Welcome to Week 3 of the One Room Challenge! I can’t believe we are halfway with the challenge. We are so close yet so far!

Now that the furniture layout has been established, I was able to purchase my furniture for the space. Before I get into my selections, I want to share my process on how I select items for my home and my clients.

As a certified Design Psychology Coach, my process of sourcing products is intentional because the items in our home affect us subconsciously and unconsciously. Design is more than selecting fabrics and creating a beautiful room, on a deeper level, design can affect how we feel. In order to feel good, we have to create environments that support us and select items that make us feel happy or spark the emotions that we desire to achieve in that space.

The first question I ask on every project is “how do you want the room to feel?” — I don’t ask this question to be pretentious. Asking how do you want the room to feel gives more clues than asking about style. Plus, 9 out of 10 times a person can’t really describe their style but can definitely ramble off a list of emotions they want when they enter the room.

So as with any project, I has asked my Fiance the same question. The words he used were “Relaxing at night, energizing in the morning, and slightly romantic”.

My feelings were similar, “serene, cozy, and inspiring.”

We know how we want the room to feel, now what?

Time to start selecting materials, furnishings, and textiles that spark those feelings. This process can take a while and much deliberating, but most of all, it should be fun.

Shop the Mood board: LED Plug-in Reading Light // Queen Upholstered Bed // Caged Pendant Light // Safavieh Area Rug // Clear Barcelona Vase // Laundry Baskets // Dresser // Geometric Pillow // Jade Velvet Pillow // Nightstand (Vintage) // Artwork custom by @KellyMoneyArt

Designing with Intention

The meaning behind the selections.

The goal feeling of the room between my Fiance and I is to be: “serene, energizing, inspiring, welcoming, and slightly romantic” .. sounds like a handful!

In order to create that environment, we had to select items as a team that sparked those emotions. With that criteria in mind, we also had to keep in mind our personal style aesthetic. My fiance’s personal style is rustic with hints industrial and mine is naturalist modern (streamlined yet earthy).

Things Matter: Here’s what these items mean to us

Items that felt serene/relaxing: the bed (obviously), the artwork, the distressed rug, and the ombre curtains (not pictured)

Items that felt energizing/inspiring: the artwork selected for the walls, the patterns on fabric and rug, the ombre curtains (not pictured), having greenery/plants in the room, color — an accent wall

Items that felt welcoming: the texture of the dresser, our rustic vinyl plank flooring (not pictured), the natural lighting shining during the day, tactile fabrics for pillows, the woven baskets for laundry, and the art selected for the walls

Items that felt romantic: the mood lighting that will be installed (hanging pendant fixtures on dimmers), wall sconces, and a dark accent wall

Everyone has a different perspective of what something means to them based on our life experiences. Which is why we have such a strong connection to our home (this could be a good or bad thing). When curating the items for our first place, it was important to select items that made us both feel happy and supported as a couple. This is a new chapter for us and we want to create an environment that enriches our life together.