Practical minimalism: A home tour

Earlier this month, my mom and I took my daughter on a little girl’s trip. Four days visiting our family friends, Steve and Susan, who had moved to Texas a few years prior. Susan had designed their new home from the ground up and I knew it would be stunning because their spaces have always had an intentional air of beauty, simplicity, and purpose to them.

I remember countless playdates in their Pennsylvania home, where I would stop and marvel at Susan’s taste. The way she would incorporate live plants, global treasures, and modern design into her home always fascinated me! Additionally, she was always neat as a pin. Every item had a home, every drawer had breathing room, every room had open spaces, styled but uncluttered.

Walking in to Susan and Steve’s new home, was like a breath of fresh, inspired air. The space was thoughtfully designed with Susan’s design muse, Frank Lloyd Wright, in mind, and I felt like we had just stepped foot into a masterpiece!

Throughout the weekend I peppered our conversation with questions about her design choices, and she shared so much insight. I asked if I could share some of her wisdom with all of you, and she graciously obliged.

Below I have outlined some of the fundamentals of her design.

“Let the house speak”

I love this concept. Essentially, every home has a desired feel. Traditional, contemporary, vintage, mid-century modern, historic, etc… The lines of the home, the natural light in each room, the placement of windows and furniture, these are all things that a home’s design dictates.

Susan shared that as they made even basic design decisions, like which tile they should use as a backplash, they would often stop and ask the question , “What does the home want?”. Our homes have so much design wisdom to share, if we stop to examine their lines, their light, and their style!

“Invest strategically”

Throughout Susan’s home are stunning pieces of furniture that seem made for the space. For someone who is constantly changing furniture placement and smaller décor items, I was intrigued by the way each piece of furniture seemed to have a distinct place where it fit in both scale and style.

She shared how she patiently searched for just the right pieces, saving her pennies up for timeless, well-made furniture that made a statement without the need for additional décor items on or around it.

“Choose form and function”

I often find myself purchasing beautiful things to look at, and simply utilitarian things to use, but I found that in Susan’s home, things were both beautiful and functional.

For example, the small sculptural wooden benches around the perimeter of the living room looked like art, but were chosen because they are just the right height for her grandchildren to scoot over to the coffee table to sit on when it is time to color…and her gorgeous black walnut bar stools with modern lines were chosen because they had an extra wide frame, perfect for a booster seat to strap too!

One more example is in her back yard, where their spa-like pool and adjoining jacuzzi sits overlooking a golf course. While the space looks sophisticated, the Jacuzzi was actually designed to be just the right size and height for little swimmers! Talk about a pretty baby pool!

“Allow your spaces room to breath”

This is one thing I have always loved about Susan’s style, she leaves breathing room; around her statement furniture, in her drawers, along her walls, etc. As her husband shared with me, they wanted their home to feel like a permanent vacation home, and I think this is one of the keys to making it feel just that! They have kept their belongings minimal, so that more time can be spent relaxing in their home and enjoying visually peaceful spaces.

“Give every item a home”

Hand in hand with having less, is the idea that everything has a home. There are no piles of misfits on kitchen counters, and cluttered corners… every object has a place that it is returned to! So simple, but such a game changer.

“Go vertical”

Susan’s secret weapon is using vertical space! Any paperwork that needed attention, as well as cards from friends, pictures from her grandchildren, etc, are placed on bulletin boards in her mudroom and laundry room spaces. This keeps her horizontal spaces clutter free, ie. Countertops, coffee tables, etc.

Anytime you can use a wall instead of a table, utilize the vertical space!

I hope some of these images and ideas inspire you, like they did me! Tell me your favorite design secrets, would love to hear!