I also shared my approach to a common fear I hear from clients:

“Will I get tired of this in a year?”

It’s closely tied to another fear I hear a lot:

“Do I really like this, or have I just seen a lot of it on Instagram?”

I know fears like this can keep us stuck in a loop, unable to make a decision (and furnishing a home can really feel like a neverending string of decisions). I know. I’ve been stuck on a rug decision of my own for years (happy to report I’ve finally solved it).

There’s all this undue pressure to make choices that feel “timeless.” And I think that feels like a trap. Because who defines timeless, anyway? And why does that definition change every year? It just feels like we’re all being set up to fail. Like you can somehow get your home “wrong.”

I’d like to present an alternative approach.

I think that if you choose things you love based on your own life story, you can’t go wrong.

That chair your grandfather built, or the bedding that reminds you of your favorite 90’s movie, or the paint that’s inspired by your mom’s room growing up. These are the kinds of off-line, IRL, Pinterest-free sources of inspiration that I love to pull from.

The dining chairs my parents had were Chinese cherrywood chairs with plastic covered silk cushions. All of my most meaningful food memories were built sitting in those chairs. I know that one day I’m going to invest in dining chairs inspired by those chairs. And when I do, it won’t be because they were trending, or timeless.

Now, I said “choose things you love based on your own life story” - the love part is important. Maybe you didn’t love your childhood home. Maybe your personal style is such that family heirlooms or pieces inspired by your childhood don’t fit in.

That’s okay.

Let’s fast forward, to more recent memories and spaces you love. Your best friend’s couch that’s seen all your highs and lows, a hotel lobby from a trip you can’t forget. And if still nothing’s coming up for you, might I suggest putting on your shoes and taking a trip to a local spot that you love. Your daily coffee shop, your local restaurant bar, your favorite boutique, your chic older neighbor’s living room.

Pay attention to all the little details that make these spaces you love feel inviting, warm, special.

We see and save thousands of images online, and I see this leading to lots of overwhelm and confusion. But there is something undeniable about experiencing spaces in real life. Some places simply energize me. I can walk into a room and quickly realize “yea, this feels like me.” It’s tactile, it’s tangible.

When I was on my honeymoon our hotel had a “Relax Room.” I went to this room every morning and every evening to wind down. I thought to myself “I need to create my own Relax Room in my home!” And then I did. I painted it Deep Reddish Brown, inspired by a visit to the Moma where I got to see Ed Ruscha’s Chocolate Room installation - a room wallpapered entirely in real chocolate! (That Relax Room was short-lived, but that’s a story for another day).

That’s how I picked a paint color I love based on my own life story. It doesn’t matter to me if that color is on or off trend next year, because it’s tied to a specific memory.

To me, that memory is what’s timeless.

In the comments (or reply to this email!) I’d love to hear about something in your home that’s tied to your life story. I think these touches are what truly makes a home personal!

– Cristina

Want my design help with your home?

• Book a Design Consultation. Show me your space, ask me your questions, get personal design advice. Curious? Here’s what you can expect.

And if you’re not ready to work with me just yet, I have a free video series for you and in this episode I share another way to answer the question: “Do I really like this, or have I just seen a lot of it on Instagram?”

What clients are saying:

“Cristina was able to come up with multiple layout ideas I hadn’t even considered! This gave me so many options when moving forward with my design. I love the creativity she brought to the project. Very happy I booked with her!”

— Jenni

There are rooms that tell you what they are.

Even when they’re completely empty, devoid of all furniture, the architecture may tell you “this is a living room.” It has the traditional features of a living room. It is placed near the dining room. This all signals to your brain that that’s what it is.

Sometimes, the layout is obvious. The sofa goes here, the TV goes here, this is where bookshelves go.

But sometimes, you don’t get all that.

Sometimes the intention is undefined. Like in my apartment. You enter into a wide open space. It was up to me to define the entry, the living room, and create a dining room where there was none. I had to create the signals myself, “this is the living room” and “this is the dining room.”

Sometimes, a room’s intentions are murky. Or downright confusing - what exactly was the builder thinking with this room?? Like in rooms with doors and windows on every single wall, so that there’s no possible place to arrange your furniture. Or rooms with awkward layouts and multiple paths of traffic traveling through them.

That was the room my client brought to me on a recent FaceTime.

“The space I want to focus on is so awkward and flows into so many other spaces” she shared, “it’s less of a room and more of an open space that needs to provide access to the kitchen beyond. I think this wall was opened up at some point, and there’s a step down, which makes it even more challenging.”

When rooms feel ambiguous and undefined, furnishing them can feel downright maddening. In these scenarios, our goal is to make it make sense.

We have to create our own signals.

First I asked Mo, how do you see yourself using this room daily? She said she and her husband would like to eat their meals in there, just the two of them. With the option to host a couple people on occasion, but that’s not really the priority.

She also said “this space is visible from every angle in the apartment.” So not only did they want this room to signal “this is a dining room,” it also needs to say “this is my style.”

How do we do that?

I’m gonna show you what we came up with together on our one hour consultation to make Mo’s undefined room into a dining room first, but then - and I think this is even more important - I’m going to explain why I chose these items and this layout for Mo.

1. Bistro Table

A round bistro table makes sense for a small space that also functions as a walkway into other rooms. The pedestal means chairs don’t have to navigate table legs, and the round shape means no bumping into corners on the way to the kitchen.

2. Chair

Mo got Vintage Salon on the style quiz so classic bentwood, Thonet, or bistro style chairs would all work seamlessly. I chose a well made rattan chair with a cushion for comfort and color, more on that in a bit. I also told Mo this would be a perfect place to go secondhand, with either vintage chairs in Mo’s style or midcentury chairs in her husband’s style.

3. Jute rug

On our call I showed Mo layouts with both rectangular and round rug options, and ultimately I think round is the best fit for dining and a high traffic area. This one’s a good jute that comes in 7 different sizes, at a great price. This sisal even comes in custom sizes, round or rectangular.

4. Striped wallpaper

I offered a stripe or a botanical stripe to tie in the florals she has in other rooms. Along with a red paint color for her trim, to bring out her crown molding.

5. Chair cushion

This cushion repeats our wallpaper and trim colors - we’re using color really intentionally here to commit to the bit. Read on for what I mean.

6. Pendant light

I recommended this pendant light because it can either be hard wired, plug-in, or you can just buy the shade - for your renting, owning, or DIY needs.

Mo left the call with:

• a shopping list to all of these items

• a furniture layout with all of the dimensions in case she wants to find furniture herself

• and a gameplan to start testing this design out so she can feel confident before she adds to cart

Right after our call Mo emailed to say “We’ve already moved our current table to the placement you suggested to start testing the flow of the room, and this design is going to be a game changer.”

I love when the progress starts right away!

Now let’s talk about the why.

When a room’s architectural features feel ambiguous, I like to lean into more traditional design elements: symmetry, balance, and a predictable furniture layout.

I recommended Mo place a round table in the center of the room, and align a low hanging pendant light centered above the table.

So that even though the room itself is not symmetrical, we’re creating order through the symmetry of our table, chairs and light.

I gave Mo the dimensions I’d follow for each piece, while still allowing for paths of traffic to flow into the kitchen and hallway to the bedroom, to remove all the guesswork when it came time to shop.

Then we got into her style.

She got Vintage Salon on the quiz, while her husband leans more midcentury modern. Their bedroom has floral motifs so she’d like to do something different in this area.

In a very ambiguous space, you need even more signals to tell you “this is a dining room, and I did this on purpose. This is not an afterthought. This is not an awkward solution to an awkward problem.” For that, I like to use color very intentionally.

I don’t always go matchy matchy, but for this room I recommended that Mo match the wallpaper, the chairs, the trim, and the art. We’re making it make sense. We’re leaning all the way in. Commit to the bit!

I think sometimes when people feel unsettled or unsatisfied with a room it’s because the room isn’t making sense to their brain. There’s no sense of order. When you commit to the bit, you are sending the signal “I did this on purpose, this was my intention” and that in itself is a type of order that makes sense to the brain too.

It’s the reason a room with an unexpected color palette can still make sense, when they’ve leaned all the way into it. Or a completely maximalist room filled to the brim with stuff, but artfully. It may not be your style, but it still makes sense to your brain, “I see what they did there.”

We were able to do all of this in just one hour because Mo sent me photos, a video walkthrough, and a floorplan of the room with all of the measurements before our call. I always send you my Questionnaire before we talk to gather the information I need to hit the ground running, and the more information I have before we start the more specific I can get on the call.

Heads up: Starting in November I’m only going to be offering 1-hour Consultations because of my bandwidth, so if you’ve been meaning to book a 30-minute call with me - now’s the time!

— Cristina

Need help with your awkward room?

• Book a Design Consultation. Let’s create your gameplan and make it make sense.

And if you’re not ready to work with me just yet, I have a free video series for you and in this episode I share my process, and the why.

What clients are saying:

“I had a vague idea of what I wanted in my home, but I wasn’t sure how to execute on it. Cristina listened to what I had to say, and in the final product had a solution to all my problems. She worked with my budget and found some great items from second-hand stores that are so unique.”

—Rachael

I’m giving my tiny New York bathroom a little refresh. After 7 years of living with over-the-toilet storage from the previous tenant (why, why did I live like this?) I finally replaced it with something that felt more like me.

I chose the feeling I wanted for the room: playful, yet elevated

I made a plan to achieve the feeling: picked a paint color, ordered new storage, new renter-friendly flooring, planned out finishing styling touches.

Do I want to replace the vanity, the medicine cabinet, the floor, the ceiling, the lighting, and the tub with fixtures I actually LIKE? Of course I do! Does any of that align with my life and budget right now? No. We’re working with low cost, low lift, high impact changes for this little room.

So I moved out the cabinet (what a relief) painted the walls, hung the storage and…

Immediately started panic-texting friends.

Do you see what I did there? I got 25% of the way in and decided I hated it. I wanted to Command Z undo. Started doubting all my instincts. Started to miss the old toilet storage (just kidding).

