Designing You, Designing Home: The Parallels of Personal Style and Interiors

The Spark of a Wardrobe Refresh

After more than a decade of being a stay-at-home dad and primary caregiver, I realized it was time to give my wardrobe the same attention I give to the homes I design. This fall, between a week in New Orleans for the IDS National Conference and an upcoming Designer’s Retreat in Connecticut, I decided to work with a stylist for the first time.

I expected a quick shopping trip. Instead, I found myself marveling at how eerily similar her process was to my own design process with clients.

It turns out, whether you’re refreshing a wardrobe or reimagining a home, the path is strikingly the same: clarity, vision, curation, and transformation.

Step 1: Discovery

My stylist began with an intake call, much like the Discovery Call I offer my clients. She asked me why I wanted a stylist, what events or moments I was preparing for, and how I wanted to feel in my clothes. For me, it was about showing up with authenticity, polished but not forced, confident but not costume.

Just as I ask clients about their daily lives, entertaining habits, and design goals, she asked me about Boston design events, client-facing meetings, and even my travel style (I’m a chronic over-packer).

Step 2: Inventory

Next, I photographed every single item in my closet I intended to keep. It was more than I realized, a reminder that so much of what we already own can serve as the foundation for what’s next.

In design, this is where I take stock of what a client has in their home: beloved pieces, family heirlooms, architectural details. We don’t start with a blank slate; we start with what has meaning.

Step 3: Inspiration

To communicate style, I created a Pinterest board of looks I admired, just as clients share inspiration boards with me. These weren’t exact outfits I wanted to copy — they were a mood, a feeling, a sense of what I wanted to embody.

Design is the same. It’s not about replicating a magazine spread or someone else’s living room. It’s about capturing the spirit of inspiration and translating it into something uniquely yours.

Step 4: Curation

Using her personal app (her version of the client portal I provide my own clients), my stylist built a personalized shopping cart with suggested pieces. Each came with examples of how to wear them, much like the way I show how furniture, lighting, and finishes will come together in a design plan.

This reminded me so much of The Immersion upgrade option I offer at Resonance Interiors: a personalized shopping cart of to-the-trade furnishings and accessories curated to fit the to-scale digital design package I create. My clients can simply order directly from the cart, place each item as indicated in the plan, and even have everything white-glove delivered and installed. Furniture, lighting, accessories — all intentionally chosen to fit together seamlessly.

From there, it was a process of trial, reflection, and refinement. Try it on. Photograph it. Decide: does it feel like me? Do I keep it, or do I send it back?

Clients go through the same journey with me, test-driving design options during the conceptual phase, considering how each choice feels, collaborating as we curate with intention before finalizing the project's direction.

Step 5: Transformation

A week later, she delivered my digital Look Book: complete outfits curated for upcoming events and everyday life. From shoes to jackets, everything was considered and layered. Suddenly, packing for a four-day conference was effortless. No “what if” outfits stuffed into my bag. No wasted energy second-guessing.

This is exactly what I want for my clients: no wasted purchases, no guesswork, no ill-fitting furniture haunting the corner of a room. Instead, a home that is functional, authentic, and a reflection of who they are, elevated in every way.

Style, Space, and Story

At the end of the day, working with a stylist wasn’t really about clothes. It was about feeling authentically seen, supported, and elevated.

And that’s what design is, too. A great outfit makes you feel like your best self. A great home makes you live like your best self.

Both are about RESONANCE — the way your external environment supports your internal energy.

The Immersion Parallel

What my stylist did for my wardrobe is what I do for clients through The Immersion, Resonance Interiors’ elevated one-day design experience.

• We start with a deep dive Discovery.

• We inventory what you already have and love.

• We gather inspiration and talk about what resonates.

• We curate options and create a design path forward.

• And finally, we deliver a tailored “look book” for your home — so you can execute with confidence and clarity.

  
  

And for those who want to truly elevate the everyday, our Immersion upgrade option includes a personalized shopping cart of to-the-trade furnishings, lighting, and accessories, all selected and scaled to your digital design plan with optional white-glove delivery. It’s the same effortless experience I had packing for my trip, except it’s your home that ends up fully realized and beautifully pulled together.

Closing Thought

My wardrobe refresh reminded me that design isn’t about things. It’s about transformation.

Whether it’s a closet or a living room, it’s the same process: listening deeply, curating intentionally, and creating with heart.

And when we get it right? You don’t just look pulled together. You feel like yourself. Fully, beautifully, and without compromise.

Ready to see your home pulled together with the same confidence and clarity? Our Immersion service is open for a limited time at a special fall rate. Book your day today — before the holidays arrive — and experience what it means to live in a home that truly resonates.

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