For years, I thought creating a beautiful home was mostly about finding the right furniture, choosing the right colors, and adding the perfect finishing touches.

But as I started making changes throughout our own home, I began to notice something.

Whether I was working on the dining room, home office, living room, or entryway, I kept coming back to the same ideas.

I didn’t set out to create a formula. These were simply the things that worked for me, room after room.

Over time, they became what I now call the Five Principles of Layered Living.

They’re not decorating rules or things you have to get exactly right. They’re simply the ideas I come back to whenever I’m staring at a room and wondering, Where do I even begin?

1. Start with Paint

If I could only change one thing in a room, it would almost always be the paint.

I’ve seen over and over again in our own home how much the right color can change a room without changing anything else.

One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that warm doesn’t have to mean dark, and neutral definitely doesn’t have to mean boring.

Some of my favorite colors, like Benjamin Moore Pashmina and Sherwin-Williams Accessible Beige, have completely changed rooms in our home. They've softened the light, worked beautifully with our wood tones, and given me a much better starting point for everything else.

Benjamin Moore Pashmina and Benjamin Moore White Dove

⭐ Laurie’s Tip: Don't stop at the walls. The right trim and ceiling color can make just as much difference in how the whole room comes together.

See This Principle in Action → Read the Dining Room Makeover

2. Add Architectural Character

Many builder-grade homes have good bones, but sometimes they just need a little more character.

One of the biggest changes I’ve made throughout our home has been adding simple architectural details.

Picture-frame molding.

Crown molding.

Board and batten.

None of these projects required changing the structure of our home, but each one made a much bigger difference than I expected.

What I love most is that these details add interest without adding more things. Even an otherwise simple wall can suddenly feel finished.

⭐ Laurie's Tip: If a wall feels empty, don't assume it needs more decor. Sometimes adding detail to the wall itself is enough.

See This Principle in Action → Read the Home Office Makeover

3. Lighting, Lighting and…more Lighting

Lighting is one of those things I used to think about mostly for function. Now, it’s one of my favorite parts of a room.

I like to think of lighting as a little like jewelry. A beautiful chandelier or pair of sconces can add just as much personality as anything else in the space.

But I've also learned that one light source is rarely enough. Throughout our home, I use a mix of chandeliers, sconces, table lamps, candles, and whatever natural light the room gives me.

Each serves a different purpose, especially in the evening when I rarely want one bright overhead light doing all the work.

For me, good lighting is less about how much light is in a room and more about what it's like to actually spend time there.

ChatGPT Image Aug 6, 2026, 02_56_26 PM.png

⭐ Laurie's Tip: Try turning off the overhead light one evening and use your lamps and sconces instead. You'll quickly see where another source of light might help.

See This Principle in Action → Read the Entryway Makeover

4. Embrace Your Home's Natural Character

This may be the principle that changed our home and my perspective the most.

For years, I struggled with some of the things I couldn’t easily change. Our 8-foot ceilings. The Brazilian cherry hardwood floors. Even some of the architectural details that came with the house.

I wished the ceilings were taller and the floors were lighter. I compared our home to all of the bright, airy interiors I saw online and wondered why I couldn’t make ours feel the same way.

Eventually, I realized that was exactly the problem.

I was trying to make our home look like someone else’s.

Instead of asking,

“How do I hide this?”

I started asking,

“How can I work with this instead?”

That question changed the way I decorated.

I started choosing colors that worked with the cherry floors instead of wishing they were lighter. I leaned into the traditional details of the house instead of trying to make everything look more modern.

And something I hadn't expected happened.

I started liking some of the very things I'd spent years wishing I could change.

Now, before I replace something, I try to look at it differently first. Sometimes the thing you're designing around ends up becoming part of what makes the room special.

5. Finish with Thoughtful Styling

Styling is often where people begin.

I think it should be where you finish.

Books.

Greenery.

Artwork.

Candles.

Collected objects.

These are the final layers that make a room feel personal and lived in.

I used to think I needed to fill every empty table, shelf, or corner. Now I’m much more willing to wait.

Once the bigger decisions are made, styling becomes so much easier.

I can add the things I genuinely love instead of buying something simply because a space feels empty.

That’s when a room really starts to feel like home not when every space is filled, but when the things I've chosen actually mean something to me.

Why I Call It Layered Living

When people ask how I transformed our home, they’re often surprised that there wasn’t one dramatic renovation or one weekend when everything suddenly came together.

Some rooms sat half-finished for months. Others evolved over several years.

Looking back, I’m actually grateful they did.

Taking our time gave me the chance to figure out what I really loved, learn from the choices that didn’t quite work, and let each room evolve along with us.

One decision led to another. One layer led to the next. And somewhere along the way, our house began to feel unmistakably ours.

That’s what Layered Living means to me.

My Favorite Design Resources

These are products I use again and again throughout our home.

This section contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I genuinely use, love, or would confidently choose for my own home.

Looking for something you’ve seen in my home? I’ve collected many of my favorite finds, along with pieces from the rooms I share here, in one place.
Shop My Home → My Amazon Storefront

Paint Colors

Benjamin Moore Pashmina (Walls)
Benjamin Moore White Dove (Ceiling and Trim)
Sherwin-Williams Accessible Beige (Walls)
Benjamin Moore Pale Oak (Walls)

Lighting

Styling Favorites

Final Thoughts

If there’s one thing all of these rooms have taught me, it’s that I don’t have to have everything figured out before I begin.

Sometimes I get it right. Sometimes I change my mind. And sometimes something I was convinced I needed to replace ends up becoming one of my favorite parts of the room.

I hope sharing what I've learned along the way helps you look at your own home with a few new ideas and maybe a little more appreciation for what's already there.