Lonny / Jessica Helgerson
I believe what we truly want in our homes is more style and less stuff. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when choosing how to express our personal style, especially with so many tempting items available. Stores like Target and HomeGoods offer plenty of attractive pieces, and Pinterest is full of DIY ideas that seem inexpensive and doable. But buying more things doesn’t necessarily create more style. In my experience, accumulating stuff rarely leads to the thoughtful, lived-in spaces that feel authentic.
Our homes should be functional, comfortable, and beautiful to us. The problem arises when people assume more belongings will magically transform their space. They bring in lots of items and still feel unsatisfied. The missing piece is often not the right accessories but a clearer sense of what truly reflects their life and values.
Real style and satisfaction in our homes come from reflecting how we live—our routines, memories, and priorities—rather than from random objects. That authenticity is the core of my message: your home should represent your life, not a collection of trends.
Writing books has given me the chance to slow down and articulate what I’ve learned: what I do, why I do it, and why it matters. Organizing my thoughts has been helpful for both myself and for readers who struggle with clutter and decision fatigue.
Studio McGee
Working through these ideas has been a thoughtful journey. Putting processes and lessons on paper has helped me refine what matters in a home I love. It’s been rewarding to share those insights in tangible, visually pleasing books.
This year one of my main goals has been to focus on organization and order and to consider how they influence daily life at home. My house is a work in progress: some areas have improved, others still need attention. Finding what’s authentic takes time and reflection, and that’s okay.
One of the main reasons I started The Inspired Room was to encourage surrounding ourselves with meaningful items and removing random things that don’t inspire us.
From the early days of the blog I’ve emphasized authenticity and why the things we live with matter. That belief still guides me today.
Studio McGee
I know not everyone considers the home as deeply as I do, but I care about it because the state of our home affects us more than we often admit. When thinking about style, people usually focus on coordination, trends, or labels instead of how their environment supports daily life.
By style I mean the authentic way we live at home—not whether we meet the standards of the design world. You don’t need a label or to follow every trend. What matters is recognizing how your surroundings influence your comfort, focus, and joy.
My home reflects who I am because I choose to keep things that matter and let go of what doesn’t. That requires ongoing refinement: removing distractions and keeping pieces that inspire. Style is not a single moment when everything lines up perfectly; it’s an evolving process of making choices that support the life you want to lead.
You don’t arrive at your style by buying the latest accessories; you develop it through reflection and intentional edits. Letting go of excess brings relief and clarity. 
I always feel lighter when I remove items that no longer serve me.
Choose things that inspire you. Aim for fewer possessions with greater meaning—no junk, no tacky decor, just items that matter. Clearing clutter helps you breathe easier and truly appreciate what you love.
I explore this balance between living well and living simply in my book Love The Home You Have, and I expand on practical décor principles in my coffee table book The Inspired Room. In Make Room For What You Love I cover organizing both life and home, helping readers decide what to keep and what to let go of. These topics matter to me because they’ve made a real difference in how I live.
Thank you for being part of this community and for sharing enthusiasm about these ideas and the books. Your support means a great deal to me.
Today, try looking closely at one area of your home and ask why items are there. Are they meaningful and inspiring, or simply left because they’ve always been? Did you place them for a Pinterest-worthy vignette, or do they genuinely resonate with your life? Could you achieve more with less?
Good deep questions to ponder, right?
The last two photos in this post are from Studio McGee—their fresh, approachable style always inspires me. I love showcasing designers whose work feels livable and inviting.