STYLING YOUR HOME
like making your bed

INTERIORS + DECOR

Welcome, my friend. The Idea Book is a blog about wellness within the home - a place where I can share my homebody stories and the ways I find comfort in my days. I’m so glad you’re here.


“All I really want to do is talk about how to make the house a home, the living room the epitome of comfort, and the kitchen cozy and practical. …and maybe some life lessons as a mother to three homebodies.”

MY FAVORITE THINGS

Looking for a deeper connection? Follow along for a more casual and behind the scenes glimpse into my home, products I love to buy and share, and lots of design tips.


Rug Rules for the Home
INTERIORS + DECOR Hope Johnson INTERIORS + DECOR Hope Johnson

Rug Rules for the Home

Rugs are a powerful tool in interior design, offering you both a visual appeal and functional benefits. Whether you're aiming to ground a space with neutral tones or make a bold statement, rugs can, no doubt, effortlessly transform a room. A neutral rug, with its subtle texture, can add warmth and cohesion, creating a serene and inviting atmosphere. On the other hand, a vibrant, patterned rug can bring personality and energy to a space, serving as a focal point in the room.

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Styling Your Home - it’s like making your bed
INTERIORS + DECOR Hope Johnson INTERIORS + DECOR Hope Johnson

Styling Your Home - it’s like making your bed

Styling a home is a lot like making a bed. It might sound simple, but there’s an art to it that involves carefully layering elements to create a space that feels both cohesive and inviting. Much like how you make your bed each morning, the process of styling your home involves building from the ground up, using layers to add depth and personality. Here’s how you can apply the concept of layering—just like you do with a bed—to your home decor.

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Heirloom Quality Brands I’ve Been Collecting From
INTERIORS + DECOR Hope Johnson INTERIORS + DECOR Hope Johnson

Heirloom Quality Brands I’ve Been Collecting From

I have always been big on quality over the quick-win take homes, and I’m a fan of functional pieces over

just for looks

. This goes for marketplace/ antique or the newly purchased finds.



I grew up in a family that curated antiques from yard sales and sold them from the town’s little antique shop. This might mean my kitchen island was a former flat file drawer or the step stool for my kiddos to reach the sink was a metal utility stool. As my home’s style has evolved through age and life’s seasons, I’ve realized that I enjoy mixing modern-day pieces with my vintage discoveries. There’s a balance, an ebb and flow even when you combine the two that brings me great joy and adds a certain level of charm to our spaces.

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Debut Pillow Launch
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Debut Pillow Launch

With summer joining most of us by now, especially if you’ve got school-aged kiddos at home, I’m inviting you to a practice of “hosting your summer.” This concept is all about welcoming your summer months for what they are. For some, it looks a lot like the rest of the year, for others it might mean you’re entertaining little minds and hearts from a big school break.

As we enter summer, I like to reset the mind around a slower pace, more play, and different routines. Let’s expand.

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June | hosting your summer
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June | hosting your summer

With summer joining most of us by now, especially if you’ve got school-aged kiddos at home, I’m inviting you to a practice of “hosting your summer.” This concept is all about welcoming your summer months for what they are. For some, it looks a lot like the rest of the year, for others it might mean you’re entertaining little minds and hearts from a big school break.

As we enter summer, I like to reset the perspective around a slower pace, more play, and different routines. Let’s expand.

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Unexpected Red | it’s not new
INTERIORS + DECOR Hope Johnson INTERIORS + DECOR Hope Johnson

Unexpected Red | it’s not new

The unexpected red theory has been flooding social media this season in the home decor world, but this isn’t a new concept. The attention-grabbing theory has been used from Claude Monet’s Poppy Fields, Marilyn Monroe’s red lipstick, to Jackie Kennedy’s iconic red jacket. More literally, it’s used for stop signs, traffic lights, and LED-lit exit signs in commercial spaces. Pops of red grab your attention and ignite you to react, whether it’s keeping you from driving into traffic or a double-take of something visually interesting or attractive.

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BTS | where I call home

BTS | where I call home

Many of you know that I recently moved! It’s been an adventurous year so far. I have a deep love for old homes and a family in the industry of home construction and design. My plan was to marry those two concepts together and build a home to look old. That plan was disrupted when the epitome of a 1940s cottage found its way onto the market and in front of my eyes.

Within 7 minutes (literally) of seeing this listing go live, I was in my car flagging a random real estate agent down in the street - in the rain. An offer was made on the spot, along with several competing offers. The stars aligned in the way they tend to do when something just feels right, and within six short crazy weeks, I sold my old house, closed on the new house, and moved in.

