the INTRO

Wall selections for our home from Spruce.

I find myself in a very exhilarating time in my life. It feels like I’m in a pressure cooker of creativity, and I need to get all my ideas out.

There are a lot of factors in my life right now that are creating a burst of creative energy. The main one being the renovation of a new house.

On a whim, my husband and I purchased our forever home. That sounds pretty decadent but it’s kind of what happened. From time-to-time, I’d peruse the local real estate inventory and dream. Looking for anything that would align with our “forever list” - a large porch, yard space, off-street parking, historic bones, kid-friendly neighborhood… Nothing serious, just browsing, and then it appeared …in budget. Whaaat.

It was the week of Christmas. I hadn’t looked at the MLS in a few months and I got a random urge while cooking. I stopped what I was doing, logged in and there it was, our future home — listed only 45 minutes before I saw it. The seller was only taking offers on Christmas Eve and surprise!, we were the only offer because… it was Christmas Eve.

So all the stars aligned and voila! The home was ours!

So here I am in this beautiful new home that just needed a few minor repairs. *ahem And by minor repairs I mean a total gut job. I mean, have you really ever lived unless it was with two small children under the age of 6 with a dog in a construction zone and a single toilet and shower stall? But honestly, all joking aside, I wouldn’t have it any other way. This is what I do. I renovate and redesign homes and start down to the studs. I am completely conditioned for all the mental breakdowns along the way, right? *fingers crossed

And now that I’m faced with my “forever” home, I want to be more thoughtful than ever with my selections. Naturally I’m a minimalist, because of my background in architecture. I’ve always designed my interiors for the space and the materiality to speak for itself. No ornamentation. Nothing too fussy. Nothing too designed. Fast forward to the Rachel today, and I find myself selecting wall coverings and art before the construction has even commenced! I’m pouring myself into AD catalogs and scouring Pinterest, navigating through my new chapter of style. I feel the shift of my taste. I’m evolving — which is what is most exciting.

I love the play of effortless meets glamour. Of something so edited, yet so special. How is that achieved? What is that fine line? That’s what I’m interested in. A little bit of minimal. A lot bit of extra.

So here’s me documenting discoveries, expressing my interests, sharing my sources, and unfolding my creative process. I’d love to share all the facets of my life, as well as what inspires me daily in hopes that it inspires you. Cheers!