Home By Design

Home By Design As a designer of 30+ years, I have seen exciting new trends come and go.

While comfortable working in all design styles, I tend to gravitate toward timeless, classic design that offers a sense of cozy, comfortable living.

I’ve always been intentional in teaching my girls two important arts:Screen free entertainment The joy of thrifting/fora...
06/15/2026

I’ve always been intentional in teaching my girls two important arts:
Screen free entertainment
The joy of thrifting/foraging

And lately that means going back to playing Mahjong. We were gifted these two sets decades ago while in China, and both hold precious memories. I realized recently they have always been closed in boxes when I’ve shared on here- proving you never know what’s behind closed doors (or under box lids 😉).

Kela and I have been toying with the idea of learning American Mahjong, but to be honest the thought terrifies me! 😅 I still don’t completely understand/remember what I’m doing playing Chinese Mahjong; I don’t know if I have enough brain cells left at my age to try to start over learning another version! Do you play???

As far as the shells go…I’m going to just put it out there. I’m a shell hoarder. My collection is out of control. I have bin after bin after bin after bin. I will have to share in stories if you promise not to judge. And…yes. Of course I will continue to collect more. 🤷🏼‍♀️What’s a girl to do? They are AWE-INSPIRING and FREE!!!

🀄️Mahjong | Family Game Night | Slow Summer Living | Foraging Decor | Chinoiserie Style | Regency Period | Nancy Meyers | Traditional Home Style | Coffee Table Styling | Thrifted and Styled

Are you in the mood for a little RED, WHITE, & BLUE?Summer is full of traditions over here, and we always kick things of...
06/08/2026

Are you in the mood for a little RED, WHITE, & BLUE?
Summer is full of traditions over here, and we always kick things off with a little patriotic decorating to commemorate our hard fought freedoms.
Dave was born on the 4th of July, so we have more than one reason to celebrate! (He’s a little shy of the 250th year marker, although some days he may try to say he feels close!)
Now that the stage is set, it’s time to start planning his favorite part (OK, he’s not alone on this one)…
WHAT’S FOR DESSERT??? Do you have any favorites to pass along?

Timeless Style | Decorating Layers | Traditional Home | Collected Design Style | Georgian Colonial Home | Nancy Meyers Home | Home That Tells a Story | Ralph Lauren Inspired ,

The truth is it doesn’t matter the size or design style, focusing on these 3 things will help you create the primary sui...
06/01/2026

The truth is it doesn’t matter the size or design style, focusing on these 3 things will help you create the primary suite you’ve been dreaming of.

✨First decide: What vibe do you want to create? Light and airy? Soft and romantic? Dark and moody? Deciding your end goal FIRST will help everything fall into place along the way.

✨You’ll hear it again and again (and again) but it’s true: Remember that using a variety of lighting sources is key to creating inviting spaces, adding depth and coziness. 🔅Fun fact: Our nightstands even light from underneath- the opportunities to set the mood are endless!

✨When space allows, a sofa, settee or a couple chairs can transform a “room for sleeping” into a private sanctuary. (Even simply adding a chair and a lamp in a cozy corner does the trick!) These areas not only add function, but shift the atmosphere, encouraging relaxation and a quiet spot to unwind.

Choose your vibe, set the mood, and offer opportunity- no matter your design preferences, this is a great place to start.♥️

Timeless style | Decorating layers | Bedroom Styling | primary Suite Goals | Traditional Home | Southern Living | Game changing decorating tactics | Design tips

One of the “pleasant dangers” in the design/decorating industry is the constant sourcing. And sometimes…well, things hap...
05/18/2026

One of the “pleasant dangers” in the design/decorating industry is the constant sourcing. And sometimes…well, things happen. I did find the rug I was sourcing and this one somehow ended up in my SUV as well. 🤷🏼‍♀️

It only took a day on FBM to sell my other one, so it is basically free- right? Like an invisible transaction.

📌Design Tip: Rugs are a go to “One and Done” design update hack. Give them credit, they have more impact in a space than you may realize.

Follow along .nc for more A+ design math solutions…with tips and a little inspo for your home on the side. 😉

Timeless style | Decorating layers | Sun Porch Styling | Chinoiserie Chic | Traditional Home | Southern Living | Game changing decorating tactics | Design tips

Home takes time - ENJOY EACH STEP. I am in a “celebrate the small accomplishments” stage of life. Sometimes we can be so...
05/11/2026

Home takes time - ENJOY EACH STEP. I am in a “celebrate the small accomplishments” stage of life. Sometimes we can be so focused on the “big” that isn’t done, out of budget, etc. that we miss the little touches we have added that really deserve more fanfare.

No. The rooms aren’t “done”. They aren’t magazine worthy. But. They HAVE made progress.
A thrifted treasure or two has been added, creating beautiful layers. A few pillows have been sewn. A key is found to open a thrifted cabinet. A collection finally is complete enough to make it on the wall.
Small projects that take time and thinking, more than resources, deserve a little limelight.

Honesty corner: We’ve had these wall brackets forEVER. They have been faithfully sitting on the floor (with another pair you will see eventually) since the day they were thrifted for $15 on FBM. Once I took a look at the mountings on the backs and saw what we were facing, I knew we needed an “extra special” day to tackle hanging them. I don’t know how anyone managed to hang them level - EVER, and probably why they were $15 for the pair! 😂 Three hours of our lives we don’t want to repeat. I need to wait awhile before I mention “wall brackets” again to Dave…

Follow along .nc and celebrate with me the all the little things that make home so special💙

Home is not built in a day | Little home projects | Celebrate the small | Enjoy the little accomplishments | Home tells your story | Decorating layers | Timeless style

Like all good decor stories, this one begins with“And then we went thrifting on a rainy Saturday morning…” There are pro...
05/04/2026

Like all good decor stories, this one begins with
“And then we went thrifting on a rainy Saturday morning…” There are pros and cons to thrifting with your husband. The “pro” here was that he definitely has opinions on what he likes (and doesn’t) and we usually are on the same page! He was the first one to spot this sideboard and pull me over.

