When I sit down with a new client, I don’t start by asking about paint colors or flooring preferences. I don’t even ask about the budget first.
Instead, my very first question is this:
“What items in your home can you absolutely not live without?”
It might sound funny at first, but trust me—it’s one of the most important questions in the design process.
Why?
Because the things you can’t imagine parting with usually hold the most meaning. They’re not just “stuff.” They’re part of your story.
Over the years, I’ve found that these items tell me more about who you are than you’d probably ever think to share. They often connect back to childhood memories, the place you were raised, or even something that ties you to your ancestors.
These special pieces become the starting point for designing your new home.
Think back to your own life. What pieces come to mind?
For one client, it was her grandmother’s connection to Scotland. In her hometown, it was tradition to build dry stone dykes—those timeless, hand-stacked stone walls that stretch across the Scottish countryside. They weren’t just functional, they were symbolic of heritage and resilience.
When her grandmother moved to Arizona, she carried those memories with her. She even had her husband, the client’s grandfather, build the same type of stone walls on their property so that a piece of her homeland would always surround her. Decades later, that tradition became the inspiration for our client’s home design. We carried the texture, color, and layered history of those walls into her new space, creating a feature that anchored the design with meaning.
For another client, it was a simple vanity passed down through the women in her family. While it needed refinishing, the shape and charm of the piece carried a sense of belonging that no brand-new furniture could ever replicate.
I’ve seen tea sets become the inspiration for entire kitchens. A childhood rocking chair find its place in a nursery two generations later. Even the color of stone from a client’s hometown quarry inspire the tile choice in a bathroom.
Here’s the truth: people feel most at home when they’re surrounded by the things that are special to them.
It’s not about what’s trending. It’s not about what’s “Instagram-worthy.”
It’s about creating a space that feels deeply and unmistakably like you.
So, let me turn the question back to you:
👉 What are the items in your home you could never live without?
And no, I don’t mean that quick Walmart side table that just fills a gap (we all have those!). I’m talking about the real pieces: a tea party set, a grandfather’s clock, a worn leather chair, a type of stone or wood that brings you back to where you came from.
Those are the things that should influence your design. Those are the pieces that will make your home feel alive, layered, and truly personal.
Because in the end, your home isn’t just where you live—it’s where your story continues.