My friend Daniela Araya, the color expert behind Statement Wall, gave me great advice and I “yea, yea, I know”-ed all of it (how annoying of me). That’s when it dawned on me. I hated it because…

I wasn’t done yet.

I see this old familiar pattern all the time, I just happen to be on the other side of it usually.

On many of my Design Consultations, people show me a room in their home, name everything that’s wrong with it, and go hard on critiquing every single piece of furniture they own (in a much harsher fashion than anyone else ever would).

But I can see your vision, I see where you’re going with it, and it isn’t bad. It’s just not done yet.

The thing is, often you’re 75% of the way there! You’re not far off.

There’s nothing wrong with your personal style, your vision is not broken. There’s just a gap. A gap between the vision and the finished execution. And you (and me too right now) are just in the gap. It doesn’t mean you should stop, it actually means keep going!

This is not a sign that my radar is off or my ideas are bad (thoughts I’ve definitely had) or that I need to pull back, where it’s safe, just dipping a toe in. The discomfort I’m feeling right now is actually a sign that I need to go further, lean into my ideas, get a little weirder, commit to my vision more fully. But how do you do that when your confidence has taken a hit and you feel like your gut can’t be trusted?

I like to create a gameplan, and then run some small, low-risk experiments until I have the data I need to feel confident making a decision. But no matter what, don’t get stuck here. In the gap, where I hate everything.

On FaceTimes with clients they start with a long, overwhelming list of things that bother them about a room. I help identify the key changes that will actually have a noticeable impact on the space, without draining their time, energy and budget. We rank their list in order of priority, and I suggest the pieces I’d shop for. We agree on one step they can try tomorrow. A small experiment they can run to continue the momentum of our call while they’re still feeling energized. They leave with a gameplan. All in one hour! It’s one of my favorite parts of my job.

Yesterday Daniela and I did this for each other and our own homes, live on video, in our second monthly Unstuck Session. We talked through my bathroom gripes and her upstairs renovation and each had our own breakthroughs. You can watch it here.

And now, here is where the bathroom stands. I cringe to show this to you. I honestly don’t want you to see it. But here goes.

I could wallow in the gap of this unfinished bathroom forever, doubting my choices and questioning my taste and complaining to everyone who will listen if I let myself. But I know that the best way to get unstuck is just to run a little experiment.

It doesn’t matter what it is, it doesn’t even matter if I like the outcome. Because no matter what, I will have learned more about what I do and don’t like in this room than if I had stayed stuck.

The first tiny experiment I’m going to run is to change my lightbulb, to see how it affects the yellow. I can do that today! The next small experiment will be to paint my border stripe and vanity a darker brown (this was just paint I had left over from the nursery). It’ll take a couple hours and run me the price of a sample pot of paint. Small steps to build my confidence back up to trusting my ideas in here.

And if you’ve ever felt the way I do about my bathroom right now, this is a reminder for all of us: Your taste doesn’t suck. Your vision isn’t broken. You’re just in the gap.

Keep going. Don’t stop. You’re just not finished yet.

– Cristina

Do you have a room that’s stuck in the gap?

• Book a Design Consultation. Let’s create your gameplan and close your gap.

And if you’re not ready to work with me just yet, I have a free video series for you and in this episode I share more of my small, low-risk experiments.

What clients are saying:

“You helped me have the confidence to keep on going and to trust my gut. I feel better moving forward now. I’m glad I’m on the right track in realizing my mixed style. ”

—Brian

I work with a lot of people who’ve bought sofas that they don’t like. And they feel stuck with them, “I don’t like it, it doesn’t really fit, but I spent money on it so I have to keep it.”

Of all the big decisions in your home, this isn’t the one I’d skimp on or rush.

It’s big. It’s expensive. It’s long-term. You want it to be comfortable, and you want it to look good.

So today I’m treating you as if you were my client on a FaceTime session to determine the sofa that fits:

1. Your life

2. Your room

3. Your style

DISCLAIMER: If you live with someone else, I think it’s really important to do this step together so that your end purchase is one that satisfies both of you.

1. The sofa that fits your life

Ok here we go. For extra credit write down your answers so that when you’re ready to make that big purchase decision, you can do it in a clear, informed way:

• Picture a regular day in your life (not an aspirational day, a real one), how do you use your couch?

• How much would you feel comfortable spending on a sofa? I’m not going to try and push you beyond that comfort zone. I don’t want you to feel nervous any time someone sits on your sofa

• How many people sit on your couch daily?

• How many people sit on your couch occasionally?

• When you have guests over, are they usually your best friends and closest family members? Or are they likely to be new friends or acquaintances?*

*Why does this matter? Because…

Get 40% off for 3 months

Read more

But this Big Blank Wall filler gets to something a little deeper than “here are X things to buy right now.” It’s also about how to do that in a way that feels personal to you. In a way that doesn’t feel like you just found an inoffensive print on Google search and added it to cart. Maybe you’ve tried that, maybe it didn’t feel special.

What’s the alternative? My go-to is usually something big, and something old. That combination of scale and age is something I’m always aiming for, my secret sauce. Whether it’s a sidewalk find or something I thrifted. I just think it makes everything look more *expensive*.

About 5 years.

That is how long it took me to fill the wall above my desk. So let’s cast our minds back to 2021. I was living upstate with my in-laws during the pandemic and spotted this giant gilt frame at my favorite antique store (sadly it’s since burned down). It’s something I can’t resist. A Big Old Frame. Measuring about 38” by 42” and priced less than $200, I felt it was a good deal for its size. The antique seller called out the frame’s wear and tear, chips in the gilt, some repair needed, but I actually prefer this over things that look shiny and new (in my opinion it looks more expensive).

“Where will we put it?” my husband asked. Not unreasonably.

Also, what will we put in it? Given that it was empty.

I would not come up with the answer for another 4 years.

The frame sat, collecting dust, empty, in my apartment’s problem area until 2025. I was 9 months pregnant when I decided it was a really critical time to finally fill that empty frame on the floor.

I took the foamboard that I use for doing puzzles and cut it to fit the frame.

Then I took the canvas dropcloth I use to cover our floors when painting (and have also used to cover our sofa for a different look) and cut a rectangle to cover the posterboard. Then I wrapped the the board with the cloth and fixed it in place with spray adhesive.

We hung it over my desk and instantly, it looked so much better. Even though it was still a blank canvas!

It stayed that way for a year more before I finally tacked up a few of my favorite things. A page from a magazine, a page from a book, a fabric sample, a photobooth strip, and some images that are inspiring me right now.

It is such a joy to sit at my desk now (incidentally that’s old too, it’s a sewing table).

Does the frame follow the size “rule” for filling a Big Blank Wall? No, it’s a bit big if I’m being nit-picky. But this is what I mean when I say learn the rules and then decide when to break them.

This would look just as wonderful filled with photos of friends and children’s art, in a kitchen filled with recipes, in an entryway tacked with reminders and letters from loved ones, or really anywhere filled with anything that is meaningful to you.

I think the key here is that the frame is Big, and that it is Old.

Would this look the same in a shiny new gold frame? I really don’t think so. Could you buy a pinboard from Pottery Barn? Yea, you could. But I believe an old, beat up frame can actually make anything look more expensive. Whether it’s a page from your favorite book or that print from a Google search. I think it adds weight and significance not only to your art, but to the rest of your furniture too. If all of your furniture is brand new, or you live in a new build, something old can go a long way!

If you are like me and prefer things that look lived in and have a story to tell, your best bet is going to be your local antique mall or thrift store. Just look for the biggest thing you can find. I’ve said this before but when it comes to filling Big Blank Walls, I’m often more interested in the scale than the content. You can always fill a Big Old Frame with something else. You can always paint over art you don’t like. I’ve done both. This is how I fill my own Big Blank Walls affordably.

Now if you want to invest in art that you love from artists you want to support, I love that! The few pieces of original art I own are some of my most prized possessions. But in the meantime, if you just wanna fill those walls, I suggest picking up the biggest thing you can find secondhand.

And if you want to buy a print because that’s what’s in the budget, I love that too. A Big Old Frame will really help give it gravitas.

If you’re thinking “Cristina I don’t have Big Old Frames where I live,” I strongly urge you to look again. I see Big Old Frames stacked in corners of thrift shops and antique stores everywhere. Here’s some proof from a quick scroll through my camera roll:

Just look at those price tags! I’m tempted to buy so many of them but I can already hear the “where will we put it?” and “what will we put in it?” refrain in my head. Because truly, just try buying a frame this big, new at a frame store or Crate & Barrel. The price would be astronomical. And at your local antique mall they’re stacked 10 deep and priced to sell.

That’s my pitch for this week. Big Old Frames.

Actually before I go, I want to plug small old frames, too. I bought this small old frame at a thrift store in my neighborhood. I removed the keys that came in it and for years I had this magazine clipping in it (a favorite souvenir from Paris). See what I mean? It gave that magazine clipping gravitas!

And just recently, I took it to my local frame store and had them cut a custom mat for this maternity photo my friend Hanah took. The custom mat was less than $20. It now hangs in my nursery and the combination of a meaningful photo, a custom mat, and an old frame? It just does something for me.

— Cristina

Want my design help with your home?

• Book a Design Consultation. Show me your Big Blank Walls! Ask me your questions, get personal design advice.

And if you’re not ready to work with me just yet, I have a free video series for you and in this episode I share more tips to make your home office feel less office-y.

What clients are saying:

“You helped me have the confidence to keep on going and to trust my gut. I feel better moving forward now. I’m glad I’m on the right track in realizing my mixed style. ”

—Brian

But today I’m going to talk about the biggest, blankest, hardest wall to fill: the wall with nothing on it.

Dun dun dunnnnn…

I’m talking that big long wall in your open concept living dining room that goes on and on between multiple zones.

The wall in a hallway.

The wall behind your dining table.

Walls that are completely empty, and therefore feel even more overwhelming to fill.

How do we fill those?

