Lena Corwin - Photos and Interview

Mother Stories

Lena Corwin Invites Us In To Her Awe-Inspiring Abode

Written by Katie Hintz-Zambrano

Photography by Photographed by Maria Del Rio

Jul 10, 2018

If you follow San Francisco-based creative Lena Corwin on Instagram, you already know her home (which the family renovated over nearly 2 years), is the stuff of artsy, minimalist dreams. And—we have to break it to you—it exceeds expectations in the flesh. Thanks to the textile designer’s expert eye in finding the perfect unexpected hues and interesting shapes and lines, her Outer Sunset abode is one of our favorites we’ve featured yet. Of course, this profile isn’t just about the house (although clearly it’s a beautiful one), we’re also equally inspired by Lena’s multitude of creative pursuits (See Sun, Peace Towel, a couple books, etc.), her passion for raising her two boys (Eli, 7, and Abe, 3), and her commitment to activism in today’s trying times.

: "We bought our house four years ago after putting offers on 6-7 other houses around the Bay Area. It’s a frustrating process. I don’t know why the stars aligned for us to get this house and, in retrospect, I’m so glad our offers weren’t accepted on the others. The house was built in 1913, when most of the neighborhood was sand dunes."

: Lena wears vintage Stunts denim.

: Plywood bench by Jay Nelson. Artwork by Lena's oldest son, Eli.

: "I wanted a change after living in a very ornate brownstone in Brooklyn. This house is a good mix—the front is the original 1913 house, and the back is a more modern extension, added by the previous owners in the '80s. We took down walls to make the house much more open. I wanted to be able to seat a lot of family and friends for big dinner parties. We added three skylights for more light."

: "I spend the most time in our kitchen—cooking, eating, working, and doing projects with the kids. We are trying to figure out better acoustics (noise bounces off the walls and it gets really loud), but it’s a great space to be in and probably my favorite room."

: In the hallway. Artwork by Rachel Kaye.

: "Our room is at the back of the house and has higher ceilings. We’ve slowly been hanging artwork. Our bed, from Crate & Barrel, was the first 'adult' furniture purchase we made, about 12 years ago. I would love to size up to a King because of the kids, but I doubt we will."

: "It took 9 months to get permits and then 12 months to renovate."

: "Slowly gather things that you really love. Most of our furniture and housewares are secondhand."

: Pillow by See Sun. Sconce light by Anglepoise.

: Another artwork (far left) by Rachel Kaye.

: A peek into the master bath. Artwork on right by Gravel & Gold.

: Outfit change!

: "Our home is not decorated in a traditional way; we have lots of blank wall space and kids' art taped up. I’m a minimalist—I don’t like clutter!"

: "Abe’s room has a dormer with great views of the sky. He has a Hape play kitchen both he and Eli use. A play kitchen is a great investment. Abe loves dress up and has costumes ranging from firefighter to ballerina."

: "Almost every room is a playroom. Our living room has a lot of toys; our kitchen has a lot of art supplies. The boys’ rooms have some toys, but are mostly spaces to read and sleep."

: Abe emerging from his tiny slanted-door closet.

Heading into Eli's room. Lena wears a See Sun top, Jesse Kamm pants, and Converse sneakers.

"Eli’s room has a peaked roof and feels very cozy. He has the best view in the house, looking out to the huge New Zealand Christmas tree. Until recently he had a swing in his room that was very popular with visiting friends."

Another tiny door connects the boys' rooms.

Both boys' beds were Craigsist scores.

"Forming a close relationship with my boys that hopefully carries through to adulthood. Seeing their personalities and interests come out and supporting them in doing what they love."

"Raising kids with technology and social media. Losing my closeness with them during pre-teen and teenager years."

"I don’t have specific excitement about raising boys. I don’t usually think in terms of gender. I did hope to have both a son and a daughter, but having infertility issues made the sex of the baby a lot less important. I feel like an advocate for boys now because I hear an overwhelming preference for girl babies. It makes me sad and I wonder if boys sense that they are less desired in our culture right now."

"Yes."

Kitchen cabinetry by Liz Dunning.

"My husband Josh and I each have a distant relative named Eli, and really liked the name. His middle name is Corwin, which felt important to me since I didn’t change my last name when I got married. Abe’s full name is Abraham, named after his great, great grandfather. His middle name is also Corwin."

"I’m not able to get pregnant naturally; I have endometriosis and had to do fertility treatment. It was a very hard thing to go through. But my pregnancies and births were uncomplicated, and pretty wonderful, so that helped heal the sadness of not getting pregnant on my own."

"We were both self-employed when each of our kids were born. We didn’t take formal maternity/paternity leaves and were fortunate to be together a lot with both babies."

Cutest trio.

"My parents were involved but not helicopter parents. I babysat for my younger brothers a lot. We weren’t overscheduled with extracurricular activities. We had dinner as a family every night."

The look of love.

"My husband Josh and I have pretty similar parenting styles. We want the kids to express their emotions and be heard. We talk through conflict. We try to teach by example. We hug and cuddle a lot!"

"I have several friends who have teenagers and I really admire them as mothers and I soak up their stories of life with older kids. I’ve thought about arranging an evening of Q&A between mothers of younger kids and mothers who are a step ahead in parenting."

"I loved Ina May Gaskin’s books when I was pregnant. The Divided Heart by Rachel Power (an Australian book) really resonated with me as an artist and mother."

