Reading The Room: My Ultimate Guide To Designing Your Home

Truthfully, I don’t know the first thing about interior design in the traditional sense. But I think that’s exactly why I want to share what I’ve been learning—and where I’ve been learning it from.

I was an art major, and I’ve always loved art. But it wasn’t until my senior year of college that I started to really notice architecture. Now I find myself paying attention to buildings the way I used to pay attention to paintings. Churches, especially, have always stopped me in my tracks—the scale, the detail, the quietness of them. I’ll share a few below because I still don’t really have words for how they make me feel.

Pick Art You Love

One of the first lessons I learned while designing our “SheShed” (which started as my first real space that wasn’t shared with roommates, and now somehow feels like the beginning of everything) was this:

Pick art you actually love.

I first read this idea in Start With the Art by Natalie Papier and Stephanie Sisco. The main thing I took from it is simple: don’t build a room and then decorate it. Start with what you love and let the room grow around it.

Somehow I used to think interior design meant choosing the big furniture first and then “adding personality” later. But when I think about the homes I remember most, it’s always the art that stands out first. That’s what anchors a space.

Art is what makes a home feel like someone lives there. It tells a story before you even speak to the person.

I think that’s part of why the Nancy Meyers aesthetic feels so loved right now. It’s not really about copying a look it’s more about surrounding yourself with things that feel like you. And I love that.

I also read something once that said children seeing photos of themselves in their home can boost confidence and self-esteem. I don’t know the exact source, but I think about it often. There’s something powerful about being visually reminded that you belong somewhere.

Not our most controversial piece but definitely one of my best thrifted finds. This is a print of "The Windmill at Wijk bij Duurstede" (c. 1670) by Jacob van Ruisdael.

Feng Shui: What Does That Even Mean?

According to The Spruce, feng shui is the practice of arranging your environment to create balance with the natural world.

But I didn’t really understand it until I lived in a space long enough to see how we actually moved through it.

We rearranged our living room three different times before it finally felt right. And somewhere in the middle of that process, we started noticing patterns: where we naturally set things down, where we always gathered, where the light felt best.

Even small things matter. If something always ends up in the same spot; like salt, pepper, or olive oil in the kitchen; maybe that’s its home. Maybe it doesn’t need to be hidden away.

We also definitely watched Friends and borrowed a little inspiration from Monica’s apartment while figuring things out. It’s funny how you absorb design without even realizing it.

We moved our table to be in our kitchen and then went on a hunt to get different chairs to upgrade our walmart chairs. One day we will get a circular table: ultimate feng shui!

Storage Doesn’t Have to Be Ugly

I once read something from Reese Witherspoon that stuck with me. She talked about choosing beautiful, durable things because life with kids and animals is messy—but still worth planning for.

That idea changed the way I think about home.

Living with my husband, my baby, and our kitten has already taught me that nothing stays perfect for long. There are broken glasses, spilled things, and constant movement. And slowly I’ve learned that most things don’t need to be as precious as I once thought.

I don’t remember where I first heard this next idea, but it’s shaped everything: storage should be beautiful enough to live with.

Instead of plastic bins and things I want to hide, I’ve started using thrifted baskets, woven pieces, and vintage containers. Not just because they’re pretty—but because they make the space feel softer and more lived-in.

Baskets, especially, have become one of my favorite design tools. They come in different textures and shapes, and they quietly add warmth to a room while still being useful.

I even use them in unexpected places like the bathroom, where wire baskets and thrifted trays hold everyday things.

It turns out organization doesn’t have to disappear into a closet. Sometimes it can just become part of the room.

At the end of the day, I think I thought design was about getting everything right.

But I’m learning it’s actually about paying attention.

To what you love.To how you live.And to the quiet ways a home starts telling your story before you even notice it.

I hate to say but I was definitely inspired by Monica's open shelving and probably took the curtain idea from her (but we need a better tension rod and not a shower rod.

You can find so many different tips and tricks (and I encourage you to!) but these are the three tricks I constantly revert back to. I am sure I can create another quick list (and maybe I will soon!) but for now try these! Or don't! The best advice I have ever gotten was take what you need, leave what you don't (this is great when shopping too!).

Thank you for reading! Let me know in the comments if you've tried any of these and how they made your space change!

Love,

Erin