Just to recap from last week, my very general fail-proof formula¹ for filling a Big Blank Wall is:

Artwork = ⅔ the width of the space you’re trying to fill

Simple enough, but let’s talk about what that looks like IRL.

So if you’ve got a Big Blank Wall that’s 6’ wide, then a 4’ wide piece of art would feel impactful (or several pieces, that together fill 4’ of space).

There are, of course, a million different ways that you could fill your Big Blank Wall. In my experience, they take different levels of time, energy, and budget to execute. And some take more of an “eye” or an interest in this stuff than others. Here on Home School I like to break things down into: Elementary, Intermediate, and Advanced. That’s just how my brain works.

Today, I’m also just referring to art as our mode of Big Blank Wall filling, because this is what I get the most questions about. But please know we have lots of Big Blank Wall filling tools in our toolbox, and I talk about some non-art options here and here.

Advanced

This is one of the hardest ways to fill any wall, but especially a very large and empty wall. It is also one of the most common routes I see people take: the gallery wall.

I get it, finding big art is hard. And expensive. Small art feels way more approachable. The thing is, it takes a lot of small art to fill a Big Blank wall.

And there are so many steps to a gallery wall. Finding a piece of art you like is only the first.

Then you have to find a frame. Maybe try a fun mat (the dollars are starting to add up here). And repeat - for every single piece in the gallery. It’ll take a lot of small pieces to fill an empty wall in an impactful way. That’s a lotta frames, a lotta work, a lotta holes in the wall. And we haven’t even gotten to how you’re going to hang all of these various shapes and sizes in a way that pleases your eye.

Here’s the thing.

Your time, energy, and budget are limited resources. And your wall itself has its own unique set of circumstances. This is why I consider a gallery wall to be Advanced. I think anyone who has ever attempted one will probably agree with me on this.

Intermediate

Instead of many small things, I like to opt for one big thing. This is true for most things in a home, I will always opt for one large, impactful thing rather than many small things. I feel it leads to less visual clutter. (One big eye-catching light, for example. I call this a Bang for Your Buck piece). In this case, one large piece of art instead of many small pieces of art.

I personally just love the way it looks when you fill a wall with one statement-making piece. Like I said last week, the size of the piece matters even more to me than the piece itself. I’ll buy a big piece of art at a thrift store just because it’s big and the right price, even if I don’t love what’s in it. You can always paint over it or fill a giant frame with something else.

Finding a piece of art (or several pieces of art) to fill ⅔ the width of an expanse of empty wall is very impactful, and it is doable. But I happen to know that many of you spend months, even years, searching for a piece of art this large (that you like) and may never feel comfortable pulling the trigger. And that’s why it’s Intermediate. I’ll talk about places to look for big art in a future post but we’re getting length here and we still have to get to Elementary!

Elementary

If you have a wall that spans multiple zones or one long neverending wall, I like to make this easier by giving your art a buddy. So it doesn’t have to do all the work by itself. And most often, this is a piece of furniture.

That furniture helps:

• Fill the bottom half of the wall = less wall for you to fill with art

• Serves to anchor the art, so that it doesn’t feel like it’s floating in space

• Defines that zone of the room, especially in open concept layouts

Suddenly you’re not dealing with a giant, undefined, overwhelming expanse. You can take all of your art-searching energy and all the design rules I’ve shared and focus them down to this piece of furniture instead.

Our ⅔ rule can now be applied to the piece of furniture, instead of the full wall.

I would use a piece of furniture that functions for you and your life. Most people tend to need more storage. But if you’re working on your entry and need a place to put your shoes on, then a long low bench (which also gives you a natural spot to store shoes under). I personally love a long low bookshelf. Same as before, I’d go as big as you can with this piece so you don’t feel tempted to fill that wall with several small pieces.

But make it work for you. Make it functional for your daily life. If you’ve got a Big Blank Wall in your dining room then a sideboard is a natural anchor. And you can never have too much storage behind closed doors. When you tie this to your needs it becomes a much more practical purchase - less intimidating, less open-ended - than finding that unicorn piece of art that is big, cheap, and expresses your personal style.

Using our 6’ wide wall as an example, if you add a 4’ shelf for storage, now your art only needs to be ⅔ the width of your 4’ shelf, which is 2’8”.

Significantly more manageable!

This opens you up to many more options. At a lower price point! Perhaps even something you already own! And if you own something you love but isn’t large enough to fill the space, consider adding a large mat to it to increase its scale.

This is how I like to do it anyway. But if you have the patience for a gallery wall, Godspeed!

How do you like to fill your Big Blank Walls? I’d love to see photos from anyone who’d like to share!

— Cristina

Want my design help with your home?

• Book a Design Consultation for 30 or 60 minutes. Show me your space, ask me your questions, get personal design advice.

And if you’re not ready to work with me just yet, I have a free video series for you and this was the very first episode I ever made! I also have videos on finding affordable art here and here.

What clients are saying:

“I had a vague idea of what I wanted in my home, but I wasn’t sure how to execute on it. Cristina listened to what I had to say, and in the final product had a solution to all my problems. She worked with my budget and found some great items from second-hand stores that are so unique.”

—Rachael

The walls.

Big Blank Walls, to be exact.

If you’ve been following me for a while then you know my obsession with this topic, I’ve been talking about it for about 6 years. And with good reason: I surveyed my community and found that 78% of you have Big Blank Walls that you’re struggling to fill.

And today I want to help make that task a bit easier for you.

Pick a wall

When I have calls with you, you’ll often walk around a room and point out all of the walls that you need my help with. “What about this little wall by the door? What should I put there? And this wall next to my bed?”

And often times I say, I wouldn’t worry about those walls. Let’s focus on your focal point.

What’s a focal point? My shortcut for this is that it’s often the wall with the biggest piece of furniture on it. For example, the wall with the bed in the bedroom. If your room has a big architectural feature like giant windows or a fireplace surrounded by shelving, that can also serve as a focal point. It’s usually the wall that your eye is immediately drawn to when you walk into a room.

Yes, it could be nice to have a meaningful piece of art that expresses your style in all of the little empty spots in your home, but realistically? I know how long it can take to find even one piece of art you like, that’s in your budget. And then find a frame for it.

And I know your time, energy and budget are limited, so if you’re going to invest any of that into filling your walls, I’d invest in creating one focal point that you feel really good about.

And if you happen to have time, energy and budget left over after that? Sure fill those other little walls as you please!

I personally just find this approach the most effective use of your time and the most impactful for the room. In my experience filling one specific focal point in each room is more impactful than filling all of your walls with lots of little things. When you have lots of little things on every wall, your eye doesn’t have a natural place to settle. But one really impactful wall? It can make a room feel complete (even if it’s not).

Ok but what if it’s not working

Maybe you’ve attempted to fill a wall, but it’s still not feeling impactful. If I had to guess, I’d say it comes down to scale. We’ve talked about getting scale right before, and if I’m perfectly honest with you I will often buy things just because they’re big.

I’ve purchased art that I didn’t like because the size was great and the price was right. Then I just painted right over it, one solid color. And then I painted over it again when the mood struck.

I bought a giant framed Monet poster secondhand, again because the size and the price were right, even though it didn’t fit the style or colors in any of the rooms of my home. I hung it on a wall in my bedroom that no one sees for years until the right opportunity finally presented itself: my nursery.

I know this may not work for everyone but I really care more about size than content when it comes to Big Blank Wall filling on a budget.

How big is big enough?

Have you ever bought something for your wall - it just speaks to you. It’s gonna look so good.

You get it home. You hang it up. And something’s not quite… right.

Somehow, the wall still looks… empty?

Do you need to hang it higher? (Hint: no). Does it need something else hanging next to it, to fill that extra… space?

It’s not small, and it wasn’t cheap. But somehow it’s just not having the impact you imagined. It happens! A lot actually.

When filling a Big Blank Wall, an easy, fail-proof formula I recommend is:

Artwork = ⅔ the width of the space you’re trying to fill

This formula is a general rule. And of course you are always welcome to break the rules. I find it’s most helpful to learn the rules when you’re a beginner, and then as you experiment and grow more confident with your personal style you can decide for yourself which rules you want to follow, and what you choose to break. Negative space can also be a powerful tool! But it’s not the easiest route, and I’m trying to bring you ease.

If you’re filling a wall with no furniture on it, this is the hardest because this is the biggest blankest wall. But once you get a piece of furniture on that wall, you can then apply the 2/3 formula to the furniture instead. I’ll go into this in more soon.

For now, focus on:

• Picking a focal point wall

• Measuring that wall (or the biggest piece of furniture on it)

• Multiply by 2/3 to learn how big your Big Blank Wall filler needs to be

Of course art is not the only way to fill a Big Blank Wall, but that’s another topic for another day!

Let me know in the comments which Big Blank Wall you’re trying to fill.

— Cristina

Want my design help with your home?

• Book a Design Consultation for 30 or 60 minutes. Show me your space, ask me your questions, get personal design advice.

And if you’re not ready to work with me just yet, I have a free video series for you and this was the very first episode I ever made!

What clients are saying:

“I am so blown away by everything. You really nailed it. I love it all and some of the pieces take me out of my comfort zone (i never do stripes but excited to try them out with the curtains!).”

—Sarah

• Do you have a favorite paint brand and why?

• I painted some of my walls pink and I don’t love the way it looks, should I keep going and paint all of them?

• What do you think about color matching Farrow & Ball colors? Does it work?

• For someone building a room from scratch, what’s your preferred order: Artwork first, then paint, or paint first, then artwork?

• Can you talk about how you select lighting for a space?

You can still catch it here if you missed it:

We didn’t get through all of the questions, so today I’m digging into one that we missed that feels close to my heart (and my wallet).

“What do you recommend I do if I can’t afford a large area rug in the size I know I need, but I still really want a rug in my room?”

Here’s how I’ve handled this exact situation in my own home. I do this every year, actually.

Every year, I save up and invest in one big piece for my home. And I usually buy it on Black Friday, in order to get it at the lowest possible price.

If I were you, this rug would be my piece for the year.

