Why Designing for Yourself is… Complicated
You would think that designing your own home would be the easy part. No client meetings. No presentations. No waiting on approvals. Just me, my vision, and complete creative freedom.
And honestly? That’s exactly the problem.
Meet Nightingale Cottage
There’s something I’ve been hinting at for a little while now… and I’m finally ready to share it.
We purchased a new property — and it’s officially underway! This sweet little house is about to become our newest renovation project, a short-term rental property, and the setting for a brand-new behind-the-scenes video series where I’ll be taking you along from concept to completion.
(More on that in a minute…)
But this project is different…
For the first time, I’m not just the designer guiding someone else’s vision — I’m also the client. The decision-maker. The one signing off on every finish, every layout shift, every budget conversation. And because Nightingale Cottage will also serve as a guest retreat, I’m designing not only for how we live… but for how someone else will experience the space from the moment they walk through the door.
Which brings me to a few confessions:
1. Designing for yourself is… complicated.
When I design for a client, there’s structure. Clear priorities. A defined budget. A timeline that keeps everyone moving forward. There are constraints — and constraints are wildly helpful. They sharpen decisions. But before we ever choose a finish or draw a floor plan, I spend time understanding how my clients actually live. How they move through their mornings. Where they drop their keys. What frustrates them about their home. What they quietly wish it did better. The design grows from there — from their rhythms, their habits, their real life.
When I design for myself? There are… possibilities. Endless ones.
I know all the options. Fabrics, wallpaper, tile, lighting, plumbing fixtures… Part of my job as a designer is narrowing it all down for clients so they don’t get overwhelmed. But when it’s me? Let’s just say… every choice suddenly feels personally critical. The options aren’t just possibilities anymore — they’re tiny little decisions I obsess over, one swatch, one sample, one fixture at a time.
Designing for yourself is a luxury, yes. But it’s also complicated and emotional even.
2. This Time, I’m Designing for Guests Too
Nightingale Cottage won’t just be ours — it will become a short-term rental property. Which means I’m also designing for an experience. For someone arriving with a suitcase and expectations. For slow mornings with coffee on the patio. For cozy weekends away. For that feeling of exhale when you walk through the door.
Designing for guests requires a slightly different lens. It’s about layering warmth and personality while still keeping things intuitive and durable. Beautiful, yes — but also functional. Thoughtful. Easy to live in, even for someone who’s never been there before.
It’s a delicate balance… and I love that challenge.
3. Creative Freedom Sounds Romantic — Until It’s Not
When you have full creative control, every decision carries a little more weight.
There’s no one else to defer to. No “let’s circle back to the client.” It’s just me, my instincts, and a lot of internal dialogue.
We are absolutely working within a defined budget and timeline — I’m not exempt from spreadsheets or conflicting contractor schedules. But I also know the realities of renovation. Things will shift. Weather will delay us. Something unexpected will be hiding behind a wall.
And this season is stretching me in a different way: practicing the same patience and flexibility I so often ask of my clients.
To trust the process.
To roll with the surprises.
To remember that good design unfolds — it rarely rushes.
4. This Project Will Make Me a Better Designer
Designing Nightingale Cottage is forcing me to get very honest about what I value.
Not what photographs well.
Not what feels trendy.
Not what feels safe.
But what actually feels like home.
This entire process is sharpening my instincts. Deepening my empathy. Reminding me how vulnerable it can feel to make big decisions about a space you care deeply about.
And if anything, walking through this process from the inside is strengthening the way I guide my clients from the outside.
Even when the client is… me.
This is just the beginning.
Join us on YouTube as Nightingale Cottage comes to life — from design decisions and unexpected twists to behind-the-scenes moments. Watch how I navigate the same process I guide my clients through, one step at a time.