"Yes, definitely. I lived in a bubble during the Obama years. Since the 2016 election I’ve educated myself more deeply on inequalities on all sides of the political spectrum. I’m much more conscious now of my own privilege—one being that my parents were able to get a home loan when families of color were often denied mortgages, and how that carries through generations. I struggle with staying optimistic, but having kids is a big motivator to be active in working for change."

Beautiful kids' artwork in the kitchen.

"The best part is seeing the sibling relationship and how they adore each other. The hardest part is giving up even more of my very limited personal time. Josh and I often feel like were passing the baton in a relay race. We take turns doing small things like walking to the beach after dinner (alone!) to clear our heads."

Tea towel by See Sun.

"No... If I hadn’t dealt with infertility, maybe we would have tried for more. After Abe was born, I fantasized about a third for a while. But the reality is we are stretched thin trying to afford life with kids in a very expensive city. I feel incredibly grateful for my two."

Lena's lovely ceramics and serving ware collection.

"Eli is 7 and loves woodworking, camping, drawing, and skateboarding. Abe is 3 and loves dress-up, musical instruments, and animals."

"Seek out women who have babies similar in age to yours. Spending time with other new mothers saved my sanity!"

"It was a really agonizing decision for us. We loved New York. I was there for 16 years and Josh for 18. We both felt a pull to California (I was born here), but we had a really hard time deciding when to go for it. After we made the decision, and sold our house in Fort Greene, we had doubts and regrets. It was intense! It took a year for us to not feel disoriented and sad."

Eli below his artwork.

Lena wears a vintage dress, made in India.

"Now we’re very happy here! The pros are more nature, being near family, and a calmer, more peaceful lifestyle. A con is that we moved from one very expensive city to another."

Beautiful art supplies.

Busy little hands and minds.

"We feel pretty removed from the rest of San Francisco in the Outer Sunset. We spend a lot of time at the beach, a block from our house. It’s not like southern California. The beach is rugged and windy most of the time, but we love it. We know so many young kids and families nearby. When we take walks we see people we know constantly."

"Yes! But I think we’ll be here for a while."

Mama pile.

"General Store and Case for Making to shop, Outerlands and Andytown to eat, and Fort Funston and the Marin Headlands to explore."

Abe being Abe, in a See Sun top.

"I like natural materials—cotton (denim, canvas) and linen. I dress much more casually since moving back to California. I love thrift store shopping and also supporting independent designers."

"I breastfed both my boys past age two, so for years I had to wear nursing-friendly clothes. I want clothes that age well and that I don’t mind getting dirty."

"My staples are vintage Levi's and good sweaters. Some favorites are Micaela Greg, Babaà knitwear, and Ilana Kohn. I wear a lot of See Sun (clothes I design and produce with Jen Garrido)."

"I have a really minimal beauty routine. I use Sisters hair products and body wash. I love oils for my skin—organic sunflower oil (from the grocery store) on my body and Cosmos Face Oil on my face. I also use Andalou Naturals daily SPF and Urban Decay spot concealer. Mountain Ocean Skin Trip has been my favorite hand moisturizer since I was a teenager."

"I run along the beach path a few times a week (ideally). I cook a lot and try to eat 'clean,' simple food."

Lena, in front of her home, alongside her Peace Towel design.

Lena wears a top from Cut Loose and vintage Levi's.

"I’m a textile designer; I create prints for my own projects and for clients. I’ve done book publishing, illustration, and photography work. I have Peace Towel, an ongoing side project I started with the intention of raising money for longstanding peace organizations. And See Sun, a small clothing line with Jen Garrido."

"I grew up in San Francisco. I went to the University of Oregon and studied Art History for two years, but being there (at that time in my life) wasn’t the right fit for me. My dad and my uncle had an apartment in Manhattan for their business then, and I asked to spend a semester living there, figuring out where to transfer schools. I loved New York and I started working, first in a clothing store in Soho and then as an assistant for a French denim line. I worked my way up to junior designer there, and then started temp work as a graphic designer. I didn’t go back to school. I felt like I was learning so much working. I transitioned from graphics to textiles and continued in fashion jobs. I lived in the West Village for 8 years and then moved to Brooklyn in 2005. I started working in publishing, illustrating two books, then writing my own Printing by Hand, and also launching a small publishing company, Other Books, with a series of artist publications called Lines & Shapes with my business partner Maria Vettese. I taught and hosted classes in my Brooklyn studio (textile printing, dyeing, sewing, and jewelry-making), which lead to my second book, Made by Hand. I moved back to California in 2013 and started See Sun and Peace Towel, and have continued with freelance projects."

"Motherhood led to making kids clothing, something I love doing."

"My parents help us regularly and we know were lucky to have that support."

Peace pin by Misha & Puff.

"'Me time' is usually extra work time. But other than work, it’s meeting a friend or seeing art."

"Be easy on yourself? It’s a lot to juggle."

"I’m working on a proposal for a new book."

Cake's done! Artwork on wall by Chelsea Heffner of WildCraft Studio.

"I often feel like I should be doing more and doing it better. Is that 'mom guilt'? If I’m rushing around feeling inadequate I try to recalibrate my priorities and just sit with my kids and be with them."

"Stay energized and mobilized to fight against fascism, racism, and sexism."

For more on Lena, her family, and her various projects, follow along with her inspiring Instagram feed.