I know that making big purchases for your home can be overwhelming, intimidating, and expensive. That’s why I started this one-big-piece-a-year approach in my home about 12 years ago.

It means that over time, I’m slowly building a collection of fewer, higher quality pieces in my home that I love enough to move with me from this home to the next and the next.

It’s so tempting, easy even, to buy the cute $30 coasters at the antique mall, the $40 candle that smells so good, the $50 handmade mug (you know teacups and saucers are my weakness). Before I know it, I’ve spent hundreds of dollars on small stuff for my home that hasn’t made a meaningful impact on the way the room looks or functions for me. In some cases, these little purchases amount to clutter, and may even end up in the donate pile having collected dust on a shelf.

Instead, I now hold off on these quick-win buys in favor of saving toward my one big piece of the year (a bonus is that this approach also preserves valuable space in my small New York apartment).

And the good news is you’ve already done one of the hardest parts - identifying your one big piece! You know you want a rug, you even know what size you need it to be. Good job!

Next I’d consider about how you need this rug to function for you in this room (is it a high traffic area? Do you have kids or pets that may require spot cleaning? Will you sit or eat on this rug?) All of this will help you filter down the materials, colors and options that will actually work for your lifestyle. Then ask the rug seller you’re considering what they recommend, be very specific!

“I have a cat that vomits on my rug a lot, will this rug’s material stand up to enzymatic cleaners?” I do this all the time for my clients.

Once you find the rug that works for you, I’d search Facebook Marketplace or Apt Deco just to see if anyone happens to be selling one (like this 9x12 Nordic Knots rug for $325, another one, or this one). If not, I’d wait til the Black Friday sales to get the rug on the steepest sale it’ll likely be all year.

Some other routes affordable rug options I’ve personally tried in my own home:

Two affordable rugs

In my Austin studio I put two big Ikea sheepskin rugs (sadly discontinued, they were so good) side by side in my bedroom to cover a very large area without breaking the bank. The high pile totally concealed that it was two rugs. These would be similar. Two 3’x5’ would give you 6’x10’ of 100% wool for less than $400.

Jute

This doesn’t work for every scenario (like I wouldn’t use this in a bedroom) but it does work well for many styles and situations! This is what I have in my living room right now while I save to upgrade - told you this question was close to my heart and wallet. You get texture, a subtle pattern, a warm, neutral color, and a natural material for a relatively low cost. And these ones even come in different colors.

Wool

By now you may have noticed I keep emphasizing materials. Colors and patterns are nice to look at but when it comes to rugs I really focus on material, even at lower price points. I’ll typically prioritize 100% wool (like this Rugs USA) over something like 100% polyester (like the washable Ruggables). But go with what works for you and your lifestyle.

The good news is we’ve got almost 4 months til Black Friday, so we’ve all got time to plot our one big buy! Or think ahead to next year’s. Yes, this is a slow way to shop. It’s certainly not how trend cycles and consumerism want me to do it. But over time I’m investing in my home in a way that feels internally motivated. Led by my lifestyle. My needs. And my budget. (Not a result of what’s trending, what an influencer told me to buy, or what a brand wants to sell me this season).

Now not every purchase makes sense for Black Friday, like a one-of-a-kind vintage find, something custom or from a small maker. For example my sofa was one of these annual purchases. The Black Friday sale may not apply, but saving up for one big buy per year still does. This is how I got my Akari lamp, my Ikea shelves, my coffee table, and the black chair you can see in the thumbnail below. Just to name a few.

What are you saving up for this year? I’d love to know in the comments.

— Cristina

Ready to make longer term investments in your home?

I offer 1:1 FaceTimes and full-service design, and my most popular service is virtual room design. You can contact me by replying to this email.

And if you’re not ready to work with me just yet, I have a free video series for you and in this episode I share even more resources to build your Black Friday gameplan:

What clients are saying:

“I asked Cristina to maximize my small space and give it multiple functions. And she did exactly that! I loved being able to share my ideas (which weren’t fully formed) and have Cristina conceptualize them for me.”

— Moraa

When I onboard my clients I send them homework (the fun kind) including a worksheet about their personal style. It’s not as cut and dry as sharing a Pinterest board - because those can be big, unwieldy, vague and downright confusing. So you share your inspiration, and we drill down: what do you like about this? What don’t you like about it? Tell me what this room sparked in your brain. And if it’s a couple, I ask them both to fill it out.

THEN, and this is the behind the scenes part, I comb through the photos, all the likes, dislikes, random thoughts and feelings, the thing this reminds you of from your childhood, the rug one partner loves and the other partner hates, and look closely for the common thread.

Sometimes it’s a ~vibe~ that I’m picking up on. But sometimes the clues are much more direct; words that appear once, twice, eleven times throughout the worksheet. It’s a bit like those exercises in school where you circle all the synonyms in a paragraph (remember pencils? and paper?).

For example, in a San Francisco dining room I’m currently working on, their inspiration photos represented a mix of design styles. There were clean, minimal, Scandinavian spaces, as well as charming homes full of antiques. But I kept noticing the same words over and over again. “Unexpected,” “playful,” “sculptural” and “whimsy.”

The furniture in the photos may not have been completely consistent, but what they liked about it was. I deduced that ultimately, they don’t want everything in the room to match perfectly, and they don’t want the choices to feel obvious and predictable, like a copy and paste of a photo they’ve seen before. They want a room that feels unique to them - which of course is what I’m all about!

But what does that actually look like?

Our next step was to have a conversation about what they already have in their home that does feel like them, like art they’ve made, collected while traveling, and received from family. Colors and materials that appear elsewhere in their home. And the types of Instagram homes that they’re trying to avoid - the ones that feel “predictable” to them. I’m really excited about the design concept we’ve landed on!

To summarize what I do:

1. Start a new inspiration board for this room (this can take any form that’s easiest for you - Canva, Notes app, a Word doc).

2. For each photo, write what you like about it, what you don’t like about it, and any other notes that come to mind. DON’T SKIP THIS PART.

3. Skim for words or phrases that come up more than once. Your own personal wordbank.

4. Ask yourself: what do I already have in my home that represents these words. This turns all the thinking and dreaming into real, tactile, examples from your own home that you can see and touch.

If you read that thought, “Can you just do it for me?” I’d love to! Send me a message and let’s chat.

I think what’s important here is that it’s not just copying and pasting a photo of someone else’s home into your own. The photo is just the starting point. It takes a moment of personal reflection to name what part of this photo resonates with you, and what part of you it connects with. Connecting the inspo dots with your real life. Without this step, it’s just an (often overwhelming) collection of disparate photos. It’s missing your point of view.

It’s what I was trying to do for you when I made my style quiz. Helping you draw out the common thread from the photos and furniture you select, and connecting the dots between them and real life: what to shop for, what to read, what the challenges are. And that’s the starting off point, each of the styles will look different when expressed from your point of view.

Just for fun I’ve put together a living room inspired by those words “unexpected,” “playful,” “sculptural” and “whimsy.” The results are very, very different from the San Francisco dining room because this time I interpreted these words from my own POV! One I’ll share below.

I was recently telling a friend how having a baby has changed the way I want my home to feel, “I’ve been in the mood for more playfulness and color. But I still want it to feel elevated.”

“I think you can do both,” she responded.

Of course she was right. Why did I think those things were mutually exclusive?

I picked out a buttery yellow paint for my bathroom. I never would have chosen yellow paint before, but it’s the color I see when I think of my daughter. She exudes joy, can hardly contain it.

Then I chose a dark brown, almost oxblood accent color to ground it, some black and white for tension and contrast, wood, porcelain and stainless steel for a mix of materials.

I’m still in the planning stages with the bathroom but it was fun to let these ideas, colors and materials play out in a different form in the living room above. When I look at these things I see influences from my mom, my daughter, some things I’ve always loved and some new things that are intriguing me right now. And that’s what personal style means to me, taking all of these influences and reference points from the world and your life, and interpreting them through your own point of view. Done this way, you can never get it wrong!

If you try out the exercise, tell me what your words are in the comments!

— Cristina

“I need help, can you do this for me?”

Yes! Book a call, show me your space, and get personal design advice. Or send me a message about your project.

And if you’re not ready to work with me just yet, I have a free video series for you and in this episode I share more of my process for designing any room.

What clients are saying:

“Cristina provided me tangible advice, and also helped me understand the design principle or the “why” of what she was suggesting. I learned a lot and have a direction now that feels very do-able!”

— Kymberlie

I know, it’s so tempting to get caught up in the fantasy of travel…

“What if I was the kind of person who wore big beaded necklaces?”

“What if I drank my wine out of these funky glasses instead of a wine glass?”

And the thought I’ve thought a thousand times: “What if I moved here!?”

Fantasies that have at times led to purchases. Purchases that didn’t always align with my actual real, everyday life.

So today I’m sharing the travel souvenirs that are not just happy reminders of trips and time spent with loved ones (though they do that too), but stuff I actually use. Almost daily.

Cups and saucers

Whenever I find a favorite coffee shop, the kind you return to each morning of your trip, I always check to see if they sell their cups and saucers. That way, each time I drink my morning coffee or tea I’m reminded of my honeymoon or a family vacation or a girls trip. I also keep an eye out at antique stores for unique cups while traveling, a favorite is the Red Chair in Hudson, NY. Although we’re on a strict one in one out policy at this point because I have reached (okay surpassed) cup capacity.

Plates

On my most recent trip to Mexico City I wandered into a market that was mainly produce and meat, but happened upon a kitchen supply stall that sold the exact plates I’d been looking for: colorful, plastic taco plates. I always love checking out regular degular kitchen or home goods stores where the locals shop because you can often find beautiful, locally made versions of everyday items like a bottle opener or a butter dish.

Silverware

You may be noticing a theme by now, the souvenirs I actually use the most center around the brightest part of my day: eating. A few years ago I started collecting silverware from vintage shops and antique markets until I had a full, mismatched set that I love. Once I started looking, I see them everywhere! And while polishing silver is NOT fun, using a fancy fork to eat my lunch on a Wednesday is.