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May | mother mother
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May | mother mother

It’s May, a glorious month in my own opinion. Just four days into this month, I entered the world, and we celebrate birthdays in this house whether you’re turning five or ninety-five. My grandmother turned 95 years young last month. She got all dressed up, applied her make-up, and demanded a party and a cake. We’d be damned if we didn’t give this queen what she asked for. In fact, we had two cakes. If you don’t celebrate the way this woman celebrates, you’re doing it wrong, my friend.

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March | taking risks with your space
INTERIORS + DECOR, MONTHLY MUSINGS Hope Johnson INTERIORS + DECOR, MONTHLY MUSINGS Hope Johnson

March | taking risks with your space

I tried pretty diligently to make a joke about March Madness and tie that into this month’s theme. It didn’t feel quite right. Those who know me well know there are just a few sports I keep up with. Anyway, the nod to “madness” is an attempt to break the rules, use the wild card, and take risks with your space! I’m sharing some of my favorite spaces below that do this well. We’re talking quirky, in the most beautiful way - POPS of color, unconventional use of space, and fun things in between!

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Color of the Year …but different
MONTHLY MUSINGS Hope Johnson MONTHLY MUSINGS Hope Johnson

Color of the Year …but different

If you gave anyone who knows me a blank piece of paper and prompted that person to write 100 words about me, trendy will not be one of them. I’ve never been one to dress or style based on what’s trendy. I go for comfort - in both my apparel and home. Nonetheless, I coincidentally find trends that I do love …regardless of its popularity or maybe loved it before the internet loved it. Warm color palettes are always going to be where my eyes gravitate. Although, Peach Fuzz, the 2024 color of the year might land in the pastels, it’s really in the orange category and part of the warm palette family (IMO).

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New Colors: bricks, blues, and brass
MONTHLY MUSINGS, INTERIORS + DECOR Hope Johnson MONTHLY MUSINGS, INTERIORS + DECOR Hope Johnson

New Colors: bricks, blues, and brass

The thrill is real about the new color options for the top five favorites. What I love most about all things design is the balance and blend of opposing subjects. Maybe it’s the mix of modern and vintage or the mix of clean lines paired with touches of maximalism. The wallpaper and textile line was designed with that blend in mind. It’s no secret that there’s a common thread of florals across the options of repeating motifs. To balance the dainty femininity of those florals, you’ll find a warm and moody color palette to compensate.

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January | recap and a new year’s welcome
INTERIORS + DECOR, MONTHLY MUSINGS Hope Johnson INTERIORS + DECOR, MONTHLY MUSINGS Hope Johnson

January | recap and a new year’s welcome

It brings me great joy to welcome 2024 to the calendar. My hope for this year is that we continue to connect here, through my monthly musings, or on the grid on instagram. Those are the places you’ll find me most. I went on a personal deep dive last month and hinted around about all what’s to come for this year. I cannot wait to watch the months unfold to what will hopefully be a beautiful trip around the sun.

byHopeatHome will focus on designer spotlights, art for art’s sake, product launches, and of course wallpaper and textiles. Cheers to 2024, my friend! Let’s recap last year and welcome the new one!

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December | endings & beginnings
MONTHLY MUSINGS Hope Johnson MONTHLY MUSINGS Hope Johnson

December | endings & beginnings

As I wrap up this year, a year that felt like it had 72 months in it, I’m reflecting on so much I want to open up about with you. You’ve got your friends that knock on your front door for a visit, right? Then you’ve got your friends who park as far into your driveway as possible. That friend (dressed in joggers and not even the cute kind) comes to the back door, walks right in and proceeds to make their own coffee with a cup they keep at your place just for these visits.

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Five Types of Lighting: and why you need them all
INTERIORS + DECOR Hope Johnson INTERIORS + DECOR Hope Johnson

Five Types of Lighting: and why you need them all

The love for the home has me writing about lighting today, which seems relevant as we will soon say goodbye to those long summer days of late evening sunshine (for those who still practice daylight savings time).

Lighting is most often an overlooked detail. For those who have the opportunity to build from scratch, a common mistake with lighting is that it is often dealt with after the fact or not viewed in sync with the entire room. Industry speaks to certain varieties of light that are typically needed in a space. Lighting should be viewed as “layers” in a space and should be found at different heights of the room, from the ceiling to sitting or below sitting level.

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November | taking stock (with the word ‘and’)
MONTHLY MUSINGS Hope Johnson MONTHLY MUSINGS Hope Johnson

November | taking stock (with the word ‘and’)

October, November, and December are like the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of the year. I read that somewhere recently and boy is that true. If you celebrate Thanksgiving this month, I hope part of your year’s “weekend” was or is going to be nothing short of joyful.



This time of year, I like to take tangible notes of things I’m thankful for. But ya know what, sometimes, that task is a frustrating one, because I have a list of things I didn’t accomplish this year too. There are circumstances I wish I could change that I can’t, and there’s a timeline for my goals I’ve set that isn’t really getting along with the timeline that is in fact reality.

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