ok, enough of that and let’s start gushing about the good stuff!!

One of the first kitchens we see in the book has an amazing island countertop – a mix of warm oak for the Watchers and utilitarian stone for the Workers. With such a massive piece at the center of the kitchen, this is a super clever (yes, that is the technical design terminology) way to mix form and function. To further soften the look and protect hips and toes, the edges of the island have been smoothly rounded off. Muah, Chef’s Kiss!!

Two other ideas I’m dying to steal…ahem, I mean, inspiration I want to extrapolate into my future designs…are the brass & leather wine racks (if wine isn’t your thing, go ahead and put San Pellegrino in those beautiful cradles) and the gradient frosting on the bathroom windows (like a whispered breath of discretion from Jack Frost himself!).

Lighting is always strong in Amber’s designs and there is lots to ogle at and appreciate amidst these pages as well. She seems to know exactly when to put in a delicate pleated-shade sconce versus a poignant glass pendant or uber modern statement piece. For me, the culmination of her expert mix of materials happens in the Mountain Getaway staircase where we see a mix of a leather-wrapped stair railing, a cascade of chiselled pendants (watch for these in one of our upcoming projects!!), and rough-hewn wood beam stair stringers. I’ve seen it multiple times on social media, and it never ceases to make me smile. #Perfection!!

Overall, this book is a great representation of Amber Lewis’ design style, and it offers a plethora of deliciously rich inspiration images. If you love the warm California style, then this is the book for you. 

For me, the book worked its magic and enriched my design soul 🖤 Although it isn’t destined to live on my coffee table or office shelf, I’ll keep a close eye on my Insta feed and keep having virtual kitchen dance parties with Amber and her crew.

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