This House We Have

Every year around this time, I feel the house start to shift. Summer has a way of making everything feel a little looser. The mornings are slower, the windows stay open later, there are usually swimsuits or towels somewhere they shouldn't be, and somehow dinner happens whenever we get around to it. I love that about summer. But then August starts winding down, and I can feel myself wanting a little more structure again. Back-to-school shopping starts. Calendars come out. Bedtimes slowly move earlier. Work starts feeling a little more serious again. There are places to be and things to remember, and suddenly the relaxed rhythm we've had for the past couple of months doesn't quite fit anymore. I'm not ready for summer to be over, but I am ready for our house to feel a little more grounded. I'm Not Decorating for Fall Yet This is probably the part where I'm supposed to tell you to bring out the pumpkins, switch everything to rust and amber, and make your house smel...

​ There is something beautiful about an ordinary day. Not every day needs to be a celebration or filled with plans. Sometimes the days I remember most are the quiet ones. Morning coffee. A favorite song playing in the kitchen. Fresh flowers on the table. Dinner that was made a little more thoughtfully than usual. I don't think making everyday life feel special has to mean spending more money or making everything look perfect. Most of the time, I think it is just about paying attention to the little things that make you feel good. Start with the way your home feels in the morning. Open the curtains and let the light in. Make the bed. Put on some music while you get ready for the day. Even something small can make a familiar morning feel a little different. There is also something to be said for actually using the things you normally save for special occasions. Light the candle you've been keeping in a drawer. Use the pretty glasses on a Tuesday night. Put flowers in the vase in...

A cozy home isn't necessarily a home filled with things. Actually, I think some of the most inviting rooms are the ones that have been thoughtfully edited rather than filled with décor just because there was an empty spot. Creating a warm and comfortable home has much more to do with texture, lighting, color, and the way you actually live in the space than constantly adding something new. One of the simplest places to start is with lighting. If you are only using the overhead light in a room, try adding a few smaller sources of light instead. A lamp on a side table or console can completely change how a room feels in the evening. There is just something about having little pools of warm light around a room that makes you want to sit down and stay there. You can also create a lot of warmth with the things you already have. Fold a throw over the arm of the sofa. Put a woven basket beside a chair. Layer a few different fabrics on the bed. Linen, cotton, wool, wood, and wicker all brin...

A beautiful home isn't defined by how much décor it has. I think it's much more about how a space feels. One of the easiest ways to make a room feel warm and welcoming is by layering different textures. Texture gives a room depth, and I think it can make even a very neutral space feel interesting without needing a lot of decoration. Natural materials are one of my favorite places to start. Wood, linen, cotton, jute, rattan, and stone all bring something different to a room, but they work together so naturally. Instead of having everything match, try mixing a few materials that complement each other. A light oak coffee table with woven baskets and a linen sofa is much more interesting to me than a room where every piece looks like it came from the same collection. I also really love the combination of soft and structured things. Think about a smooth leather chair with a chunky knit throw. Crisp linen curtains with woven shades. A simple ceramic vase sitting on an old wood shelf....

Choosing a paint color can feel overwhelming, especially when every shade of white, beige, or gray starts to look exactly the same on a paint chip. I think the trick is less about finding the perfect neutral and more about finding one that works with your home. The natural light, the floors, the furniture you already have, and most importantly, how you want the room to feel. I have always loved a warm neutral because it gives you so much room to work with. It can be the backdrop for different furniture, artwork, old pieces, new pieces, and all of the little things that slowly make a house feel like yours. But before you fall in love with a paint color, look at the light in the room. Natural light can completely change the way a color looks throughout the day. A shade that feels warm and creamy in one room can look completely different in another. North-facing rooms tend to get cooler, softer light, so warmer creams and beiges can work really well. South-facing rooms get more warm sunli...

There’s something interesting about looking at a beautiful room from 100 years ago. The furniture might be different. The colors might be different. The way we use the room might be completely different. And yet, somehow, it still works. This room is a perfect example. It was designed in a completely different era, but the things that make it beautiful don't really have an expiration date. Good proportions still look good. Balance still matters. So does contrast, repetition, texture, and the way your eye moves around a room. We tend to think about interior design as a collection of trends. What color is in. Which furniture shape everyone suddenly wants. What style is having a moment. But underneath all of that is something much simpler. A beautiful room usually just feels good to look at. And I think that feeling has very little to do with whether something is currently trending. One of my favorite things about older interiors is that they weren't necessarily designed to look p...

There’s a certain feeling that comes with being on Cape Cod in the summer. It’s not just the water or the boats or the little weathered houses along the shore. It’s the feeling that everything has slowed down just a little. Windows are open. Towels are hanging over chairs. There’s sand everywhere. Dinner doesn’t need to be complicated, and nobody seems to mind taking the long way home. That’s what I love about Cape Cod. We spend so much of the year rushing from one thing to the next that summer feels like a pretty good excuse to stop trying to make everything productive. Go sit by the water. Take the scenic road. Buy flowers at a farm stand. Stay outside until the sun goes down. There doesn't always need to be an itinerary. One of the things I always notice around Cape Cod is how much character comes from things simply being old and well-loved. Weathered shingles, faded paint, old boats, buoys hanging from a building, and gardens that look like they’ve been growing there for years....

There is something about olive green, warm wood, and creamy neutrals that I never really get tired of. It feels grounded without being heavy, collected without feeling overly decorated, and cozy without relying on cool grays or stark whites. The Olive & Oak palette came from some of my favorite things about a home: natural wood, old pottery, quiet landscapes, vintage pieces, and colors that feel like they could have been there for years. At the heart of the palette is Cream Linen (#F7F3EC), a soft, warm ivory that keeps everything feeling light. I will almost always choose a warm ivory like this over a bright white. It just has a little more depth to it, and I think it works so much better with wood and other muted colors. Then there is Clay (#C98C68). It is the smallest color in the palette, but I think it adds just enough warmth to keep everything from feeling too green or neutral. Think terracotta pottery, aged brick, dried flowers, or some of the warmer colors you might find in...

There is something about a vintage landscape painting that can make a room feel warmer almost immediately. Maybe it is the muted colors, the imperfect frame, or just the feeling that you are looking at a little piece of somewhere else. Landscape art has always been one of my favorite ways to bring some character into a home. It feels timeless without feeling too formal, and I love that it can work in so many different kinds of spaces. You don't have to live in an old farmhouse or have a traditional home to use it, either. A vintage landscape can look just as beautiful in a simple room with neutral colors and more modern furniture. I actually think that contrast is part of what makes it so interesting. I especially love landscapes with soft greens, warm browns, faded blues, and creamy colors. They work so naturally with things like wood, linen, and woven materials. If your room is already pretty neutral, a landscape can bring in several colors at once without making the room feel bu...

A home can have beautiful furniture and still feel like something is missing. Sometimes it isn't another large piece that the room needs. It might just need a few smaller things that make the space feel warmer and more like you. I have always loved rooms that look like they were collected over time. Not everything matches, and not everything came from the same store. There might be an old frame next to a newer lamp, a woven basket tucked under a console, or a stack of books sitting beside a piece of pottery. I like when you can look around a room and see little pieces of someone's life in it. Artwork is one of my favorite ways to do this. A vintage landscape, an old botanical print, or even a simple piece with a slightly weathered frame can completely change a room. It doesn't have to be expensive or particularly important. Sometimes the thing you find at a thrift store for a few dollars ends up being the piece that gives the room its personality. Natural baskets are anothe...