Instagram story viewer> @desert.ren> Posts

Lauren Gallow

@desert.ren

4.8K

followers

5215

following

📍Seattle, WA
Architecture, Design, Art for @nytimes @metropolismag @seattletimes. Columnist @dwellmagazine @luxemagazine. Lecturer @uw_architecture

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

#DaysWith: This week, spend a day in Seattle with design writer and educator Lauren Gallow (@desert.ren). Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Architectural Digest, Interior Design, Dwell, Metropolis, Wallpaper*, and more. Lauren also serves as an Editorial Advisor for the Pacific Northwest design platform @arcade_nw, a Seattle non-profit that has published writing on the designed environment since its founding in 1981.

Outside of her editorial work, she enjoys helping artists and designers articulate their identities across platforms—a role she previously held for several years at the internationally renowned design firm @olsonkundig. She has taught architectural history and design writing at @ucsantabarbara and the @uofwa. She holds an MA in Art & Architectural History and has presented her research at conferences internationally.

Pictured here:
1. Lauren at home by Brooke Fitts (@brookefitts.photo)
2. Lauren at a studio review at the University of Washington, by Angela Yang.
3. Lauren about to lead panel discussion for Dwell x Seattle Art Fair curated by Fruitsuper. Photography by Chona Kasinger @chonakasinger
4. Lauren on site visit to Henry Island with BCJ.

Link in our stories!

#madamearchitect #dayswith #design #designwriter #laurengallow #seattle #adayinthelife #designjournalism #journalism taken in Seattle, Washington by @desert.ren

481

65

a year ago

Cover reveal! 📚
.
At long last, I am elated to share details of the book project I’ve been working on for the last 2+ years!
.
NEW NORTHWEST: RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE IN THE EVERGREEN STATE is an illustrated compendium of recent residential projects in our region, published by @figure1publishing.
.
Featuring 36 homes from 36 studios in the Seattle area, the book offers a window into the work being done in the PNW, via photos, drawings, architect Q&As, and writing by yours truly. The book also features a Foreword by the inimitable @williamhanley of @dwellmagazine.
.
In stores this Nov, you can pre-order your copy now via link in my bio! I can’t wait for you to see this book, which feels like a 300-page (!!) love letter to the region and design community I call home. 💚🌲 taken in Seattle, Washington by @desert.ren

442

134

7 months ago

In today’s special Design section for @nytimes I wrote about wind and history - @merelkarhof’s Wind Knitting Factory, which will be at @designmuseumchi on 9/22; and @harryallendesign’s ceramic Hardware Mugs, which are slip cast from historic handles and pulls, including one very special set from the @waldorfastoria. Thank you @julielaskynyc for the assignment! 🤗 taken in New York Times by @desert.ren

287

44

a month ago

Full circle moment! 🌖
.
When I was a baby art history student in my junior year of undergrad, I picked up a copy of my favorite magazine @dwellmagazine and saw @andreazittel on the cover. I wondered, who was this enigmatic person stepping out of an airstream trailer in the middle of the desert? 🌵
.
I dove headfirst into uncovering every bit of info I could find on Andrea, learning about her home studio / art installation in Joshua Tree called A-Z West, where she created her “experiments in living” and launched her nonprofit artist residency @highdeserttestsites. I convinced my advisor to let me write my undergrad thesis on Zittel, exploring the way she blurred the lines between life, art, design, and architecture. Her work activated something in me—a throughline about artful, functional design that I continue exploring today. 🏜️
.
Fast forward to 2013, and my friends @jojiejewels and @hossly invited me to visit A-Z West for a work party helping install a piece by @misterstella in the Joshua Tree desert. We got to sleep in the Wagon Stations, I was in heaven. 💛
.
10+ years later, I pitched a story on Andrea and @highdeserttestsites to the New York Times on the occasion of HDTS’s 25th anniversary. Getting to visit again, interview Andrea, and talk with legendary artists @litaalbuquerque, @radicalhospitality, and @carolynpennypackerriggs about their experiences with HDTS was a dream come true. I was pinching myself the entire time!
.
Thank you to my amazing editor @mcmccrea for guiding me in telling this story, which involves hundreds of artists, dozens of art installations in the Joshua Tree desert, and the woman who designed the beautifully open-ended frame that contains it all: @andreazittel. HDTS represents everything I love about art: it connects people to nature and community in a way that could only happen in this place, at this time, helping us find a sense of belonging on this planet. 🌎
.
Link in bio to read my NYT story! taken in Joshua Tree, California by @desert.ren

