A Note from the Fiele Files | Volume 2
In this week’s Fiele Files, we took some time to talk with writer Lisa Przystup (@brass__tacks) who has thoughtfully carved out an aspirational lifestyle in the idyllic Upstate New York town of Delhi. We’ve been inspired for a while by her calming aesthetic and the glimpses we’ve seen of the home she shares with her musician husband Jonathon of The Bones of J.R. Jones. Lisa’s first book, Upstate, comes out later this month in which she shares a collection of interiors on both sides of the Hudson. We’re fortunate that she pulled away to speak about the influence of scent in her own dwelling space along with the formative role it played in her life.
On her strongest memories associated with scent:
Too many to name, really but the smell of fresh cut grass combined with the smell of gas from the lawnmower takes me right back to that feeling of summer and freedom, that long day laziness and warm weather haziness and the way my dad smelled coming in after mowing the lawn. Then there’s the smell of orange blossoms from my time in Arizona—every spring the air would be thick and heady with their perfume and you knew it was spring. Or the smell of dry leaves (and wet leaves!) in the fall. Or the smell of creosote bushes in the desert after it rains. Some of my strongest memories are tied up in scent.
On the ways in which scent sparks creativity:
More than anything it makes me feel at home and relaxed and provides an emotional reset button. When I feel off balance or overwhelmed, my husband and I burn palo santo or light a favorite candle. All these things contribute indirectly to creativity.
On the ways she’s fulfilled in Upstate New York:
The space. The great big wideness of it. I love feeling so close to nature and so aware of the seasons. You start to notice little things that signal the shift and changeover of the seasons. For example, before the temps even start to drop you can tell that fall is coming because the goldenrod and milkweed start blooming, the monarchs are about and the fawns that show up in our backyard lose their spots. The way the sun and move across the sky start to change, too. Stuff like that. It’s reassuring and the certainty/reliability of those things makes me feel grounded and connected to the earth (and life in general), which feels so necessary especially during these uncertain times.
Lisa’s book, Upstate, will be officially released on October 27th and is currently available for pre-order. Click on the link below and apply the code: FALL20 for a 20% discount.
On the role scent plays in the home:
My husband and I were just talking about that yesterday. I had lit a candle and we were reflecting on the way it smelled and the way it made us feel and he said, “Scents really make a house a home,” which I thought was really interesting and completely true. I’ve always noticed that each home has its own scent. When we travel and visit family, as I’m unpacking, I notice that my clothes still smell like the place we just came from, which immediately takes me right back. Scent plays a huge role in our home: we often have a candle burning and if not a candle, palo santo or incense or sweetgrass. It helps create a feeling and a mood and centers and comforts us on a regular basis.