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I’ve always loved being creative. As a child I spent hours in paper stores admiring notepads, pretty pens, coloring books, and stickers. While others played with toys, I wallpapered cardboard boxes for dollhouses, sketched floor plans, and clipped magazine images of houses and color palettes. In high school my favorite subjects were art and calligraphy; science and algebra were less appealing to me.
My first small business as a teenager involved painting strawberries on clothespins and glass jars to sell. Later I ran a scrapbook business with Creative Memories. Over the years creativity became most visible through decorating the homes I lived in.
Today I feel fortunate to spend many days working on creative projects through my work. It’s rewarding and energizing, but a few years ago I wondered if I needed a new hobby since decorating had become my job. I wasn’t sure if I should separate a pastime from my career, so I experimented with small, low-pressure crafts.
Even when I try to stop working for the evening, I often end up doing what I love—tweaking a room or imagining a new vignette. I still love my work as much as I did when it began as a hobby.
Although I don’t consider myself especially crafty, I kept buying supplies for projects I wanted to try: rubber stamps, patterned paper, ribbons, embroidery kits, beads, markers, colored pencils, albums, stickers, glue, washi tape—the list went on. Eventually the clutter grew until my daughter Courtney and I decided to declutter and organize every art supply we owned.
A few years ago Courtney and I went through everything and gave unused items to our church groups and Goodwill. Organizing what we kept—especially in IKEA drawers—made it much easier to actually use our supplies. I used to keep everything “just in case,” but I learned that having less to manage encourages doing the things I enjoy. Now I aim to keep fewer items and spend more time using them.
I share stories about making space for creativity in my book Make Room for What You Love. It’s not just a guide to decluttering and organizing; it’s about creating room in your home and life for what recharges you, being intentional with what you keep, and choosing how you spend your time.
Speaking of making room for what you love, months ago my daughters and I started browsing coloring books in our favorite paper stores. Coloring felt like a perfect, low-stress creative outlet—no major to-do list attached, just a book and a box of colored pencils. We brought several books home and quickly remembered how relaxing and joyful coloring can be.
However, in our house-loving hearts we really wanted coloring pages that reflected homes and rooms. When we couldn’t find what we wanted, we partnered with our publisher to create the coloring book we had imagined: a book for people who love houses, rooms, and all the charming details that make a home feel like home.
Our first coloring book will be released on July 1. We were deeply involved in the creative vision, and the result is delightful. Artist Nicole Dougherty hand-drew charming illustrations and included thoughtful quotes throughout the book. The pages feature houses, rooms, patterns, and plenty of homey motifs to inspire color choices and design ideas.
The pages are one-sided and perforated on high-quality paper, so you can color, frame, or pin them to an inspiration board. Use the book to test color schemes, explore pattern combinations, or simply relax while playing with color.
What appears here is only a small sneak peek from the book. We haven’t received final copies yet, but we look forward to sharing them as soon as they arrive. The cover complements The Inspired Room with a lovely metallic detail and makes the book a great gift or a fun activity for a girls’ night.
After several weeks spent coloring sample pages, I can confirm that coloring is as delightful now as it was in kindergarten—if not more so. It’s a simple, portable, and immediate way to be creative without the pressure of a larger home project.
My hope is that this coloring book encourages you to make room in your life for small, restorative creative acts. Take time to do things you enjoy; it’s important to prioritize activities that refill your energy.
This week I’ll be sharing updates from around the house, including progress on the fireplace, and more thoughts on making space for what matters most in our homes.