How We Learn What Feels Like Home

A personal reflection on design, comfort, and flow.

It’s interesting how different we all are—what draws us in, what we care about, and what makes us feel at ease. I’ve always been especially drawn to home improvement, design, decoration, organization, and efficiency. I simply feel better in a home that flows and looks intentional.

I didn’t always know how to create that feeling—but learning how changed more than just how my home looked.

For those who know me personally, you know I didn’t grow up in a home like this at all. Many of us are shaped by contrast—we learn what matters to us by experiencing the opposite. There’s nothing wrong with not caring about interiors or organization. It just wasn’t who I grew into.

That’s one of the gifts of adulthood: you get to shape your surroundings to reflect what matters to you. I’ve been doing that for nearly four decades. When I was first married and money was tight, I found creative ways to decorate. I sewed my own curtains and throw pillows, painted walls, chose bedding carefully, and slowly learned the fundamentals of home design. One of my favorite memories is decorating my son’s nursery in classic Winnie the Pooh—I can still picture the wide wallpaper border wrapping the room.

Years later, I had the opportunity to prepare two houses for sale. I scraped wallpaper, painted, updated kitchen cabinets with new hardware, and helped with a full renovation. I took an online interior design course, furnished a newly built home, and eventually purchased and renovated my own home on Cape Cod.

One of the simplest and most helpful lessons I learned along the way was how to choose colors. Interior designer Erinn V suggests selecting two to three main colors and one accent color. In my home, the trim is painted Benjamin Moore Decorator White. The kitchen, living room, and family room walls are Pale Oak with neutral furniture and blue accents—a classic coastal palette. Another designer reminded me that it’s okay to mix shades of the same color and even mix patterns, as long as the colors are harmonious. I may not wear plaid pants with a striped shirt, but a blue floral pillow next to blue stripes can be surprisingly beautiful.

If you haven’t decorated this way before—or if you’re considering adding an AchooBox to your space and aren’t sure which one to choose—here’s another design tip I love: houseplants match everything. We don’t limit plants to rooms where green dominates, because greenery is something we naturally expect to see. Grass, leaves, trees, flower stems—plants bring life into a space. That’s why Botanical Green Leaf works almost anywhere. It’s an AchooCover that blends naturally into most rooms.

With AchooBox, there’s no more running out of boxed facial tissues—just replace the roll. It’s one less thing to think about, less waste, more convenience, and a piece designed to belong in any space you care about.