How Good Design Can Help You Be More Hospitable

You’re scrolling through your Instagram and there it is, another beautifully designed room in a beautifully designed home and you can’t help but stare. Where is that rug from? What about the lamp? Ooo maybe that paint color will look good in my family room?

This was me when I first began studying interior design from an apartment in Cincinnati, having just recently moved with my husband and at the time two toddlers. I was in a pretty bad spot emotionally (the move was rough) and so I’d sit and stare and try to push back some of the envy building up inside as I gawked at these incredible homes and their impeccable design.

Thankfully, with time also came maturity, and the more I dove into design, the more I realized that the real longing wasn’t for the “stuff” I saw in other people’s homes. I wanted more than just “stuff”. I craved beauty and depth. I knew that purchasing a new rug or lamp or slapping up a new paint color wouldn’t give me that. What I was appreciating was the way it came together. Interior design is an art and a science, and when the two are combined, even a room that is completely outside your “style” can still somehow mystify you because the design is just that good. That is what I was being drawn to. The way it all came together. It was beautiful to me, and beauty speaks to a deep longing within all of us.

Now, what I - and perhaps you too - often failed to realize is that a well designed room is achievable on any budget. It’s not (always*) about the money or buying the most expensive item. And thank goodness, because that is pretty shallow. Not because expensive items are good or bad (that’s for you and your conscience and not a debate I wish to have. Particularly given the global context we live in and what is even considered “expensive vs. inexpensive” varies greatly depending on one’s culture, society, socio-economic status, personal values, etc. Judge not lest we be judged, right?) But when I say shallow I mean the act of buying something for the sake of buying it to copy someone else or to fill a gap, when what is a better use of your time and effort is simply pausing and considering what you already have and how to utilize that in a way that serves you, your home and all who enter it.

You can have a room full of the most expensive items from a luxury store and it still fall flat in a poorly designed room. However, a well laid out floor plan, a thoughtfully considered furniture arrangement and an intentional focal point, are just a few elements of a well designed room and they are achievable on any budget.

Intentionality. Thoughtfulness. Slowing down enough to truly pay attention. These are some of the elements of hospitality that can really create a space — and a person — that is hospitable. And as I continued learning about design and diving into what it means to design with hospitality in mind, the more I saw how elements of design such as space, line, form, texture, color, etc., can all be used to show hospitality and help someone feel welcome in my own home. I love the interaction between color and psychology and how you can change the environment of a room through color. I appreciate textures and pattern mixing, and all the other ways these elements work together to create an environment you want to stay in.

Just as hospitality requires intentionality, so does good design. You must slow down and take a thoughtful approach to how the decisions you make will impact the people who will utilize whatever room you’re working on. I love finding that “piece” that just fits what I wanted for the overall theme of a room. BUT, even more so, I love a space that guides a person in, helping them to know exactly where they can hang their jacket and take off their shoes. A place that leads them into our gathering room and gives them space to roam in our kitchen, grabbing a mug and getting some tea. I love how art can tell a story and share a bit of who we are.

This is what I want to encourage you in. I love interior design. I can’t seem to get away from it, even when I try. So I decided to stop fighting it and instead encourage people like you. Perhaps you love it too and you want to go beyond following trends for the sake of trends, but really creating something beautiful to bless and care for yourself and others. Or, perhaps you don’t love interior design, but you care about being intentional and stewarding your spaces well and wonder if there are ways to do that beyond just consuming more things. Either way, I’m with you. This blog is about how to do just that, and as you follow along, I’ll go into more detail regarding different ways we can use designing and decorating our homes as a vehicle toward showing hospitality. In our 10 years of marriage, my husband and I have moved cross country 3 times and lived in more apartments and houses than we care to admit. Through it all, we’ve carried with us a passion for showing hospitality and firmly believe it isn’t about how a home looks that creates a sense of welcome, but it always starts with the person’s heart toward others. So, we’ll always start with the why, sharing the heart behind doing something before moving onto the practical. Because I just can’t help wanting to take a space and make it both beautiful and meaningful, and I’m here to help you do it too. So cheers to creating homes, classrooms, offices and more full of beauty and depth, leading us all to be the hospitable people we hope to be.

Until next time,

Alexa