My knives

The award for most-used travel souvenir would have to go to my knives. I’ve bought several on a couple different trips to Japan, and I use them every day. Several times a day. I picked mine up at the Tsukiji Fish Market. I’ve had them for over 10 years now and will probably have them at least 10 more. On that first trip to Japan I also asked a cute boy if he’d like to be my boyfriend ;)

Kitchen towels

I keep a little list of things I need on my phone that I can reference when I’m traveling or thrifting. For example, a couple years ago my kitchen towels had started to look ratty, so instead of ordering some on Amazon I added it to my list. Then on a trip to the Cotswolds I saw a basket of towels that the shopkeeper told me “were in a grandma’s chest unused for decades.” They’re made of very sturdy linen, will last forever, and my favorite detail is that they’re embroidered with that grandma’s initials.

Embroidered napkins

Now that I’m hosting monthly I am actually using things like this on the regular. This is another item that I love to find at flea markets because have you seen the price of cloth napkins!? I used to be afraid of using them but now I’m trying to think of stains as patina, like reminders of many memorable meals.

Perfume

Okay we’re finally veering from dinnerware. I don’t do this every time, but on a special trip such as my honeymoon I wore a new fragrance for the whole trip. This developed scent memories that bring me right back to my honeymoon whenever I wear that perfume.

Books and prints

I simply can’t resist an old bookstore! And I personally find books to be the perfect souvenir because they’re flat and you can slide them into the front pocket of your suitcase. In addition to books, secondhand bookstores will often sell single pages from books that I like to frame as artwork. To me, the aged paper just looks expensive to me. I like to look for secondhand art books by local artists - I found a collection of moody landscapes and a great David Hockney book while in the Lake District (near Hockney’s home). And I picked up this guy (in the black frame below) from a book kiosk on the Seine. It’s just a page from a magazine but I love it and it will always remind me of Paris! Pages from art books are my favorite place to find affordable art and create a cohesive gallery. And when I display my books on shelves or tables I like to open them up and flip to new pages so I can actually appreciate what’s inside all the time.

Yes, souvenirs are often the things we buy along the way, but my favorite thing to bring home is not a thing at all.

I see my stuff every day. I see it so much that sometimes I stop seeing it at all. So when I travel, staying in other peoples’ homes or experiencing other peoples’ cultures, it resets the lens through which I view my home and my way of doing things:

“Wow, look how they store their shoes, I could try that”

Or “look how they framed that piece of art, I never would’ve thought of that”

And “I love waking up to this sound, I wonder if I can recreate this at home”

If you’re traveling this summer, I’m wishing you many happy memories and a good souvenir find or two! I’d love to hear in the comments what your favorite souvenir is.

— Cristina

Want my design help with your home?

I offer 1:1 FaceTimes and full-service design, and my most popular service is virtual room design. You can contact me by replying to this email.

Curious about booking a call? Here’s what to expect.

What clients are saying

“Cristina helped me understand an easier path to get to what I’m looking for. She was very prepared ahead of time with ideas so I felt like we got the full use of the time together. I also appreciated the willingness to tackle my second priority with only a little time left - Cristina had a ton of ideas in that time.”

— Cathy

There were trade offs, to be sure. But the trade offs made sense for me and my life at the time. And all those things I gave up? They weren’t red flags, to me.

We all have dream home wishlists in our heads. Architectural features, big beautiful windows, hardwood floors. Lovely. But in this economy? There will always be some give and take. To me, red flags are the permanent features that make a home unable to support you in your daily life.

Example: the home that has NO GOOD WALL to place a TV, and watching TV is very important to you (or someone you live with). Every single wall has doors, windows, no outlets, or opens into another room.

Another example: an open concept space, and you and your partner both work from home, take meetings, and desire privacy.

As a designer, many people bring me in after they’ve rented, bought, or moved into a space. And sometimes, I really wish they’d given me a call before! Not because the home is inherently wrong or bad, but because it’s just not a fit for you and your lifestyle.

I would have asked about your priorities, how you need the home to function for your daily life, and in what environments you feel your best. What’s your daily routine look like and how do you use your home right now? So that, if you love watching movies or sports and you’re considering moving into a home with one of these impossibly awkward TV rooms, I could say wait! This room has layout issues that do not align with your lifestyle or your priorities! And that is going to bring you so much frustration - no matter what you buy or what you paint the walls.

Of course if you’re open to renovating or electrical then we’ve got options. But many people (understandably) are not. And in that scenario, I think it’s critical to know your red flags.

Much like personal style, your red flags will be completely personal to you, your personality, and your daily lifestyle. Dare I say knowing your red flags is just as important (maybe even more?) as understanding your personal style when it comes to creating a home that works for you.

Likewise, the sacrifices you’re willing to make for your green flags may only make sense to you. When I made my move, it was a top priority for me to live in an old building, in a huge city. And I have no doubt that my ideal would be a total nightmare for someone else! And vice versa!

But that 350 square foot fourth floor walkup was absolutely perfect. For me (and my then boyfriend, and our dog). Despite its small footprint, the high ceilings and top floor windows made it feel open. There was no good layout to place a TV in front of a sofa, but that didn’t matter because we rarely watch TV. It was small, but its proximity to a park meant we never felt cooped up. All green flags for the life we were building toward.

We’ve since moved from that tiny studio into one with separate rooms for our growing family. But still no dishwasher, no elevator, no central AC, no washer or dryer (again, there are many families who might think this untenable). And some friends and family are still surprised when I say we have no intention of moving any time soon.

This month I’m celebrating 8 years of living in this city, 7 years in this home. It’s by far the longest I have ever lived in any home. Where so many of my most memorable hardships and milestones have taken place. Because this home, with its sundry shortcomings, is still one of my favorite places I’ve ever lived. It feels the most like me.

That’s the thing about making yourself at home - it’s an entirely personal act. It’s the most intimate space you will ever inhabit, and that’s why I feel humbled every single time I get hired. I truly believe it’s worth the investment of not just money but the time and reflection it takes to know yourself - your red flags, your green flags - so you can build the life you want in an environment in which you thrive.

– Cristina

Want my design help with your home?

Book a Design Consultation for 30 or 60 minutes. Show me your space, ask me your questions, get personal design advice. Curious? Here’s what you can expect.

And if you’re not ready to work with me just yet, I have a free video series for you and in this episode I talk all about the first thing I change in a rental.

What clients are saying:

“Cristina provided me tangible advice, and also helped me understand the design principle or the “why” of what she was suggesting. I learned a lot and have a direction now that feels very do-able!”

— Kymberlie

People who enjoy trying new trends. Fun! Inspiring! Why not!

And people who stop liking something the second it starts trending.

I’m the latter. And no judgement at all if you’re the former! Either way - I consider this trait to be a part of your personality, and therefore a part of your personal style.

I know my allergy to trends is a bit silly, like the grown up version of “I liked this band before they were cool.” But I’m learning to reframe my relationship with trends.

It all started with my couch.

I have been wanting a bold striped couch for decades. Yes, bold striped couches have existed before now, but they were usually of the “price upon request” variety. You know what I’m talking about.

Over the years I’d also come across the odd striped sofa at a big box store, but they were always teeny tiny pinstripes, neutral on neutral, subtle. Not bad, just not me.

This was about as bold as sofas used to get. There was beige, there was grey, if you wanted to get really crazy you might go blue. And a teeny tiny ticker stripe for the wild ones who wanted ~pattern~. This wasn’t so long ago, either.

So after living with sidewalk-find sofas and hand-me-down sofas for many years, I was finally ready to invest in something that truly felt like me. I worked with HiLo to create my dream couch by re-working a vintage midcentury Facebook Marketplace find.

It is me, in couch form.

Everything I’d ever dreamed of. A friend who came over literally said “if I could make a Cristina couch this would be it.”

And then… bold stripes started trending.

In small doses at first, an ottoman here, an area rug there. With smaller brands in far off places like Colours of Arley.

Then, slowly, but surely, it started making its way into the mainstream.

Until suddenly, they were everywhere. Striped sofas at Anthropologie, Lulu & Georgia, Urban Outfitters, Ikea covers. A damn near dupe at cb2.

I was losing my mind. After everything I invested to create something that felt truly personal.

It almost broke me. Until I realized, this is actually the upside of trends.

Trends can take the thing that you have loved all your life - the thing that has only ever existed for “price upon request” - and make it available everywhere at an accessible price point.

Not just one product from one retailer, you get options! An option for every budget.

On top of that, you get visual inspiration in magazines, Pinterest, and Instagram of many other people styling this thing in many different ways. Showing you all of the possible iterations that you could try for yourself.

When I stopped letting every striped sofa feel like a personal affront and started viewing trends in this new light, I could actually appreciate them.

I still don’t feel inclined to try every trend, or to buy things because they’re trending. That wouldn’t feel like me. But now I can look forward to other wishlist items having their day in the sun! Opening up a range of accessible options to me and to anyone else who’s spent a lifetime hunting for a modern take on traditional Chinese dining chairs (just me?). And this totally applies to trends beyond furniture - color, food, clothes!

Of course, I know the wider availability of striped sofas does not make mine feel any less like me. And I still haven’t seen one I like more (then I might really lose it). But I’m coming to a place of acceptance about the whole thing. Almost.

– Cristina

Want my design help with your home?

• Book a Design Consultation for 30 or 60 minutes. Show me your space, ask me your questions.

• Get a Personal Shopping Guide. We’ll work with what you already have and incorporate a few new key pieces to finally complete your room. Send me a message if you’re interested.

And if you’re not ready to work with me just yet, I have a free video series for you and in this episode I talk about how to buy less stuff with my personal style formula.

What clients are saying:

“Oh my goodness - before we met, my husband and I were so overwhelmed and bummed out by the enormity of taking a blank room and making it look interesting. After working with Cristina, my husband and I are excited and clear about what we want and how we’re going to do it. Such a boost to both of us and we only spent an hour with Cristina.