1k

95

4 months ago

Earth Sign 🌀
.
Last weekend I had a lovely chat with artist and designer @g_stromberg about his latest body of work on exhibit at @studioegallery.
.
I love talking art with Gabriel because we usually end up talking about so many other things… this time, we got into the division (or not) between art and design, his long history of working with clay and sculpture, the handmade and the AI, astrology (yes, he is an Earth sign), and how the landscapes of our childhoods somehow stay rooted within us always.
.
Thank you @g_stromberg and @studioegallery for having me, and for everyone who came to our talk and asked such thoughtful questions! 💛 taken in studio e by @desert.ren

224

4

5 months ago

A Monument to Chocolate is Wrapped in Layers of Mexican History 🍫
.
For my latest @nytimes story, I wrote about Mexico City’s Museum of Cacao & Chocolate @chocostory.zocalo designed by @jsaarquitectura.
.
Just steps from the Zócalo, the new museum sits inside a retrofitted 17th-century colonial house with a contemporary addition behind.
.
Early in the process, the team made a grisly discovery: the colonial building’s notable lean was due to a buried Aztec skull rack under one corner of the building. Called the Huei Tzompantli, it contains more than 650 human skulls and is one of Mexico’s most significant archeological finds of the century.
.
After an 11 year effort to excavate and stabilize the tzompantli and the colonial building above, along with designing a new 5-story addition, the museum is now complete and open to the public. “The project showcases Mexico’s richness of heritage without making our contemporary heritage any less important,” JSa partner @javiersanchezcorral told me.
.
Thank you @julielaskynyc @_ottmar @jsaarquitectura @javiersanchezcorral @aruchab for the opportunity to share this fantastic project! Read the full story at link in my bio. taken in Choco Story Zócalo by @desert.ren

717

16

5 months ago

How Do You DADU? 🏡
.
Love how my first story for @seattletimes Pacific NW Magazine turned out! For the Spring Home Design special issue, I looked at the booming trend of ADUs in Seattle and how they reflect the many ways Seattleites like to live.
.
@robhutcharch designed a front-yard cottage for @kentadashi where he and his partner can study, play music, have a quiet breakfast, or host visiting family.
.
For local ceramicist @natashaalphonse, @go_c_architects made a backyard ceramics studio that also doubles as gallery and workshop space for Natasha’s community events.
.
In Magnolia, @deforestarchitects and @dyna.builders made a DADU centered around a Quincho, or outdoor BBQ area. Party pavilion to the max!
.
And in Beacon Hill, @laurencroccoad designed a backyard cottage for the parents of @restauranthomer owners Sara and Logan, allowing them to enjoy the best of multigenerational living.
.
Thank you @leahbaltus for the assignment, and to all the architects and homeowners for sharing your DADUs with us! Full story at link in bio. 🏡 taken in Seattle, Washington by @desert.ren

122

24

5 months ago

Repost: We had a typo with a previous month listed 😭 Post corrected!

*Saturday, May 9, 3–4 PM

Join us next week for an artist talk and the final day of Gabriel Stromberg's exhibition, Earth Sign. Free and open to the public!

Gabriel will be joined by Lauren Gallow to discuss his ceramic work, collages, and how personal memory has made its way into the work. Lauren Gallow @desert.ren writes about art and the many ways it shapes our experience of the world. A Seattle-based journalist, she covers contemporary art, design and architecture for outlets around the world, including The New York Times, Dwell, Cultured, The Art Newspaper, Artforum and more. She is also an Editorial Advisor for local design journal ARCADE.

