Most of my clients come to me with great taste. They’ve saved the images, they know what they’re drawn to, and they’ve done their homework.
What they don’t know, yet, is why all of those good ideas still aren’t coming together in real life.
Cohesion Is About Relationships, Not Proximity
Cohesion isn’t about buying matching furniture sets from Pottery Barn or RH. Please don’t do that. Instead, it’s about spaces “talking” to each other. Each room should have its own personality but still get along with the rest of the home.
One of the biggest tools I use to achieve this is undertones. Finding the right undertone creates a common thread moving across your home. Whether it’s warm undertones with soft woods, creams, and textured layers to make a home feel inviting and comfortable, or cooler undertones with contrast and straight lines for a more sophisticated modern look, your choices tell a story. The story your home tells should reflect your lifestyle, your family, and the feeling you want to come home to every day.
Why Pinterest Works for Inspiration, Not Execution
I’m a die-hard Pinterest user myself, from design inspiration to recipes, I check it daily. But Pinterest syndrome is real: trying to match a photo or recreate a Pinterest look often leads to frustration when your home doesn’t match the board you poured hours into curating.
Pinterest shows finished moments, it’s the highlight reel of interior design. It doesn’t account for your floorplan, your family’s needs, or the quirks of your existing home. Just like fashion, copying what works for someone else rarely highlights your best qualities.
That’s why I always ask for my clients’ Pinterest boards. They tell me a lot about what you’re drawn to and the details you notice, even unconsciously. From there, we can pull the themes you love and transform them into something that actually works in your home. That’s when inspiration turns into a plan.
The Decisions That Actually Create Flow
Planning is a huge part of making a whole home feel cohesive. I think about each room not just individually, but in relation to the others. Which rooms do you see together from certain vantage points? Are there rooms that should feel separate? How will the flow feel as you move through the home?
These big-picture decisions paired with meticulously selected wood tones, paint colors, fabrics, and textures give your home a personality that moves gracefully from room to room. It’s what makes a house feel like your home instead of a collection of pretty images.
If you’re drawn to beautiful spaces but can’t quite get your home to feel finished, that’s usually the sign that the missing piece isn’t inspiration, it’s a plan. This is the type of work I help my clients with, whether they’re remodeling, building new, or trying to make sense of a house they already love.
