I've walked through a lot of beautiful rooms over the years. And the strange thing is, the ones that stay with me are almost never the ones that got everything "right." The perfectly coordinated spaces tend to blur together in my memory... it's the odd, personal, slightly-too-much rooms that I can still picture years later.
I've been thinking about why that is. And I keep landing on the same answer: the most interesting homes aren't led by a feed, or a season, or a color of the year. They're led by the person who lives there. Trends are welcome (I love a good trend) but they should be a guest in the room, never the host. Let me show you what I mean.
A Home That's Been Somewhere
There's a particular kind of magnetism to a room that has clearly lived a life. You feel it the moment you walk in.
A wall that's "been somewhere", that carries a trip, a passion, a thing quietly collected over years — will always pull me in faster than one that's simply on-brand for the year.
The trick is that you can't fake it, but you can invite it.
I love the idea of a wall that behaves like a souvenir. Whether that’s through a soft, painterly landscape that feels remembered rather than designed….
The trick is that you can't fake it, but you can invite it.
I love the idea of a wall that behaves like a souvenir. Whether that’s through a soft, painterly landscape that feels remembered rather than designed….
Through calming storytelling features that make the room just exhale….
Or through designs that have that for something with more of “collected-on-travels” quality; a piece that looks as though it followed you home.
One Piece the Room Is Built Around
Here's a confession: perfectly matched rooms are easy to admire and, for me, just as easy to forget.
Everything agreeing with everything else is safe…and safe rarely stays in the memory.
The braver, better move is to let one piece lead and build the rest of the room around it, like a conversation gathered around one very good talker.
When done right it can almost feel cinematic in its storytelling power!
Designing for Yourself (What "Authentic" Actually Means)
"Authentic" is a word that's been loved almost to meaninglessness, so let me be plain about what I mean by it. To me, authentic is simple: chosen because you love it and will keep loving it — not because it photographs well, and not because it matches the moment. It's the exact opposite of designing for an audience.
And here's the lovely part: those are the rooms guests relax in. Warmth, texture, and personal meaning all read as lived-in, and lived-in is what tells a visitor to put their feet up and stay a while. It's why I gravitate to finishes you want to reach out and touch.
So to sum up, no — I'm not going to tell you what's "in" this season. The homes I love have never been especially interested in that question. They're interested in the person standing in the doorway, keys still in hand, glad to be home. Choose the things you'll still love in ten years. Let one of them lead. And let the trends visit, by all means; just don't hand them the keys.