An Interview with Lisa Przystup

Lisa Przystup is a writer whose work has appeared in T Magazine, Harper's Bazaar, Domino Magazine and The Cut. She recently authored her first book, Upstate: Living Spaces With Space to Live, a collection of profiles that feature unique, personal, and creative upstate interiors. She lives in the Western Catskills with her husband and dog. 

1. Describe your favorite corner of — or object in — the house. What is a favorite memory of it or in it? 

Oh this one is so hard as there are so many special corners and memories in this house.  I love posting up on our step stool in the corner of the kitchen and chatting with my husband when he cooks dinner.  We've spent many nights in our little galley cooking and sipping, laughing, eating, listening to music, doing dishes: in the winter the windows steam up and it feels like we're in a greenhouse, all safe and warm and in the summer we leave the kitchen door open so that the sound of the crickets and warm sticky air spills in through the screen door.

2. A question you are trying to answer right now is...

Where's my chapstick? 

3. Lately — something you would like to add, something you might take away:

To add: more summer days. To take away: my need to control everything and the anxiety that comes along with it. 

4. Last thing you tasted in the kitchen, last thing you put on the stereo, last good dream.

Impossibly ripe sliced summer peaches, S.E. Rogie on our record player, and I honestly cannot remember my last good dream but they usually involve eating something delicious or swimming. 

 5. If we were to tour your home, what are some philosophies for living we would walk away with?

Collect the things you love (for me it's found nature objects). Also: comfort above all else. 

See more of Lisa here.

Find the book Upstate: Living Spaces with Space to Live by Lisa Przystup with photography by Sarah Elliott here.