About LIEFdesign

Hi, my name is Emilie Eklund, and I run LIEFdesign, an illustrated paper + home goods studio, centered on connection and delight. Why connection and delight? To me, connection is at the heart of who we are as humans. It brings depth and life to our relationships with others, ourselves, and this beautiful earth we call home. And delight, well, it brings a unique beauty and joy to my everyday, that I try and cultivate as often as I can. Even our name, LIEF, embodies this pairing. Lief comes from the Dutch language, meaning sweet, as an endearment. Growing up I heard this word often, as my father grew up in Amsterdam, and it would often give me this feeling of both connection and delight. So here’s to lief, and to using design to cultivate more of it. I started this company in 2007, while living in my tiny Chicago apartment. Now I’m back home in my hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan, creating + designing in my cozy attic studio, nestled close to a beloved two hundred plus acre Nature Preserve. The connection between nature + my design work is strong; finding inspiration, connection, and groundedness from its depth and beauty. I feel deeply grateful to have a studio so close to the trees, the critters, the fields, and the streams. May you find deep connection + delight in your everyday.Read their story