We solved our pain point for the awkward layout and our aesthetics problem of feeling like our house was looking boring and more traditional than we want it to. And bigger than that, we’re actually excited about updating our house.”

—Kristen

I think we have ideas of what hosting is supposed to look like. Candlelight, cocktails, food served on fancy plates, the perfect hosting outfit that’s both elegant and effortless. Maybe you’ve even thrown one of these yourself. Maybe you spent the whole day shoving your stuff into closets and stressing yourself into such a state that by the time guests arrived you were sweaty, cranky, and in no mood for a party. I know I have.

But I believe that your home should feel like you and support your real, everyday life. And the gatherings you host should too.

My friend Kiana throws the best game nights. As someone who purposely avoids games and large groups, I still somehow always end up laughing so hard and finding such a release. My friend Virginia is a professional community builder and advocate, her events are purpose-driven and meaningful. They are so good at what they do! But that is not me.

I like small, intimate gatherings. Deep conversations. Home cooked food. So that is what I set out to create when I decided to start hosting more.

Here are some things that have made these brunches feel more like me.

The invitation

I mailed the invitations. I know Partiful is more efficient, but there was something so nostalgic about putting letters in the mail, even if we live in the same city. I drew a picture of our dining room (above) and handwrote my “why”:

Dear friend,

I want Mara to know you, and I want you to get know her - she’s changing every day - but she can’t do late nights out (yet!).

Since becoming a mom I’ve been trying to figure out how to see friends during Mara’s waking hours so this year I’m gonna be hosting brunch on Sundays in my home, and you’re invited.

My goal is to keep this casual and doable, not fancy and perfect. Sometimes I’ll cook a full English breakfast, sometimes it’ll just be bagels. It’s not the food that’s important, it’s the company and the ritual.

Every month I draw a new little illustration of our home for the invitation, just as a creative exercise for myself. And now I send a Partiful to gather rsvp’s. I always invite the same people, and even though most of them didn’t know each other when we began, it’s been really touching to see friendships develop and deepen with each brunch.

Are hand written invitations and illustrations necessary for hosting? Absolutely not! I do it because I like it and that feels like me.

The prompt

My goal was for my friends to see and know my daughter as she grows and changes. I’m already excited for the next brunch where she’ll get to share what she learned in the last month: how to walk! In this spirit, I have a prompt that I ask every guest to answer each month:

What’s something new you learned in the last month?

It can be anything - a new cooking skill, a fun New York fact, a personal growth, history trivia, anything!

I’ve learned so many interesting things from these conversations that I never would have known had it not been for the prompt. And you may be thinking “I just wanna be a chill host. I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable or do anything they don’t want to do.” But in Priya Parker’s the Art of Gathering I learned that guests actually thrive when you give them guidelines. And I’ve absolutely found this to be true.

The prep

There’s an ad that’s been going around in which a hostess is racing around her home dusting the baseboards, panic-vacuuming, icing a cake, and putting on a dress and heels before her friends arrive, and then telling them “it was nothing.” This is the opposite of what I’m going for. To me, panic-cleaning is out. Comfort-hosting is in.

I want to cook some good food (or order in if I’m not in the mood) and just let my home be. One unexpectedly wonderful side effect of doing this every month is that now my friends know where the cups are, they can help themselves to things, I designated a friend to pour tea and coffee once and now she does it every month. Someone suggested we all wear pajamas one month, and I love that idea. It’s low-stress and high reward. This is what I want my hosting to be.

But this is just what works for me!

You might be thinking “sounds like a snooze” - it’s just what I needed for the life stage I’m in right now. I know we can feel tempted to think we should have a big dining table and we should host people in a certain way and our house should be perfectly done before we invite anyone over. Respectfully, I disagree.

Much like designing a home that feels like you, I think designing an event to host in your home shares many of the same steps. Reflecting on what you need, what’s realistic for your daily life, what serves you in the life stage you’re in right now. And doing it in a way that feels like you.

I’d love to hear in the comments what you’ve hosted that felt just like you!

Leave a comment

— Cristina

Want my design help with your home?

• Book a Design Consultation for 30 or 60 minutes. Show me your space, ask me your questions, get personal design advice.

• Get a Personal Shopping Guide. We’ll work with what you already have and incorporate a few new key pieces to finally complete your room. Send me a message if you’re interested.

And if you’re not ready to work with me just yet, I have a free video series for you and in this episode I share how to make your home feel better.

What clients are saying:

“You helped me have the confidence to keep on going and to trust my gut. I feel better moving forward now. I’m glad I’m on the right track in realizing my mixed style. ”

—Brian

We have a tendency to create all sorts of barriers before we invite people into our homes - a bigger dining table, a spotless home, a new sofa, art on the Big Blank Walls. But the greatest barrier in my experience is just building up the hosting muscle. Without that, every event feels like such a big lift. But once you do it, over and over and over, a 28-person party feels like no big deal.

I can say this because I did it. Last weekend I hosted a 28-person party in my small New York apartment - with 3 days notice. (It was meant to be a picnic in the park, but rain made that an impossibility).

I didn’t have seats for everyone, I didn’t have a spotless home, I didn’t get around to finishing any of the home projects first. And no one cared!

But I didn’t arrive here all at once. I’ve been unknowingly building up to this moment all year. Last year I was also someone who said I “want to host more.” I’d host dinner parties here and there, but they were few and far between and always threw me into a tizzy trying to prep.

That shifted when I had a baby. Late night dinners and drinks out with friends became harder to manage, but it was important to me that I maintain my friendships, and that my friends get to know my daughter.

Just like I believe in creating a home that feels like you and supports your life, I believe the way you host should too.

I read Priya Parker’s Art of Gathering when I was planning my wedding and I use her advice to this day. She says most people are concerned with the “what” and the “how” of hosting, what to serve, how to decorate. Priya recommends focusing on the “why,” and letting that drive everything else.

My why: to build community around my daughter and I in this new phase of life. She’s changing so rapidly that it needed to happen with some regularity. So I decided to host weekly brunches, inspired by Samin Nosrat’s Monday dinners. Daytime events at home felt much more accessible than late nights out. If you’re thinking, “weekly? Cristina that’s a crazy undertaking for a new mom” so were my friends, they convinced me to stick to monthly. Since then, the first Sunday of every month has been monthly brunch day.

Everyone who attends says it’s something they look forward to all month, a reprieve and comfort in hard times. An unexpected outcome given I started hosting these for my own needs, and especially since many of these people didn’t know each other before we began.

Next week I’ll share more of the “what” and the “how” to these monthly brunches, but for now I just wanted to share that if you want to start entertaining more, you can do it. Now. Before you “finish” your entire home.

Start today, by asking yourself “why?” Why do you want to host? What do you need right now? Chances are high that someone else in your life needs it too.

— Cristina

Want my design help with your home?

• Book a Design Consultation for 30 or 60 minutes. Show me your space, ask me your questions, get personal design advice.

• Get a Personal Shopping Guide. We’ll work with what you already have and incorporate a few new key pieces to finally complete your room. Send me a message if you’re interested.

And if you’re not ready to work with me just yet, I have a free video series for you and in this episode is all about making your home office less office-y.

What clients are saying:

“I feel like my living room has been in a directionless spiral and after just 1 hour of chatting, I have such clear direction and an incredible vision thanks to you. I feel excited about my space again and am really looking forward to the process of putting together my room with your ideas.”

— Tonya

Standing desks. And tattered office chairs.

The standing desks that were panic-purchased in 2020, with the best of intentions. And office chairs that may have looked nice to begin with, but have well and truly deteriorated beyond recognition. Maybe you have one?

Many of us clock more hours sitting at these each day than we do on our sofas or dining tables (furniture we actually like).

If you’re eyeing your desk with disdain, here are some home office alternatives for you. Today I’m starting with the desk as our anchor piece, but if you’re interested in this topic then I can continue this series next week. I’ll share links to examples below (that can also work as dining tables!) but first, we must always start here…

Where to start

I always start with function. How do you need your desk to function? Do you work best with plenty of surface area to spread out on? Do you work on a laptop, and require minimal desk space? Do you have any work-specific needs, like multiple monitors or storage space? How do you tend to sit? How often do you tend to stand?

I’ll go first: I work on a desktop with a large monitor (which I need to run my 3D imaging software to create your home renderings). But besides the keyboard, mouse, and a notebook, I don’t use much surface area. I usually sit with my legs tucked up under me in my seat. I need storage for samples (paint, rugs, wallpaper etc) which I store in a dresser in another room.

Don’t neglect these questions in favor of aesthetics! That will just lead to a desk that winds up unused in favor of another spot in your home, or in the donation pile in a year.

How I shop for home office furniture

I like to treat the home office just as you would your living room (this is especially important when the home office is in the living room or bedroom). To that end, I recommend choosing a desk, lighting, and art that feel home-y, feel like you, and feel decidedly not like office furniture. If you could picture it in a traditional office setting - skip it.

What to watch out for

I avoid desks that come in traditional office-y finishes, such as:

• fake wood veneer

• vinyl

• metal finishes that feel cheap (especially in black, grey, or white)

And I try to avoid typical office furniture shapes. For example:

What to look for instead

I personally would recommend looking at your local antique mall for:

• old dining tables

• deep console tables

• vintage game tables

• bistro tables

• work tables

• trestle tables

• sewing tables (that’s what I work on)

If you don’t have access to antique malls or thrift stores locally then the list above can serve as your keyword search terms online.

I love the details you get with older furniture, like a turned wood leg or a scalloped edge, that make a piece feel special and expensive (even when it’s thrifted). They bring in interesting shapes and materials like real solid wood, iron, and marble.

Bonus points if the materials are worn in, I just prefer the look and feel of old furniture. It feels visually and materially weighty in a way that new office furniture simply doesn’t!

An old, heavy desk can also help visually balance out unavoidable new items like computer monitors and ergonomic office chairs.

Important to note

When looking for a table to use as your desk, pay close attention to the height of the table and the seat height of your desk chair.

Another measurement to pay attention to is the width of the desk’s opening, you’ll want to make sure your chair can fit under the desk.