We were on an anniversary getaway in Charleston, and let’s just say much rearranging was necessary in order to fit this beauty in the car for the drive home. (That MAY or may not be because of the OTHER thrifted goodies I had to pack in…😁🤷🏼‍♀️)

I have spent the better part of two years playing around with ideas for how I wanted to improve this space and never moved on any of them. It took all of 15 minutes with my husband to literally set everything in motion.😅

I am loving the new layout: moving the sideboard out of the corner and choosing a smaller one so it could be centered between the windows allowed for additional seating and better use of some empty space. (ADDING chairs actually made it feel bigger in here!)

This little sideboard fits our story perfectly and for now I have been playing musical chairs with what I have. Eventually though, I may go thrifting again with my husband and…find those perfect chairs to go along with it. 😉

Creating layers in home decorating | Timeless design style | Chinoiserie | Grand Millennial Style | Traditional Home | Thrifting score | The Thrifted Home | Ming cabinet | Blue and white | Green and white

04/27/2026

We decided to give this wet bar a little attention and it ended up being a lot more involved than what we planned. Isn’t that how it usually works?
We are still considering tearing out the mirrors and adding tile, but honestly there is something about how the reflection the mirrors enlarges the space that I can’t quite let go of. So for now, I decided to paint a dark rich color in the upper area and traded the solid wood French doors for glass paned ones. When the solid doors were closed, this looked more like a closet, and wide open, they covered the flanking builtins. The glass doors allow for the wet bar to be a contributing element to the space- not a detraction.

The inspiration for this little glow up was the new hardware we chose to put throughout our main level. And eventhough these doors caused fits of frustration since they were warped in ways you couldn’t tell until
install, working with was an absolutely seamless experience. The quality y’all ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!
In the end, we can still say we are thankful that this stunning hardware pushed us to make the swap- and yes, we’d do it all over again. Home projects are often full of hiccups but gorgeous finishes make it all worthwhile.

Chambord crystal k***s
Carré backplates/ Timeless bronze

Time period hardware | Old home style | Time period home | Luxury hardware | Grand Millennial Style | Chinoiserie | Timeless home style | Traditional home | Wet bar glow up | Southern Home style | DIY Home Projects

Looking for a unique Mother’s Day gift idea?Truly the easiest and most versatile DIY project (with amazing impact) you c...
04/20/2026

Looking for a unique Mother’s Day gift idea?
Truly the easiest and most versatile DIY project (with amazing impact) you could decide to tackle- NO SEWING SKILLS REQUIRED and the only tool needed is a pair of scissors!
Think of the possibilities! It’s such an easy seasonal refresh and so many fabrics out there are art in and of themselves.

I have so many old designer fabric samples and am in full on creative use mode. I have used them to create frame mats (I shared that in stories awhile back and will share again today) not to mention all sorts of crafts, but this tray idea might be my favorite and l plan on making several of these to give as gifts.
Be sure to share with me if you try this and follow .nc for more home and garden inspiration.🤍

Mother’s Day Gift Idea | Simple no tools home DIY project | DIY tray idea | Repurposed home decor | Creating layers in home decorating | Timeless design style | Chinoiserie | Grand Millennial Style | Traditional Home |

Confession time:Significantly impacted by my Depression-era grandmother, I save/repurpose/reuse EVERYTHING. (Sometimes t...
04/13/2026

Confession time:
Significantly impacted by my Depression-era grandmother, I save/repurpose/reuse EVERYTHING. (Sometimes to the dismay of my husband 😅) My home storage is literally a treasure trove of odds and ends that I see potential in. There is value there- I am always sure of it!

I love finding like-minded friends on this app and was absolutely giddy when reached out and offered fabric remnants from past projects, if she had any I thought I could use. (She also believes nothing should end up in the landfill!)
Hello! YES!!! I’m that person in the store that has to touch everything and there is ZERO possibility that I wouldn’t fall in love with something and find a use!
Well, now my little project ideas are multiplying like bunnies and I am in full on creating mode- stay tuned and be sure to follow .nc for more!

DIY home projects | Simple sewing projects | DIY pillow covers | Repurposed home decor | Creating layers in home decorating | Timeless design style | Chinoiserie | Grand Millennial Style | Traditional Home |

We often fall into the trap that in order to have BIG impact in our spaces we need to do BIG projects and/or renovations...
04/06/2026

We often fall into the trap that in order to have BIG impact in our spaces we need to do BIG projects and/or renovations. However, sometimes the greatest impact can be in the details (and this is a hill I’m willing to die on)!

Hardware can set the tone and be the element that you don’t even realize is pulling your spaces together. It creates continuity and interest (if you give it a chance)!
We realized that our existing hardware did not match the beautiful architecture of our home and that upgrading to something that fit better with our Georgian Colonial would feel more authentic.

Because we were so impressed with our exterior door hardware last year, we decided to work with again and install their stunning Chambord crystal k***s with Carré backplates in their new timeless bronze finish. (Did you know that Grandeur Hardware is completely customizable???)

WOAH. WHAT A DIFFERENCE! I cannot get over the impact. The only person more starry-eyed over these k***s than I am is Dave, who from the moment he started installing them has been crushing on every detail and hasn’t stopped. Just ask him, but be forewarned, you may not get him to stop!

Time period hardware | Old home style | Time period home | Luxury hardware | Grand Millennial Style | Chinoiserie | Timeless home style | Traditional home |

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