The Curated Home: How an intentional design sets the stage at our home upstate

High quality design often aims to fulfill several goals: beauty, comfort, functionality, timelessness, and telling stories of the people with whom they are designed. Generally speaking, I agree with this approach. 

For me, two additional factors are significant to the home that I curate for our family. 

First, the selected materials and details both in design and styling must be inspirational. I view curating furniture, books, antiques, art, color, etc. as opportunities. These opportunities include educating, enriching, raising self-awareness and an understanding of the world. This intentional approach to design  presents opportunities to ignite lifelong passions, to think outside the box or become more open-minded. 

Second, I care very much about making sustainable decisions. This might include selecting FSC-certified flooring with low emissions, sourcing an antique wool rug to avoid contacts with microfibers and off-gassing, or utilizing existing objects such as antiques to reduce waste.

Raising children, I am hyper-cognizant of the design decisions that we make here. I carefully consider how to create positive energy, to integrate stories into our spaces. I contemplate what might bring joy and happiness into our home. I aim for our home to not only showcase itself as an extension of who we are, but who we strive to become. Design decisions might include light, material, and color to achieve this intentional feel. Deciding what to cook, or what to leave out on a table, whether it be an arrangement of flowers or a child’s art project, also necessitate thoughtfulness and intentionality.

A final point to make here is that this level of thoughtfulness and intentionality does not mean perfection. This approach embraces the imperfection. Just as I was exposed from a young age, I hope that the “unfinished” parts of our home ignite a curiosity about those spaces, and perhaps a level of excitement as they watch through the lens of transformation. Better yet, I love including the kids in helping, and in making design decisions. “What color should this be? What should go over here? Here’s a paintbrush. This is how you do xyz.”

Allowing our children, our spouses, our roommates, and friends to be part of the process with us instills pride, a sense of ownership and investment. And with our kids, we hope it instills a bit of grit as well.