Double checking the dimensions before you buy anything will cut own on mistake purchases - like buying a table that’s so high it makes you feel like a 5-year old at the big kid table.

The average desk is 28-30” high, and the average desk chair’s seat height is 16-21” high. But be warned, these averages may not work for your body. I’m 5’ tall, so my feet dangle when I sit on an “average” height chair. No matter what, find a chair and desk combo that feels good for your body. Comfort and function first, always.

To get you started, I’ve gathered a vintage desk for each of the 5 styles on my style quiz - for the same or less than you’d spend at West Elm. I’ve chosen multi-use pieces which always makes me feel better about investing. And before you shop - don’t forget to ask yourself the function questions at the top!

Vintage Salon

My own desk (above) is an old sewing machine table and I often see them at antique malls, vintage bistro tables provide a similar feel with the iron base. In a pinch you can even buy a new bistro table with a heavy iron base and a marble top very affordably at your local restaurant supply store.

Another material I love is burlwood (below) because it mixes so well with other woods and materials.

And when I’m investing in any furniture piece I like to choose one that can work in a variety of ways in this and future homes - this burl wood table can be a desk, a big dining table, and the removable leaf even makes it ideal for small spaces.

Museum Bookstore

This demilune executive desk has both midcentury and art deco influences and is the kind of desk you’d place in the center of the room. At 87” wide and 45” deep this desk’s a behemoth that would really add visual impact to a room - at a good price given its scale and unique shape.

Pop Arcade

This Milo Baughman expandable dining table is another investment piece that could work in various ways in this and future homes. For chrome finishes, a modern Pop Arcade sensibility, and a large work surface at a much lower price point, look here.

Curated Loft

This 1920’s library table is another multi-use piece that can be folded for this narrow, console shape or opened into a dining table size. It has special vintage details like metal claw feet, visually interesting legs and a wood inlay top.

Pottery Studio

Whether you’re looking for a desk or a dining table I have your bases covered today. This Spanish style refectory table starts at about 5’ wide but can extend to 103” by adding 3 extendable leaves.

If you’re a paid subscriber then you should have received a special note from me about our first live video call and a form to submit your home design questions to be featured here in the newsletter. I can’t wait to meet with you!

— Cristina

Want my design help with your home?

• Book a Design Consultation for 30 or 60 minutes. Show me your space, ask me your questions, get personal design advice.

• Get a Personal Shopping Guide. We’ll work with what you already have and incorporate a few new key pieces to finally complete your room. Send me a message if you’re interested.

And if you’re not ready to work with me just yet, I have a free video series for you and in this episode I share more tips to make your home office feel less office-y.

What clients are saying:

“You helped me have the confidence to keep on going and to trust my gut. I feel better moving forward now. I’m glad I’m on the right track in realizing my mixed style. ”

—Brian

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But what makes taste good or bad anyway? Of course it’s all subjective, and often heavily driven by marketing with the goal to sell you more stuff (which is probably why 60% of you told me you’re over trends and find them confusing to your personal style in my 2025 reader survey).

For some people, deciphering your “personal style” can feel too hard to pin down, like it’s constantly changing depending on what the algorithms serve you. For that reason, asking yourself “is this my personal style or not” can get in the way of making real decisions in your home.

Let’s say you want to bring more color into your home. You’re over the neutrals, you want more personality, your personality. You might ask yourself, is this shade of green my personal style? What if my personal style changes, will I get tired of this color in a year? Do I really like this, or have I just seen it on Instagram so much that I think I like it?

A spiral of questions that you could journey around and around forever, never making a final decision. I know, because I see it in my clients. And I do it too!

What if it didn’t have to be that way? No self doubt, no second guessing.

When you’re trying to make a decision in your home, doing it based on “personal style” may just feel too vague for some; too ephemeral, too fleeting.

If this is you, I suggest replacing the phrase “personal style” with these 3 words instead: point of view. Why?

Because your point of view is singular. It’s informed by your life,

• where you grew up

• what you like to do in your free time

• that texture you can’t stand the feel of

• the home feature you thought was ~fancy~ as a kid

• the small detail you get obsessive over

• the home in your favorite book or movie

• the hotel lobby from your most memorable trip

• the way you prioritize spending your money

• the couch your grandparents had

All of this (and more) makes up your point of view. So that when you’re making a decision in your home it’s coming from somewhere more deeply rooted than the influencer who told you to buy it this week.

I’ll share an example from my home.

My dining chairs are a combination of things I bought in my 20’s and chairs I got for free from someone who was moving. They do the job, but they’re not my forever chairs.

My parents’ dining chairs are Chinese cherrywood chairs, the kind with the plastic covered silk cushions. I remember the agonizing wait at the furniture store when my parents were shopping for them (“are we done yet??”). I remember countless family dinners sitting on them. Lying prostrate across them after big Thanksgivings. The lemony scent of the oil we used to polish them. I know that one day, I will invest in dining chairs inspired by them. One day I may even inherit the chairs themselves. So I’m in no rush. I browse Chairish and Facebook Marketplace from time to time, keeping an eye out at vintage stores for chairs with similar shapes, interesting proportions, or designs inspired by those classics.

I’m waiting for the right chairs to come along. My forever chairs. And when they do, it won’t be because they were trending, or part of a new marketing campaign. It will be because they fit my point of view.

I find that when I make decisions from my own POV, it’s with a sense of certainty. It feels grounded, solid. With none of that questioning, spiraling, second guessing. When I make purchases this way, I really don’t care if anyone else thinks it’s good or bad taste. It’s just my point of view!

What’s yours? I’d love to hear about a decision you’ve made in your home purely from your point of view, either in the comments or send me a reply.

I hope these 3 words can serve as a helpful reframe.

— Cristina

Want my design help with your home?

• Book a Design Consultation for 30 or 60 minutes. Show me your space, ask me your questions, get personal design advice.

• Get a Personal Shopping Guide. We’ll work with what you already have and incorporate a few new key pieces to finally complete your room. Send me a message if you’re interested.

And if you’re not ready to work with me just yet, I have a free video series for you and in this episode I talk about how to move beyond Pinterest.

What clients are saying:

“Oh my goodness - before we met, my husband and I were so overwhelmed and bummed out by the enormity of taking a blank room and making it look interesting. After working with Cristina, my husband and I are excited and clear about what we want and how we're going to do it. Such a boost to both of us and we only spent an hour with Cristina.

We solved our pain point for the awkward layout and our aesthetics problem of feeling like our house was looking boring and more traditional than we want it to. And bigger than that, we're actually excited about updating our house.”

—Kristen

I talked at length about the concept of scale last week, and today I’m going to show you some examples from my home of pieces I bought because of their scale.

And I’m going to add another layer to that: visual interest.

What I mean when I say scale is that a piece fills the space. Typically I go as wide, as high, as big as I can with a piece. But not always. Sometimes it can be visually interesting to go too small, which creates negative space. For example hanging a tiny piece of art hung asymmetrically on a Big Blank Wall. That creates visual interest.

Visual interest can also come from a sculptural or asymmetrical shape, from color, from texture. It’s what sets a piece apart from everything you’ve seen before. And if you want to make your home feel personal, that’s important. As with all things to do with style, what is visually interesting to you is personal. It’s subjective. Which means if it’s visually interesting to you, you can’t get this wrong!

So here are some pieces I chose for my home because of their scale, and what I found visually interesting about them. In many cases, these were simply the largest piece I could find for the price. Many were budget-friendly, a few special finds were not. But ultimately I’d rather invest in one large piece that I love than buy several smaller pieces that are just okay. My motto is fewer, better pieces.

Not only does this cut down on visual clutter, but I also just find it easier. Much like my Elementary approach to expressing your style, finding one big piece to fill a spot in your home to me is the Elementary route - the fastest, easiest approach.

I chose this circular canvas because it was so large, 40” for less than $130 (even cheaper than I could find a blank canvas) and not your usual square or rectangle. I didn’t like the art, so I just painted it a solid color.

Red at first, which brought energy and contrast to my living room. But when I brought a new sofa into the room that was packed with contrast, suddenly the red felt too loud, so I painted it a soothing green. Because now that feels visually interesting to me.

You saw these shelves last week but their key selling point was their bang for your buck. Floor to ceiling height, at an Ikea price. Because this is meant for closet storage, the slanted shelves are made to store shoes. The slant makes them perfect for displaying book covers and records - visual interest.

As you probably know if you’ve ever shopped for lighting before, lighting can be very, very expensive! And big lighting is even more expensive. So that is why I picked this parasol light fixture, again, for the scale.

It’s over 3’ wide! And $124. You honestly can’t beat the price, I’ve tried.

The raffia material made it relatively affordable and introduced a new texture. The contrast of the black and tan stripes is obviously something I can’t resist, my eye finds it interesting.

Before I had the parasol, I had hung a mobile in its spot. This mobile is over 4 feet wide and its color, shape and movement give it visual interest. I’ve used mobiles in spots where I wanted the focal point of a light fixture but didn’t want to deal with electrical.

I chose this coffee table because it was so wide, filling the space in front of my sofa. The very low height made it visually interesting to me. It’s an old Japanese work table from the 1860’s, worn and aged - this too, made it feel special (alt vintage and this feels similar). An added bonus is that this means it doesn’t feel too precious, I sit on it, stand on it, my daughter crawls all over it. It fits our life.

I bought this dream light years ago because it spanned the floor to the ceiling. Unmatched visual scale for a lamp! And while paper lanterns are now feeling ubiquitous, this one still feels unique to me.

I thrifted this large, framed Monet print for less than $200 purely because of its size at over 5’ tall. As you may be able to tell, this impressionist painting was a bit of a departure for me. But I figured for the size of the frame alone it made sense to buy it and I could replace the art later if I really wanted to. I’m so glad I didn’t because 5 years later I finally had the perfect spot for it: our nursery. My daughter loves staring at it!

