COTE DE TEXAS: Lauren Liess, Synaesthesia, and The Skirted Roundtable

Lauren Liess, Synaesthesia, and The Skirted Roundtable

 

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This week on The Skirted Roundtable, we interviewed interior designer and blogger Lauren Liess.  You are probably familiar with Lauren’s fabulous blog, Pure Style Home, where she shows the design work she’s done for clients and for herself.  Last year the Liess family bought a split level house near Washington DC.   The house was stuck in a time warp – it looked like Rob or Laura Petrie might still be living there.  Within just a few months, Lauren totally transformed her house into a magazine-worthy place.   In fact, Better Homes and Gardens recently photographed it for their upcoming Christmas issue!    On Pure Style Home and on The Skirted Roundtable, Lauren shares all her tips and innovative ideas that went into the renovation of her split level.   It’s impossible to single out any room – they are all fabulous, from the foyer to the living room to the kitchen and even to the nursery.    Pictures of her house are on the Skirted Roundtable blog HERE

 

 

image The transformation of her foyer – Lauren tells us how she did it while she was 9 months pregnant!

 

Besides decorating, we also talked a bit about a condition that Lauren has – called Synaesthesia.   I had never heard of this before, but a few months ago, Lauren described it in detail on her blog, HERE.   Apparently, it is a neurological condition where the five senses become mixed together.  Someone with this condition SEES letters and numbers in colors.  Some people with Synaesthesia perceive time visually - they see days and months in three dimension.   There are at least sixty different ways that Synaesthesia manifests itself:  some people taste colors, some taste music.    Most with the condition have at least two different manifestations of it, as does Lauren.  One in 23 are thought to have the condition and it tends to runs in families.   Woman have it in much greater numbers than men.   Some famous artists and musicians believed to be synaesthetes are  Ludwig Beethoven, Leonard Bernstein, David Hockney, and Vincent Van Gogh.  Amazingly, Lauren didn’t know she was unusual until she took a class in college and the professor started lecturing about it.  Lauren just believed that everyone saw letters and numbers in colors.  After talking about it on The Skirted Roundtable, both Linda and Megan thought they had a mild form of it.   I am totally immune to it – but I wish I DID have it!!! 

Here is how one person describes his Synaesthesia HERE:

 

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Do you have Synaesthesia?  Take this test to find out:

Looking at the chart below, you should see very easily that some 5’s are black and a few 5’s are red.  This is how a normal person would perceive this chart.  You just SEE the red 5’s – you don't have to examine each 5 to determine if it is black or red – you can see this automatically.

 

 

Now, look at this chart below – do you see all the numbers as black?  If so, you probably do not have this condition.   If you DO have it, you would see the 2’s and 5’s as different colors, just as you did in the chart above!

 

 

To listen to this week’s Skirted Roundtable with Lauren, go HERE.   To visit her blog, Pure Style Home, go HERE.  To read her own account of her experience with Synaesthesia, go HERE.

 

NOTE:   If you are interested in hearing any particular blogger be interviewed on a future Skirted Roundtable – leave us a comment on The Skirted Roundtable’s comment section.  As usual, thank you for your continued support – we greatly appreciate it.    And don’t forget, The Skirted Roundtable is available on I-Tunes!!!

20 comments :

  1. Love Lauren Liess's blog so I will listen the the Roundtable discussion where I always learn something new. Sorry to say I don't have synaesthesia. That would be nice to see the letters in color. I guess I will have to settle for my rose colored glasses to look at the world!

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  2. Lauren is pure inspiration. I love that she is so passionate and down to earth. How interesting to learn about Synaesthesia.
    Off to the skirted roundtable for a listen.
    Thanks for sharing.
    pve

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  3. WOW, I have never heard of this Synaesthesia condition before and I don’t have it either. It doesn’t seem to bother Lauren since she does amazing design work, love her blog as well. It’s amazing how much Lauren is able to accomplish with little ones about she’s so inspirational. Love the skirted round table including your cute southern accent Joni!

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  4. Gee, I guess I'm just ordinary.... I know that there are many different learning styles and some of us experience the world more visually and others take it in better through what they hear. Isn't it facinating (and wonderful) how different we all are? Thanks for teaching me something new!

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  5. OMG...I totally have time space Synaesthesia! I realized a few years ago that other people didn't see numbers, dates, etc. like I do, but I had no idea there was name for it or that it is a 'condition'! Too bad it doesn't coorelate to math:( Thanks so much for sharing, and I have been waiting for this podcast and can't wait to listen to it! I love her work. THANKS!

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  6. Necessity is the mother of invention, . . . when given lemons - make lemonade . . . . Lauren's creative thinking calls to mind these old-fashioned expressions that can describe how she has not allowed what some of us may see as road blocks hold her back. How many of us would have waited until we had the money to purchase the perfect fabric -- or settled for something else? It certainly helps to have a supportive spouse!

    Another blogger with a similar mindset is my friend, Genevieve Ferraro. Her blog, The Jewel Box Home, http://thejewelboxhome.blogspot.com/, covers all aspects of living in a smaller (2,000 square feet & less) home - decor, entertaining, storage issues and even big house envy! I think the days of the McMansion are past and her topic is a timely one. Genevieve is a delightful and articulate woman who would be a terrific guest "at" The Skirted Round Table.

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  7. I have never heard of this condition. Thanks for the introduction to Lauren and her blog.
    Hugs, Sherry

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  8. I didn't know of this condition but I will be listening with interest....xv

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  9. oh my. the number 2's are royal blue to me.... I'd better pay attention.

    Enjoying your blog from Adelaide, South Australia.
    Cherill W

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  10. I've never heard about Synaesthesia before ! It's really interesting. Humans have surprising abilities.

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  11. Lauren is such a talented young woman! I love the style she has given her home and check in with her all the time....even if just lurking. I had no idea this conditon existed! It sounds like the perfect subject for a sci-fi thriller. Unreal!! It would be so cool to experience it. I wonder if those who have it feel the same way? Does it get in the way of anything? Or is it a pleasure to experience things this way? Perhaps if one has always had it, they have no way to compare it...but I think I read that some people can get it after a head trauma or after becoming blind? Fascinating thing!

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  12. Oh my this is an amazing phenomenon. I love Lauren's style and she is amazingly talented!

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  13. Lauren's blog is one of my favorites. She's so creative and not to mention sweet so it was really fun to hear her on the Skirted Roundtable. Thanks for all of the great content on TSR it's a great way to get through an hour of working out, I always get lots of laughs!

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  14. First, I love Lauren and somehow missed her post on this! Hard to keep up with all these great blogs.

    Second, this is fascinating! I do not have the condition and therefore don't quite understand it. But, thank you for taking the time to run through it. I believe as we continue to learn, we become more forgiving, understanding and compassionate individuals.

    Thanks Joni! and Lauren!

    xo,
    cristin

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  15. Thank You for the interesting guest post on Synaesthesia. The ADD in me loves a side-track. My niece has it, but I never really understood it.

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  16. Joni- thanks for the sweet post! I love reading comments of ppl who've just discovered they have it too!! (I remember how funny that felt!!0
    xoxo

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  17. Oh my! After reading this I went to my 16 year old son and said "What colour is the number 5?' and he replied immediately 'Red'.

    Then he asked 'Is this about synthaesthesia?'. Apparently he was tested at school (he has Aspergers syndrome and has had numerous evaluations) and it seems he has it.

    And I never knew until now. Time for some research I think. Thanks for bringing this to my attention :)

    Katie

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