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.

If you’re looking for timeless, take it at its word- literally. No one should be able to walk in and date your home…that...
08/31/2026

If you’re looking for timeless, take it at its word- literally. No one should be able to walk in and date your home…that is the goal of timeless, right? Mixing up time-period gems with a splash of contemporary is a formula to keep in mind. BUT…
Getting stuck in any ONE time period can date a trend, however. The key is taking elements without “copying the entire catalog”. Mix in a little Hollywood Regency or Neoclassic with that Regency and Georgian, and don’t shy away from that Mid-century accent that caught your eye. The creation of each of these time-period pieces pulled from the previous periods before them, so the subtle similarities carry while the contrasts create interest.
A timeless home after all, is created by curating a home with a well-represented timeline. 🤎

🍃Looking to create your personal style on a budget? Follow L I S A || HOME BY DESIGN to discover more home tips and how decorating your home beautifully doesn’t have to mean expensive.

Southern Living | Timeless Home Decor | The Collected Home | The Thrifted Home | Mixing Vintage and Antiques | Heirloom Style | Vintage Chic | How your home tells your story | Classic Home Design | The Cozy Home | How to shop vintage

Matching everything from any time period risks the room looking flat. It doesn’t matter if it’s new or a century old…try to mix up that period style!

Personality is developed- not instant. We say “home takes time” and that also means that long timeline should be evident in the furnishings you choose.

Our spaces come alive when there are contrasts and unexpected elements. Don’t be afraid to mix it up a bit!

You don’t need to carry the EXACT color palette from room to room; however, elements should travel for seamless transitions.

Using beautiful textures, patterns, and a cohesive color palette will “connect the dots”. Don’t be afraid to mix up those patterns as well!

Hydrangeas are the gift that keeps on giving- as fall and winter set in, we can move to enjoying them indoors. When they...
08/24/2026

Hydrangeas are the gift that keeps on giving- as fall and winter set in, we can move to enjoying them indoors. When they start turning pink and feel dry and papery, you know it’s time to clip…BUT. This year I wanted to experiment with clipping some a wee bit earlier to see if I could preserve the dark green color without wilting. 🤞🤞🤞Stay Tuned!
Be sure to save this for reference ⬇️
Hydrangeas Preserving Tips:
* Clip stems at a 45° angle: longer stems, longer dry time
* Remove thirsty leaves
* Place in a couple inches of water. If water gets soaked up within hours/ overnight, keep adding water for a couple of days until they stop drinking. Then add water one last time and leave to evaporate
* When petals make a rustling sound, the stems are dry and ready to be arranged. Spray with hairspray to preserve color (if desired)
Come back soon and we’ll see how these progress and how I end up styling them in fall arrangements. Hydrangeas make up a large percentage of my fall florals, along of course with the ever perfect magnolia stems!

🍃Looking to create your personal style on a budget? Follow L I S A || HOME BY DESIGN to discover more home tips and how decorating your home beautifully doesn’t have to mean expensive.

How to preserve hydrangeas | Southern Living | Timeless Home Decor | The Collected Home | The Thrifted Home | Mixing Vintage and Antiques | Heirloom Style | Vintage Chic | How your home tells your story | Classic Home Design | The Cozy Home | Limelight Hydrangeas | Fall Decor | Free Fall Florals


These limelights are in the front of our home in a spot I want to keep at a lower height. This allows me to clip long stems and gives me flexibility to decide stem height later when I add to arrangements.

The flower petals will feel stiff and/or papery and no longer supple, then you know it’s time. Honesty corner: I clip all at once and often some a little earlier than I should- but it’s OK because…

I place in a couple of inches of water and if they are still thirsty and soak it up, I keep adding until they stop drinking (probably about 24 hours if you clip a little early) then leave them in a couple

I heard you. Thrifting can see overwhelming. You don’t know where to start or what to look for. A collected home is all ...
08/17/2026

I heard you. Thrifting can see overwhelming. You don’t know where to start or what to look for. A collected home is all about creating layers, so there really isn’t any wrong or right move here.
My advice? Start small. Don’t feel like you have to consider ALL the things all at once. Think about what you’d like to create.
Start browsing antique shops. Take note of what styles you are drawn to. Take pictures of things you like and create a folder. Ask yourself: What is it I love about this?
Once you delve in and start browsing, your personal taste will start to emerge.

🍃Be sure to follow L I S A || HOME BY DESIGN to discover more home tips and how decorating your home beautifully doesn’t have to be expensive.

