Lauren Maclean
Lauren Maclean (Lo) loves creating and sharing the design of her home. Her prolific Instagram account, @livingbylo, is a visual story of her space. It's also where she enjoys discovering and connecting with artists from around the world.
In 2021, we packed a lone donut candle for Lauren Maclean (Lo). That lucky candle is now our most photographed piece, enjoying its prime allotted spot on a Studio Mignone coffee table in Lo's Montreal apartment. Her instagram account @livingbylo, reads as a visual diary of sorts, a daily documentation that is meditative in the soothing repetition of subject matter, but has sprinklings of changes and new additions for those paying attention. We chat with Lauren about her space and style, and their slow evolution with time.
“I will happily leave a space empty until I find the right fit”
Utharaa: You have a curious mix of things in your space, it is reassuring to see the pieces live on photo after photo, and lovely to find a new addition every now and then. Are you a collector? Are you sentimental about the objects you collect?
Lo: Overtime I have settled and connected with my form of expression through my home which has turned me into a collector of things I love.
“I see each piece for the art that it is, placing them in such a way that creates interruption in flow, forcing the eye to look at every piece as its own wonderful object”
Utharaa: Can you describe your home? How particular are your choices?
Lo: I like to think of my home as intentionally undefined. I’ve always hesitated to lean too much into one style because I found it would force and influence my future decisions for the sake of staying cohesive, which leaves little room for adding pieces you simply love for what it is. The challenge to mix and blend in my own way is where I find the magic of individuality. I’m quite particular (a tad obsessive) so my planning for colour and scale is quite thought out, but finding the piece to fit that story comes only when I fall in love with the right one. I will happily leave a space empty until I find the right fit.
Utharaa: Do you have one great passion or many?
Lo: The practice of shooting and sharing my space is a passion. I like to approach what I share as a visual story, using few words, but trying to capture the feeling that a certain setting is giving me in real life. The elements and layers I factor in are intentional, considering things like the light, scale, angles, and color blends - which has started to feel like my personal form of art and expression.
Utharaa: Do you think about 'softness' at all?
Lo: Softness was often the missing piece to something you couldn’t put your finger on, but when I started introducing softness through shapes, colour and material, it became both the highlight and backdrop to the story I want to share. I keep softness balanced amongst bold and sharp elements, and like in all aspects in life it can offer a bridge to peace and harmony.