I bought this gold frame at an antique store many years ago without knowing where it would go or what it would frame. I just knew I’d never seen a gold frame so large for the price (less than $150). I even love that it’s chipped, I really don’t like when gold things look too shiny and new. Things that are visibly aged are just more interesting to me. For years it remained empty, until last year I covered a foam board with a canvas drop cloth and turned it into a pinboard for my home office. Now I get to stare at it while I work.

And if you’re curious to learn more about my shopping process, I’ve shared my method for budgeting and investing here and here.

Perhaps you’ve picked up on some common features that pique my visual interest - contrast (the tension between light and dark), sculptural shapes, aged materials. Maybe none of that floats your boat, and that’s okay! What I do think can be helpful is to start reflecting on what you are drawn to over and over again. What is visually interesting to your eye?

Maybe it’s a certain color combination, or a certain material like chrome or natural stone. I hope this glimpse into how and why I make my purchase decisions helps you gain clarity in your own!

— Cristina

Want my design help with your home?

• Book a Design Consultation for 30 or 60 minutes. Show me your space, ask me your questions, get personal design advice.

• Get a Personal Shopping Guide. We’ll work with what you already have and incorporate a few new key pieces to finally complete your room. Send me a message if you’re interested.

And if you’re not ready to work with me just yet, I have a free video series for you and in this episode I talk about how to make big purchase decisions (and cut down on visual clutter).

What clients are saying:

“I am so blown away by everything. You really nailed it. I love it all and some of the pieces take me out of my comfort zone (i never do stripes but excited to try them out with the curtains!).”

—Sarah

When I was in high school most people were at the mall, I was at Ikea. And as I shared last week, when I moved to Australia after college I felt so desperately homesick that I’d spend my lunch breaks, you guessed it, at Ikea. Because it was the only thing that felt exactly the same as it did back home.

So I’m not an interior designer who’s above using Ikea. But the thing about Ikea is that it can look… so identifiably Ikea. And as you know by now, I want your home to look and feel like you.

So today I’m sharing how I like to make Ikea look less Ikea-y. And to keep it very simple today, I’m just going to cover one concept: scale. A principle so important that once you master it you can use it on every single purchase you make for your home, no matter where you shop or what you’re shopping for.

SCALE

I believe one of the most important elements to making a room feel more *expensive* is scale. It’s what I always talk about when I talk about Big Blank Walls, and it’s also the best way to avoid visual clutter.

Use scale to your advantage by going as wide as you can or as high as you can with your Ikea pieces, this makes them feel more like a bespoke, built-in piece than an affordable afterthought.

Case in point, the shelves in my dining room. These are Elvarli shoe shelves, meant for a modular closet. I used them to create a dining area in the long, undefined, open space that includes my entryway, living room and kitchen. Before these shelves, my dining table felt like it was floating in space (which tends to happen in open concept rooms).

What makes these shelves feel more like a built-in feature is the fact that they stretch from floor to ceiling. This sets them apart from 99.9% of the book shelves you see on the market. Here, I’ll show you.

Here’s an AI-generated look at what standard height bookshelves would look like in my dining area. It’s fine. But in my opinion this doesn’t feel as anchored or make the statement that floor-to-ceiling shelves do.

Now what if we just went with taller bookshelves, would that fix it?

It’s a bit better, but I still feel that this is missing that visual impact you lose by not filling the height of the wall fully. What do you think?

Next we’re going to look at using scale to fill the width of your walls.

Another great example of scale is Zoe Brown’s use of the Ivar cabinet. One single cabinet would not have created this statement, the fact that the cabinets fill most of the width of the wall gives it scale. Can you spot one more excellent use of scale here? Yes, it’s the art. I’d guess that photo is at least 40” tall, and it fills most of the height of that Big Blank Wall. Bravo.

Here we have the same Ivar cabinets, this time stacked one on top of the other to create height. The fact that it’s wall-mounted gives it even more height, and the floating effect feels built-in. The width perfectly fills this narrow section of wall, acing the scale. A few well-placed items on top make it feel complete.

The same can be said for using several of these Hyllis outdoor shelves in a row. One shelf would feel visually light, especially with this light metal material and the narrow legs. Fill the shelf with many small, visually light things and you’ve got a recipe for visual clutter. But several shelves create scale, more visual weight. Fill an entire wall (or at least most of the wall) and you have a real statement that feels intentional, and expensive (these shelves are $23 by the way).

Another go-to Ikea piece for me is the Mosslanda picture ledge. I used them in my Austin loft and again here in my nursery. I know a lot of stores sell picture ledges, but what’s so great about this one is that it’s over 45” wide. And I like to hang them double wide and at least four high to fully fill a Big Blank Wall. We’re talking over 7' wide and 5’ high, I dare you to find a piece of art that size for less than $160. These shelves are $19.99 each. I’ll say it just one more time to really drive it home, if you have ever hung a few small picture ledges on your wall and felt underwhelmed, I’d bet the issue was scale.

To make these feel less Ikea-y we (aka my husband) primed and painted these in a non-Ikea color - the Ivar cabinets in the two examples above were painted non-Ikea colors too. I think matching the shelves to the wall color goes one extra step to make them feel built-in. Here’s one more example of Ivar cabinets, also painted to match the wall color.

No matter where I’m shopping, whether it’s Ikea, 1st Dibs or Facebook marketplace, scale is a key element I’m looking for. So if you’re having trouble choosing from the 4,593,079 search results on Google, you can rule a lot of them out by simply prioritizing scale. And if this still doesn’t feel clear, don’t worry. Next week I’ll show you exactly what I mean.

— Cristina

Want my design help with your home?

• Book a Design Consultation for 30 or 60 minutes. Show me your space, ask me your questions, get personal design advice.

• Get a Personal Shopping Guide. We’ll work with what you already have and incorporate a few new key pieces to finally complete your room. Send me a message if you’re interested.

Curious about trying a Design Consultation? Here’s what you can expect. And if you have any questions I didn’t cover, just send me an email!

What clients are saying

“Cristina helped me understand an easier path to get to what I’m looking for. She was very prepared ahead of time with ideas so I felt like we got the full use of the time together. I also appreciated the willingness to tackle my second priority with only a little time left - Cristina had a ton of ideas in that time.”

—Cathy

Living in an apartment with Ikea furniture and very few belongings, everything felt unfamiliar, unsettled, and I ached with homesickness. I can still smell the Ajax spray I used to scrub that place clean, and hear the Skype dial tone of early-morning calls home. (The year was 2008, the time difference was 16 hours, the technology was a corded telephone plugged into my computer with a USB adapter).

During my years living in Sydney I formed vivid memories in the homes of the people who generously welcomed me in. A dinner party with an older couple living in a renovated biscuit factory. The old terrace home of a family I babysat for. Weekends spent at a simple country home in the bush. Many long nights at the home of an artist with a penchant for antiques.

Homes they’d been forming for years, decades. Filled with things collected over time, proof of life. Spaces that had been shaped and molded to fit them like a glove. Set in stark contrast to my apartment, where everything still felt new and not quite mine. Those homes weren’t even my style but oh how I coveted what they had. Homes that felt like home.

In the design industry there’s a lot of emphasis placed on updating homes to feel new. Updating kitchen cabinets. Updating floors. Updating light fixtures. It can be an expensive exercise, and for what?

Is the goal really to live in a home that looks like it was built yesterday? For some people, maybe. But not for me.

For me, my goal has always been to design homes that feel just like the people living in them. Homes shaped over time, that actually feel older. That give people the feeling of coming home that my 21-year old self craved, one so visceral I can still feel it today.

So how do you create that feeling if you’ve just moved in to a new home? Whether it’s your first apartment on your own or you’re upsizing for a new family or downsizing after a break up. Or if you live in a new build white box with no architectural features to speak of?

These are the things I would go back and tell my 21-year old self to make that Ikea apartment feel more personal, if I could. Small things I do in my home now that I think help make a space look older, lived in, and more personal: proof of life.

Layers

If you’ve ever had the feeling that your room “doesn’t feel finished,” it might be missing a layer. For example, if you have a piece of art on a shelf or a mantel, I consider that to be the first layer. Then I like to add another frame leaning against it, in front of it. And in front of that, a book or object (see above). These layers create depth and are an opportunity for personal touches.

Photos tucked into corners

One of my favorite ways to showcase photos of family and friends is to tuck them into the corners of mirrors or picture frames. It’s much lower lift than having to find frames for every photo, and it somehow feels more personal. See the polaroid I have tucked into my black frame above. Also the photo of my grandparents on their wedding day.

An unexpected piece of art

You may have your Big Blank Walls filled but there’s something so personal about a small framed piece of art in an unexpected place. In my current apartment I hung one above my stove. Another favorite spot is over a doorway.

Books

Books immediately add a layer of coziness to a space. But this tip is only aimed at readers, I wouldn’t recommend buying books for the sole purpose of styling your coffee table. For an additional level of coziness, I find most of my books secondhand.

Old furniture

A fast-track to making your home feel older if it has no architectural features. Genuinely old furniture, complete with dings and scratches, helps add some weight to a room that shiny new things just don’t in my opinion. That’s why my work desk is an old sewing table, I think it makes my home office feel less office-y.

Old picture frames

Same goes for old frames, I prefer to thrift frames because I personally prefer the look of old chipped wood over shiny new plastic. I also think old frames make new art prints or posters look more expensive.

A collection

This is a fast-track to the personal. A collection is something you love so much you can’t help but keep buying it, over and over again over a period of years maybe decades. Your friends and family may even have started contributing to your collection by now, associating you with your special interest. Animal figurines, egg cups, vintage maps, whatever has captured your fancy. For me, it’s teacups and saucers, hotel plates, and vintage silverware.

Give your collection pride of place in your home. It may help to think of the way your favorite boutique displays their merchandise, or a museum exhibition. A beautiful bowl for your matchbooks set on your entry table, a flower vase for your wooden spoons on the kitchen counter. For an extra special touch, spotlight your collection with a lamp or picture light.

I hope you enjoyed my digital camera photos and blast from the past as much as I did this week. We’ve come a long way, thankfully.

— Cristina

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