Wanda S. Horton Interior Design

What have I been up to? Writing and beginning to post on Substack. Please join me for design, life, and musings. My latest post: The Quiet Work of Peace

Wanda Horton (@wandahorton) The Quiet Work of Peace There’s a kind of presence that doesn’t announce itself. It doesn’t raise its voice, and it doesn’t need to win the room or ask for attention. And yet, over time, it’s often the one that changes everything. I’ve been noticing the difference between noise and peace...

Personalizing your home is a way to provide a welcoming environment to others. Even the little details matter.

I was having a conversation with someone in our neighborhood yesterday. She commented that living in her home, while it's for sale, felt strangely out of place. They had a consultation with realtors before it was listed and discussed staging. The whole home was stripped down to depersonalize the spaces. I cringed for her.

Now, don't get me wrong. I understand that not everyone will be able to see past clutter or jarring colors or certain types of art, etc. So if there's something that distracts from the space or could create a major objection, it should be addressed. But I am here to say that if there's something off with the overall style or functional features that are missing, making a space more bland isn't the answer. There are enough of those out there on the market in competition with one another.

Even during one of the worst market downturns, I had clients who sold their homes because the buyers appreciated how well put together they looked. They looked complete. The homes looked like a life was created within the walls. Not someone who decorated with one foot in and one foot out the door.

None of us can predict the future. However, what we CAN do is make our home a place to live. In the present. In joy. In harmony with ourselves and our people. That's the best investment of all.

Note: We added a pretty wallpaper pattern in our client's favorite color to bring some extra interest to her side pantry.

"If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it." - Margaret Fuller

I think of the many women in my life who raised their candles to offer flames of wisdom and to light the path of inspiration. From my mother to my grandmothers, my friends, colleagues, teachers, and community leaders.

International Women's Day does not need to be celebrated for only 24 hours. We have many new dawns to come. And don't forget to set the clock forward tonight. For forward we shall go!