For years, design leaned heavily toward a “finished” look, where everything matched and was impeccably styled, often looking more like a museum than a home full of life. I’m happy to see that shifting, with people embracing the “perfectly imperfect” aspects of life, especially families with young children. We are moving away from the perfection bar being set so high and seeing a shift toward what designers call the collected home.
These are spaces that feel layered, lived-in, and deeply reflective of the people who live there. That doesn’t mean cluttered or chaotic. It means intentional.
(Submitted by Justine Morin)
A collected home is built over time. It blends old with new, high with low, and meaningful pieces with practical ones. A vintage chair next to a custom sofa. A piece of art you’ve had for years paired with something unexpected. These are the details that create depth and, more importantly, authenticity.
(Submitted by Justine Morin)
As a designer, my role isn’t to impose a signature look. It’s to help clients uncover what they’re drawn to, refine it, and guide them toward decisions that feel both elevated and true to them. The end result shouldn’t look like it belongs to me, it should feel unmistakably like them.
(Submitted by Justine Morin)
This is especially relevant as we move into spring and summer, when there’s often pressure to “refresh” a home. Instead of starting over, I encourage clients to edit, layer, and rework what they already have. Often, the most impactful changes come from seeing your space differently, not from replacing everything in it.
Because the goal isn’t perfection. It’s connection. And that’s what makes a home timeless.
