If I could give every new homeowner one piece of advice, it would be this:
Live in your space before you try to design it.
I know—it’s tempting to jump right in. The minute the keys hit your hand, your brain is spinning with ideas. Paint colors, light fixtures, tile samples, the new sofa you’ve already saved 47 times to a Pinterest board. Trust me—I get it. I am a designer. This is the fun part.
But here’s the thing: the best design doesn’t happen in a rush. It happens when you slow down long enough to listen.
When you live in a space for a little while—weeks, even months—you start to notice things. Where the light hits in the morning. What areas you gravitate toward without thinking. Which spaces feel off, too dark, too tight. You discover the real flow of your day: where you drop your bag, where your coffee ends up, how you move from room to room when life is messy, full, and beautifully ordinary.
One of my clients recently told me she wanted to knock down a wall the second she moved in. The wall “felt wrong.” But she waited. A few months later, she realized she actually loved the separation. It gave her teenage kids space to spread out without her losing her mind—and gave her a moment of quiet at the end of the day. That wall stayed.
We often think design is about making big, bold moves.
But often, it’s about paying attention.
At House of Life and Love, we believe in creating homes that support your life—not just ones that photograph well. That’s why we always encourage clients to take a beat. Sit in the space. Watch it breathe. Let it tell you what it needs.
Designing from intuition, not impulse, leads to spaces that feel settled, soulful, and genuinely yours.
So before you paint the walls, buy the rug, or tear out that kitchen…
Sit. Breathe. Brew some coffee.
Let your house introduce itself. You might be surprised by what it says.
Love,
Lindsay
