The Art of Intentional Spaces as an Empty Nester
Slow Living

The Art of Intentional Spaces as an Empty Nester

Slow Living November 6, 2025 6 min read

I have been thinking about the word intention in the context of home design, and how rarely it describes the homes most of us actually live in. We make pragmatic choices. We compromise. We inherit the decisions of previous owners. Very few rooms in most homes were designed in the sense of someone deciding, with full freedom, what the room should be.

Empty nesting gave me a version of that freedom for the first time in twenty years. The purpose of every room is now negotiable. The rooms that existed for children can now exist for us.

I am going room by room, slowly. The bedroom first — linen, sconces, everything quieter and more deliberate. The reading room second — the chair I wanted, the light exactly right. Now the living room, where I am adding wall sconces I have been considering for two years. Next will be the hallway, where a single beautiful sconce is enough to transform the transition between rooms.

Intentional spaces are not finished. They evolve as you do. What I am making now is the version that is true to who I am today, at 52, in these mountains, in this quieter life. That is enough. That is more than enough.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I start decorating intentionally after a life change?
Start with one room — the one you use most, or the one that bothers you most. Ask what you actually want the room to do for you now, not what it needed to do before. Change the one or two things that would most shift it toward that goal.
What does it mean to design a space intentionally?
Intentional design means every element has been considered and chosen rather than inherited or defaulted to. Intentional spaces take time — they are built over years through additions and subtractions that reflect who you actually are.
How does lighting contribute to intentional home design?
Lighting is often the least intentional element in a home because it is invisible when working well. But every lighting choice shapes how a room feels and how people behave in it. Updating lighting is the most impactful way to make a room feel considered.