Southern Living | Timeless Home Decor | The Collected Home | The Thrifted Home | Mixing Vintage and Antiques | Heirloom Style | Vintage Chic | How your home tells your story | Classic Home Design | The Cozy Home | How to shop vintage


Coffee table, sideboard, or builtins need some interest? Look for books, vessels, sculptures, etc. Only 2 items here were NOT thrifted!

Worried about clutter? Choose things that can have multiple purposes. I love crystal, silver and brass vessels for this reason. (And many more 😅)

Do your walls need a little something? New art? A Gallery to create interest? Look for frames, plates, art, and odds and ends that can get mounted.

If you can sew AT ALL, pillow covers are an inexpensive way to totally transform a space and remnants can be found very inexpensively.
Recovering: The leopard tapestry placemat from my previous post was a set of 4 for $10 and I used one side of one mat so $1.25 in fabric cost!

This is just a fun one. My daughter gave me the umbrella stand as a gift and I had a family heirloom cane so…it just made sense!
PS: the base actually belongs to a different vessel that I chose to bring home more for the base than the actual jar! 😆

For the entry, the only thing that changes seasonally are the florals. And maybe the candy dish. When you like a look, don’t feel like you have to reinvent the wheel every time the season changes.

I have a hard time resi

Are you interested in thrifting for your home but feel overwhelmed with what to look for? Honestly, it can feel a bit mu...
08/10/2026

Are you interested in thrifting for your home but feel overwhelmed with what to look for?
Honestly, it can feel a bit much walking into some warehouse-type malls filled to the brim with treasures. (Especially when you have no idea what you’re going to encounter or if it will even work in your home!)
I always tell people to:
1. Know your measurements (for larger pieces)
2. Have a list of needs (and a list of wants!)
3. Trust what you’re drawn to. If you love it, it will usually work for you. I know what makes my heart sing and will always find a place in my home. Follow that principle.
4. Don’t worry about branding or worldly value- if you love it, it’s valuable. Period.

These treasures I’m sharing are my faves because they can be selected according to your own personal tastes. Thrifting is not a “one size fits all” design formula- that’s the beauty of it. You can, however, know what types of items to look for that will stand the test of time and always have a place. Take that and roll out your own personal style. 💙

🍃Be sure to follow L I S A || HOME BY DESIGN to discover more home tips and how decorating your home doesn’t have to be expensive. And PS: Thrifting is a great hobby!😉

Timeless Home Decor | The Collected Home | The Thrifted Home | Mixing Vintage and Antiques | Heirloom Style | Vintage Chic | How your home tells your story | Classic Home Design | The Cozy Home

SILVER: It’s true. It IS high maintenance. But I can be too, so we’re a match made in heaven. AND: beauty and function almost always meet here.

POTTERY: Porcelain or clay…glazed or not. Any shape, size, or form is a potential new treasure for me!

STOOLS: I admit to my obsession with these. They layer in so beautifully and will ALWAYS. HAVE. A. PLACE.

This fabric was a placemat! 😱 But that’s a thrift search to discuss next time.

Still on the fence about painting this one. It’s OK to let your treasures rest a bit before deciding if a glow-up is necessary.

It took me 2 years to find this lamp. Patience. Patience. It will cross your path.

I currently have 11 thrifted lamps. Am I done lamp shopping? 😅 No.

PLATES: let me count the benefits…
* Instant personality added
* Seasonall

I am in slow seasonal shift mode over here. How about you? Do you shift your decor all at once, or slowly like me? They ...
08/03/2026

I am in slow seasonal shift mode over here. How about you? Do you shift your decor all at once, or slowly like me?
They say the charm of southern living is the slow-paced vibe, so just call me charming. 😉
Unfortunately, I’m faced with starting to pack away my beautiful shell collections and pretty coastal decor. It will mostly disappear by September, but honestly I’m in no hurry. It’s like packing away close friends.
The first things to change in our home are the florals. I take my cues from nature, so you will see a slow seasonal shift in the blooms of the season. The colors deepen, and light and airy turns to warm and cozy.

🍃Be sure to follow L I S A || HOME BY DESIGN to be inspired as we transition from summer to fall simply and naturally.

Summer to Fall decor | Seasonal decorating | My home in season | Augtober | Traditional Home | Southern Living | Southern Homes | Cozy August Home | Timeless Decor Style | Autumn home decorating inspo | Cozy home all year

What is the first thing you do to transition your summer decor to autumn?