Gabriel Stromberg: Earth Sign
April 9 - May 9, 2026 taken in studio e by @desert.ren

145

1

5 months ago

💫COVER STORY!💫
.
I still remember when I first picked up a copy of @dwellmagazine in the early 2000s, always with the bright orange title font. I loved design and art and here was a magazine that showed it in a way that felt accessible, alive, and youthful. It was totally refreshing. 🧡
.
Fast forward to grad school, and somehow I convinced my advisor to let me write my MA thesis on the magazine. I shakily took BART to San Francisco, where Dwell’s offices were based at the time, and interviewed then EIC Sam Grawe. I was a nervous mess! ✍️
.
Now, over a decade later, my story is on the cover of this month’s @dwellmagazine. It feels surreal. It’s fitting that the story is about a couple who wanted to live differently, constructing by hand a house in concrete on the edge of a canyon in Bend, OR with the help of @dean_works. Stories like this are why I’ve always loved Dwell. ❤️
.
The best part was getting to visit the house in person and interview Pete and Jan, with their yellow lab Carlos bouncing around in the background. Pete showed us how he designed the concrete sandwich walls, and later he let Josh and me try our hand at well witching. 🪄
.
Thank you to my editors @mike.chino @duncan.a.nielsen @jackbaldmo and @williamhanley who let me live my dream of writing for Dwell over and over, issue after issue. It’s a gift to collaborate with you. 🥰 taken in Bend, Oregon by @desert.ren

235

85

6 months ago

🌵DESIGNERS IN THE DESERT🌵
.
Buzzing about this upcoming panel discussion in Joshua Tree! For @highdesertartfair, I’ll be moderating a conversation with an all-star group of designers including @ryanclawson, @martynbullard, and Emi Kitawaki and Jen Whitaker of @gry.space. 💫
.
The desert has long shaped the language of modern design – from mid-century experimentation in Palm Springs to today’s refined, material-driven interiors across Joshua Tree and the high desert.
.
Join us in J Tree on 🌵Sunday, March 29, at 1pm PT🌵 to explore how the scale, shadow, silence, and raw landscape of the desert influence contemporary design. More info at link in bio!
.
#highdesertartfair #designtalk #interiordesign #desertdesign #joshuatreestyle taken in Joshua Tree, California by @desert.ren

65

9

7 months ago

A bittersweet first publication of 2026…
.
My story on the kind and talented WA glass artist @danfriday is on the cover of the latest issue of @craftcouncil, which is also the magazine’s last. 💔
.
I was thrilled when American Craft reached out to me last year to write for them, and was astonished to learn that the magazine has been publishing since WWII! 85 years of stories on artists, their inspirations, their processes, and their beautiful finished works. It’s a stunning archive of the history of craft in America.
.
For my story on @danfriday, I explored the artist’s history of working in glass and how it has become a tangible way for him to record the stories of his family and his Lummi cultural heritage. I’ve been a huge fan of Friday for years, so getting to interview and write about him was a highlight of my 2025.
.
As the magazine winds down, I hope this article reminds us of the power and importance of storytelling in art. Art is a place where we as individuals can connect to something larger, expanding our perspectives on our place in the universe. Writing is often the link between intention and meaning in art.
.
Thank you @shivaun_american_craft for the assignment, @danfriday for your time and openness, and @landis.tami for sharing your insights into Dan’s work. 🩷 taken in Sedro-Woolley, Washington by @desert.ren

375

32

9 months ago

Feeling extremely grateful for the stories I’ve been able to tell this year! ✍️
.
A highlight was my recent @nytimes feature on Korean fiber artist Lee ShinJa, who at 95 is finally getting well-deserved attention from the international art world. 🪡
.
As a woman artist working in textiles, Lee had to pave her own way. “There was no curriculum for textile arts in Korea, so I had to find my own path,” Lee told me. “But that gave me the freedom to experiment.”
.
Teaching for over 30 years at Duksung Women’s University in Seoul, where she became the first dean of the arts, Lee’s impact has been monumental. Describing her art as “my own personal form of resistance,” Lee’s steadfast commitment to expressing her creative voice blew me away.
.
If you’re in the Bay Area, check out Lee’s retrospective on now at @bampfa. “I hope that anyone standing before my work can feel the grains of life within it,” Lee told me. Seeing her work in person, you can’t help but feel alive and inspired. 🩷
.
It was an absolute honor to pen this piece and share Lee’s story. Thank you to everyone who helped me bring this story to life! @tinakimgallery @bampfa @hannagisel @victoriasung taken in New York Times by @desert.ren

131

16

10 months ago