The Journal

Notes from the studio.

Quiet, practical writing on the craft of a well-made home — choosing a designer, building a mood board, working with paint and light, and the long, slow art of getting a room exactly right.

Fall design planning flat lay with rust and brown fabric swatches, silk florals, small pumpkins, apples, oranges, and a soft throw

Latest · Seasonal Styling

Why I Order Fall in July: Planning Your Autumn Decorating Early

Silk florals, garlands, pumpkins, hay and cornstalks — all of it gets ordered in July and August so the decorating can start in September. Here is how I build a fall palette and a schedule that actually holds.

August 2026 · 7 min read

Serene neutral bedroom with linen bedding, plaster walls, oak nightstand, and soft light through sheer curtains

Living Well

Creating Peace at Home: Designing a Sanctuary You Can Rest In

August in Texas asks us to stay inside and slow down. A room-by-room guide to designing for calm — light, order, texture, and the small rituals that make a house feel safe.

August 2026 · 7 min read

Texas front porch with white rocking chairs, striped pillows, layered jute rug, ferns, potted rosemary, and lanterns

Outdoor Living

Porch Season: Making the Front Welcoming and the Back Cozy

Which plants actually survive a Texas summer, the textiles worth investing in, and how to turn a front porch into a welcome and a back veranda into the place you read and drink your coffee.

July 2026 · 8 min read

Fourth of July table on a Hill Country veranda with blue and white porcelain, red roses, brass candlesticks, and watermelon

Entertaining

The Fourth of July, and the Wonderful Feeling of Entertaining

Design isn't only homes. It's events, florals, tablescapes, graphics — anywhere beauty makes people feel welcome. A Fourth of July gathering is one of my favorite places to prove it.

July 2026 · 6 min read

Hand-painted warm neutral paint swatches fanned on an oak table

Color

Why Choosing Paint Is So Hard (and What the Light in Your Room Is Really Doing)

The same paint color reads warm in one room and gray-blue in the next. A guide to the way light works — and how to test a color so you actually live with the one you love.

June 2026 · 7 min read

Styled oak shelves with ceramics, stacked books, and a brass bowl

Design Process

Building a Mood Board for Your Home (Without Falling Down the Pinterest Rabbit Hole)

How to translate a stack of saved images into a real direction you and your designer can use — and how to know when a beautiful idea isn't right for your life.

June 2026 · 7 min read

Designer Stacy Parsons reviewing fabric samples at a wood table

Working Together

Choosing an Interior Designer (and Why It Matters More Than You Think)

Hiring a designer is part interview, part chemistry test. The questions to ask before you sign anything — and what to listen for in the answers.

June 2026 · 6 min read

Also in the Studio

Hill Country Modern vs. French Country

A side-by-side designer’s guide to two of the studio’s specialties — where they overlap, where they differ, and how to blend them in one Texas home.

Read the guide →