Florals are the easiest way to signal a new season is underway

Summer memories go back into storage

My palms will STAY however!!!

Because that is the personality of our home

And not EVERYTHING needs to scream Autumn

Stress free entertaining. Something we all want to master, right?First let me say that I genuinely love to cook. And ear...
07/27/2026

Stress free entertaining. Something we all want to master, right?
First let me say that I genuinely love to cook. And earlier in life we entertained groups weekly. I learned a lot from those days and how I wanted to spend my time while hosting. Bottom line? I want to be present more than I want to present. Know what I mean?
So, I started creating simple meal plans with staples I make sure to always have on hand. That way I can always say “yes” to impromptu gatherings and actually enjoy the company of everyone gathered. Because, after all, truly what matters is the time spent with people, not knocking myself out trying to impress them.
⬇️Be sure to drop me your quick go-to meal solutions so I can add them to my STRESS-FREE ENTERTAINING list.

And don’t forget to click that follow button L I S A || HOME BY DESIGN for more creating home in real life advice.

Dining Alfresco | Outdoor Tablescapes | Quick and Easy Entertaining | Patio Living | Summer Living | Summer Dinner Menu Options | Summer Tablescape Inspo | Stress-free Entertaining | Southern Living at Home

🩵 It’s the time spent around the table that matters most. Remember that.

🍽️ Table scapes don’t have to be extravagant to be pretty. A few staples will carry you from season to season.

🥗 I could live on salad. One of my favorite aspects of summer entertaining is that salads can carry more weight. I take full creative license here. Anything goes and it’s never the same.

📝 Keep what your family enjoys as staples in the pantry/freezer/fridge. Make simple ingredient recipes easy to access.

🍤 I always keep a bag of frozen shrimp in the freezer. ALWAYS.
Warm option: ADD to the recipe above
1/2 c sour cream, 1 cup mozz, 1/2 c parm, & smoked paprika
Sauté shrimp with Cajun seasoning
Blend other ingredients, fold together and bake at 375° for 20 min.

🍥 Salmon is another healthy favorite we keep in the freezer. Simply seasoned, I can then glaze with whatever suits the meal.
Favorite: Honey, garlic, soy sauce, olive oil, red pepper flakes, YUM!

🍦Now for the best part. We bought a Cuisinart ice cream maker in 2016. BEST under $100 investment EVER. We have used it 3x a week for 10 YEARS and still works perf

07/20/2026

We have been keeping a lookout for just the right lighting in our main hall, waiting until the perfect replacements caught our eyes.
Well…they did.
The style…the finish…the construction: ALL 10 out of 10. Dave even commented on how these were the easiest lights he’s installed to date (and that’s saying something)!
If you are looking to update your lighting (they also have AMAZING ceiling fans) I recommend taking a look at what Parrot Uncle has to offer. High quality AND very affordable. They get a standing ovation from us!

| Update your Lighting | Design hack | Designer look for less | Lighting update glow up | Brushed gold lighting fixtures | Hallway and foyer design | Timeless design style | Traditional Home | Southern Living

Summer is a mood lifter for me; a pause between the busy seasons and an opportunity to slow down and breathe deep. I lov...
07/06/2026

Summer is a mood lifter for me; a pause between the busy seasons and an opportunity to slow down and breathe deep.
I love the softness in the textures, the sweet smell on the breeze from the gardens full of blooms-it’s like a full awakening of nature.
The airiness and playfulness of the color palette have me a little lighter on my feet.

The heat? Yes, largely responsible for this slower pace, the heat is a gate keeper giving us no choice but to slow down and be sure to drink it all in. Don’t miss it. Autumn will bring its own joy and beauty, markedly different but in its own time. Enjoy the feast of summer, live in it for the short while it’s here. 🌞

Summer Decorating | Live in the Season | Timeless Summer Vibes | A Collected Home | Southern Living | Southern Style | Forever Home Style | Chinoiserie Chic | Nancy Meyers Summer

Nothing beats a vase of seasonal
blooms; I love bringing the outdoors in

Pretty blue, green and white…a little pop of coral; it’s such a playful vibe

The sunlight just hits differently and the warm golden glow fills my spirit to the brim

Our spaces have permission to get a bit more playful and that lifts the mood

Favorite found treasure collections come out of hiding and a flood of seaside memories join in, bringing warmth and nostalgia

Take a breath, slow down, and enjoy this season we are in.

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