Tips for Making Your Home Feel Like a Design Studio
Inspired by a modern New York atelier, finding ways to make my home feel both effortlessly inviting and beautifully elevated.
* Dear Supporting Subscribers! I have a note and some questions for you at the end of this article! Would love your feedback!*
Oh, Honey, We Have an Atelier at Home!
I briskly walked into an undiscerning building in the Financial District after a sweaty subway ride, searching the exterior of skyscrapers for an address, trying to brush my now frizzy-humid bangs down behind my ears. I was only a few minutes late, but the lobby was quiet. Not a great sign, I check my address again. When I rode in a quiet elevator by myself, it dawned on me that I could be in the wrong building.
Which is not outside the realm of possibility, since I have a lot of evidence in my life of walking into incorrect places. Especially after moving to New York — I have gone into wrong buildings, got on wrong trains, wrong buses, wrong streets, maybe I just added wrong elevator to the list. Ding!
The smell washed over me before I could even leave the elevator…oh, I was in the right place.
The air somehow became luxurious. Did you know air can do that? Be luxurious? I have found, through much research (sniffing deeply), that it can. A mix of rose petals, simmering butter, very forward fresh garden herbs, and subtle brewing coffee in the background — all at once — in a heavenly blend.
Sunlight danced across the terrazzo concrete floor as I entered Athena Caldrone’s new Atelier, a home office and event space for the Eyeswoon design team.
The space felt like entering an alternate dimension, a perfect blend of hospitality and design (my favorite things to write about). I found myself, a vibrant color-lover, somehow alive and intrigued by a neutral palette.
There was an exuberant amount of window light. The walls were a rich wood. The kitchen is the center of the studio. A plush seating area is in one corner, and a long dining table aligns with the side of the room. I notice croissants on silver platters. And the room is full of people in fabulous outfits.
I was there to take a cooking lesson. But I was also there to be a design Nancy Drew. Every time I walk into a place that feels beautifully curated & elevated, I am scanning the room for an answer to “how did they do it?” What about the space works? And what can I take back to my home to make it feel as wonderful as this?
Here are my detective notes:
The Palette
The Atelier was full of lush earth & neutral tones, with surprising pops of greens, all grounded in the dark wood walls.
The Feeling
The studio felt so welcoming. I find design most interesting when it is approachable. I’ve been in well-designed settings where it feels like you can’t touch anything or ask a question, and those spaces are just far less interesting to me. As you may have guessed by the name of my publication, I am obsessed with the feeling of spaces. And the Atelier felt warm.
How do you make a space feel hospitable? Here is how they did it:
At the Atelier: Someone greeted me at the door. I immediately felt more confident that I was in the right place and welcome to be there.
In your home: When a guest comes over, even a familiar one, make sure to greet them as soon as they arrive. Put down the dough for a second, and warmly let them know you are glad they are there. It is a better investment of your time as a host than the few seconds earlier the dough would go in the oven, I promise!