Finding Stillness in the Dust

Whether you are choosing a backsplash for your dream kitchen or clearing out a late parent’s attic, the key to surviving the transition is intentionality.

Whether selecting a finish for a new kitchen or navigating the quiet halls of a family residence to sort through a lifetime of acquisitions, the key to a successful transition is intentionality.

This process—renovating, redecorating, or the delicate task of redirecting a collection—is more than a logistical hurdle; it is a meditation in itself. There will be delays, structural surprises, and the inevitable emotional triggers that come with letting go. The objective is not simply to complete the residence—it is to ensure that one’s sense of self remains intact when the final box is unpacked.

The transition of belongings—deciding what remains, what is gifted, and what is released—is the most intimate form of editing. It is the act of deciding what parts of the past are worthy of the future. "Our house-identity does not exist in the stone and mortar, but in the space we carve out within ourselves to inhabit."Rainer Maria Rilke