The Wabi-Sabi Lighting on Sarah Sherman Samuel’s Wish List

Plus she can’t get enough of this texture.
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Introducing Domino’s new podcast, Design Time, where we explore spaces with meaning. Each week, join editor-in-chief Jessica Romm Perez along with talented creatives and designers from our community to explore how to create a home that tells your story. Listen now and subscribe for new episodes every Thursday.

Sarah Sherman Samuel has no shortage of clever design ideas, from hiding unsightly TVs with graphic tapestries to creating funky trim with basic blue tape. The cover star of our first Renovation issue is the ultimate do-it-yourselfer. On this week’s episode of Domino’s new podcast, Design Time, we got to pick the Grand Rapids, Michigan–based designer’s brain on all things renovating, painting, and organizing. “Constraints of any kind are exciting,” Samuel tells Domino’s editor-in-chief, Jessica Romm Perez. “It’s personally my favorite type of puzzle.” 

Tune in today on Spotify and Apple Podcast to hear Samuel discuss the color that’s been making her feel calm for the past three years (spoiler: it’s in the yellow family) and her all-time favorite IKEA hacks. At the end of the episode, the designer reveals the objects, places, and people that make her happy. Here’s a sneak peek of her favorite things. 

My Design Hero

“Alvar Aalto. He has a really great quote about working with painting and sculpture as branches of a tree whose trunk is architecture. I relate to that philosophy so much because I do a lot of decorative arts and my own furniture design.” 

My Color Pairing

“Ochre makes me feel calm. I’ve been into it for three years now. I’d combine that with a light blue—like faded indigo.”

My Material of the Moment

“I have to go with bouclé. It’s soft and just very welcoming and inviting.” 

My Go-To Hotel

The Proper is my spirit hotel. If I hired Kelly Wearstler to do my home, that’s exactly what it would look like.” 

My Design Object

“Virginia Sin’s new pendant lights, which I don’t even think are available for sale yet. She makes beautiful lamps, bowls, and sculptures.”

My Wardrobe

“I love the play on pattern in Ulla Johnson’s work. It’s so good.”

My Nightstand Read

“I just finished Little Fires Everywhere.”

My Favorite Blooms

“I always love flowering trees like magnolia.”

flowering magnolia tree
courtesy of Getty

My Wind Down

“I’m terrible at any type of self-care, but I do take a bath every night.”

My Dish

“When I was pregnant, I loved the crispy rice bowl at Sqirl. I had food aversions, so I didn’t want anything except that. You’d think I would get sick of it, but no, I still crave it.” 

Lydia Geisel Avatar

Lydia Geisel

Home Editor

Lydia Geisel has been on the editorial team at Domino since 2017. Today, she writes and edits home and renovation stories, including house tours, before and afters, and DIYs, and leads our design news coverage. She lives in New York City.