Have you ever walked into a beautiful room and felt slightly uncomfortable, but couldn’t explain exactly why? There can be many different reasons for this. 🤔 Your brain is constantly asking: Where do I look? Where do I move? What do I do here? When a room doesn’t answer those questions clearly, it creates low-grade stress that can leave you feeling drained over time. Let’s take a look at some of the common energy drains I see on a regular basis: - Too much visual noise (patterns, clutter, or colours all fighting for attention) - Harsh or insufficient lighting - A mismatch between the room’s purpose and how it’s actually set up - Furniture that looks good but is uncomfortable or disrupts flow - A colour palette that doesn't support how the room is being utilized All of these factors can raise stress levels because your brain never gets to rest because it’s constantly processing the surroundings. Usually these are spaces where aesthetics were prioritized over function. This is why so many AI-generated rooms might look impressive but still feel oddly empty and lifeless. 💫Thoughtful, human-led design asks different questions: How do you want to feel here? What is this room supporting—focus, rest, connection, recovery? ✅ When a space is working for you, you should feel like: - It reduces decisions - It guides movement - It gives your eyes a place to rest - It makes you feel calmer - It supports your goals 🌸 When design is aligned with your personal priorities and lifestyle goals, your home stops draining your energy and will actually support and recharge you. That’s not magic. That’s intentional design.🕯️ This is the shift we’ll keep exploring here: ✨ From “Does it look good?” ➡️ to “How does it make me feel and function?” Cozy isn’t about buying more, it's about removing friction between you and how you want to feel. Because good design doesn’t just look good, it supports behaviour, mood, and energy and makes life better. 💚

Most people think of sunrooms as “nice to have” spaces, but you might be surprised at all the ways a sunroom can improve your wellbeing. A well-designed sunroom can become one of the most powerful wellness spaces in your home. It can support your mood, your sleep, your focus, your movement, your pets, your family life—and even your home’s energy efficiency. In other words, it’s not just extra square footage. It’s a multiplier for how your home works for you. 🌿 In this lesson, I walk you through: - Why natural light changes how your brain & body function - How a sunroom can become a space for calm, work, fitness, family, or even growing food! - The science-backed benefits of daylight, plants, and nature views - How to think about styling a sunroom based on what you actually need more of in your life Like the rest of your home, designing your sunroom is all about supporting your personal priorities and creating a space that makes your life better. If you’ve ever wished you had a brighter, calmer, room in your home, this lesson is for you.💚

🕯️ I just added a short lesson to the classroom all about hygge—the Danish idea of creating a home that feels safe, calm, and genuinely restorative (not just “nice to look at”). In this lesson, we look at: ✅ How your home can support your nervous system, energy, and mood ✅ Simple, practical ways to make your space feel more grounded and comforting If your home looks fine but doesn’t always feel like it's supporting your wellbeing, this lesson might give you a few ideas to try! 📚 You’ll find it now in the Classroom. I’d love to hear: what’s one small change you want to try to make your home more restorative?

People often misunderstand the term “cozy” and think of it as something as simplistic as lighting a candle or buying some pillows. The reality is that the way your home feels has a big impact on how you function day to day. 🏡 A cozy home helps to support: - Relaxation and emotional regulation - Focus & creativity - Social connections: you feel more comfortable inviting others into your home - Faster recovery from busy or stressful days When your environment feels warm, welcoming and grounding, your brain shifts into relax and recharge mode. That’s why cozy isn’t about trends—it’s about support. 🌿 It’s about: - organic materials and shapes that mimic nature - spaces that support how you actually live and work - textures that feel good to the touch - lighting that doesn’t feel harsh - colours that calm instead of overstimulate - furniture that is functional and comfortable, not just decorative ☕️ The goal of this community is to show you ways you can use design to bring clarity and calm into your home and life. Your home shouldn’t feel draining or overwhelming. We’ll teach you how to turn your home into a sanctuary where you can decompress and recharge and create an environment that supports you and makes your life better. 💚

Since this community is still small, I’d love to get to know you! Please feel free to say hello and share a few details about yourself. 🏡 A few easy ideas (totally optional): • where you call home • what kind of space you’re living in (house, apartment, condo, fixer-upper, etc.) • who you share your space with (kids, pets, roommates, parents, etc.) • one thing you enjoy about your home right now • one space that feels a bit stuck or unfinished 👇I’ll start below and share a little about myself, too. Looking forward to getting to know you (and your homes) as we build The Thoughtful Home together! 💚