Hi, I’m Emily Grosvenor, and welcome to ★ I would do it differently ★ , my newsletter about neuro-spicy design, trends, home energy, interiors, and, well, what I would do differently. I’m the magazine editor at Oregon Home and author of Find Yourself At Home: A Conscious Approach to Shaping Your Space and Your Life.
If you’re new to me and my writing:
I once won competitive live-action Oregon Trail and wrote about it for The Atlantic.
I grew up going to open houses with my mom instead of church, and told the story in Good Housekeeping.
In my spare moments I work as a spatial consultant and help people do things like deal with overflowing bookshelves (read the story at Lit Hub). I love sharing my knowledge about how to shape your home to create magical shifts in your life and wrote about it in a book, Find Yourself At Home.
My family is constantly thinking about how to do things differently, like keeping a Christmas tree in a pot all year long (read why at the Los Angeles Times).
My current favorite story for Oregon Home magazine is this cover story about Sara Fritsch’s Portland studio remodel by Casework.
I also wrote a kids’ book on tessellation called Tessalation!
I’d love it if you would subscribe, and would love it even more if you become a paid subscriber. Right now, I don’t have any paywalls up, so you’ll see:
Essays about design and life
A monthly design trend (the good and the bad)
Some notes on design-y cultural products I’m consuming
Some hot takes on things I hate
Some people are starting to pay for this newsletter. For now, most of it is free, but eventually I might put some stuff behind a paywall.
Why did you start a newsletter?
My first job out of college was actually writing a digital newsletter, for the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, in Washington, D.C. That was 20 years ago, and I still love the form. I’m a design journalist, but I edit a quarterly, and I needed a space where I could talk with people and respond personally on a tighter news cycle.
Why ★ I would do it differently ★?
This is my 100% phrase. The words that help me get through life. The sentence I repeat to myself when I need to let something go. “ I would do it differently” is how I challenge myself to be a creator and not a critic.
A bit more about me:
I’m a design journalist, consultant, and author of Find Yourself At Home: A Conscious Approach to Shaping Your Space and Your Life (Chronicle Prism, 2023). My work explores how we create our places and spaces – and how they, in turn, shape us back. My reporting and essays have appeared in The Atlantic, The Los Angeles Times, Good Housekeeping, Salon, and Sunset. In my day job, I’m also Editor of Oregon Home magazine, where I seek out stories of people who are chasing the full expression of their lives through their home design and renovation. Most recently, I’ve been working on a TED-style talk with the working title “How to Live with Other People.” I live with my husband, two middle school sons, a chicken named Regina George, and 88 bonsai in McMinnville, Oregon.
You can find me on all the socials @emilygrosvenor.
Follow me on Instagram here.
Connect with me on LinkedIn here.
Find my courses at Skillshare here.
My book is about making magical shifts in your life through house design
What readers say about my book, Find Yourself At Home
“I loved this book. Find Yourself at Home is elegantly written, emotionally intelligent, and endlessly inventive. Emily Grosvenor's humane, gentle approach guides us to a better understanding of our homes and ourselves.”
―Claire Dederer, author of Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma and Love and Trouble: A Midlife Reckoning
“Emily Grosvenor quickly draws you into her world where you're encouraged to notice the beauty in the everyday, and the story and importance in all homes. The power of dreaming and engaging is at the heart of her philosophy for creating a home that supports harmony. She helps readers look beyond the surface of function and aesthetic to how both of these things can create a deeper value for your life. Find Yourself at Home is full of practical tips, questions to help you reflect on what you want from your home, and fresh perspectives on how to create it.”
―Rebecca Atwood, author of Living with Color and Living with Pattern and founder of Rebecca Atwood Designs
“Leaning on her background in environmental psychology and feng shui, Emily Grosvenor makes a strong case for the idea that as we change our homes, we change ourselves.” ―Julia Watkins, author of Simply Living Well
“Find Yourself at Home invites you to design your space and yourself. Navigate your way to a happier and healthier life at home and in your heart and mind through compassionate guidance and soothing practices.”
―Moorea Seal, bestselling author of 52 Lists for Happiness
“The design of our homes has tremendous power over our mental health, for better or worse. Emily Grosvenor has created a must-read guide on harnessing this power for good. Her tips pair ancient wisdom alongside modern design, and you’ll leave with the tools you need to create a positive space to live your most beautiful life.”
―Kelli Lamb, Editorial Director and Co-Principal at Rue magazine and author of Home with Rue: Style for Everyone
★ Thanks for joining me ★
