I thought today it would be nice to share a few small design details from our home and explain why they matter to us. A house becomes a home when you make thoughtful, personal choices about how you want to live in it. Those choices — small, intentional details — shape how a space feels day to day.
A home that feels special is about more than objects. It’s about the stories, feelings and experiences those objects represent.
Here are seven little design details we love and the story behind each one.
1) Nooks and crannies.
I love the little nooks and unexpected crannies you find in older houses, so when we designed our new kitchen I wanted to bring some of that character back. Display cubbies and dish cabinets give us a sweet place to show off small, meaningful items that might otherwise not have a home. My husband and I are so glad these built-in details were included — they bring a small daily joy and a touch of the charm we’d missed from older homes.
2) Cookbooks on kitchen shelves.
Years ago we remodeled a 1935 English Tudor kitchen and added built-in cookbook shelves in the island. We loved that feature so much we recreated it here. Bookshelves in the kitchen feel cozy and lived-in; they display our favorite cookbooks and add personality. It’s a small detail that transforms the kitchen from merely functional to warmly inviting.
My favorite cookbooks are kept in a dedicated folder and are ones I return to again and again.
3) A place for everything.
Having order and designated places for items brings calm to our home. Caring for your space is part of caring for yourself, so thoughtful storage and organization are worth the effort. We installed some custom cabinets but also used economical drawer organizers to save money while keeping functionality. Baskets are used throughout the house to tuck away less-attractive items — out of sight but still accessible. These practical choices may go unnoticed by guests, but they make daily life easier and more pleasant for us.
We use baskets and small organizers everywhere to keep surfaces tidy and maintain a calm feeling in the rooms where we live most. It’s the combination of visible charm and hidden order that makes our home feel nurtured.
Five kitchen organizers we frequently use:
- Baggie organizers to keep all sizes tidy and easy to find.
- Dedicated dispensers for plastic wrap, foil, wax paper and parchment to avoid clutter.
- An in-drawer knife block to keep blades safe and countertops clear.
- Bamboo dividers in various sizes to corral utensils and small tools.
- Spice jar racks to keep seasonings visible and organized.
4) Charming lighting.
Lighting is an easy way to add character. I love fixtures that feel like they belong to the house — lanterns, simple chandeliers, and wall sconces that suit the style of the room. We picked fixtures that complement our coastal aesthetic: island pendants, a dining room chandelier, an entry lantern, and a living room sconce with a personalized shade. A small star ceiling light brightens a narrow hall. Thoughtful lighting layered across a home creates warmth and personality.
5) A dining room library.
I’ve long dreamed of a dining room library, and adding built-ins to our dining nook finally made it real. It’s not a large library, but it’s meaningful: a place to display favorite design books and to flip through them while sitting on the window bench. Some dreams take time and compromise, but seeing this one come together has been truly rewarding.
Some of my favorite design books occupy those shelves and are a pleasure to browse.
6) Art that tells a story.
Collecting art, vintage pieces and secondhand objects gives our home a narrative. Plates, original art, found objects and inherited items all carry memories. Seeing a plate I’ve owned for years hanging in a new room reminds me of the places we’ve lived and makes me feel rooted. I hang plates with secure hangers and display smaller pieces on easels or stands for variety. Those items connect our present to our past.
7) A welcoming ambience.
Ambience is made up of many small decisions. In cooler months, candlelight is one of my favorite ways to create warmth. Flameless battery candles offer a safe, low-maintenance way to add that glow any time of day. Candles and soft lighting lift dark corners and make rooms feel inviting, whether it’s a quiet morning or a long winter evening.
The simplest, most repeatable pleasures often make a house feel like home.
Some favorite flameless candles we use:
- Ivory pillar battery candle
- Blue taper battery candles
- Rust taper battery candles
- Votive battery candles
- Hexagon battery candles
BONUS: The Christmas tree corner.
This will be our third Christmas in this house. Over the years we’ve learned which corners feel right for special traditions. One corner in our small living room became the tree spot, so we chose a striped chair that’s light enough to move and perfectly scaled for the space. In renovations and furniture shuffles, pieces move to new rooms and find new life, but the small traditions remain.
Year by year we learn more about what makes us feel at home: where the tree fits best, which chair feels most comfortable, which little rituals matter. You don’t get every detail right at once; living in a space is an ongoing experiment that brings small discoveries and satisfaction.
Most of all, it’s the memories made in these corners and through every season that make our home feel so special.