Hi friends! I’ve returned from my whirlwind week in Scandinavia overflowing with inspiration, fresh ideas, and so many things to share with you! I’ve gotten many a request to share a recap of my trip and tips on where to go and where to shop in Sweden & Copenhagen. If you want that too just let me know in comments or on Instagram.

But I also had a rather major aha moment while enjoying these design-soaked travels. You may not have even noticed but a couple years ago I quietly changed Apt34’s mission to “offer inspiring tips and ideas for an intentional approach to modern living.” The key word here is intentional.

It can be really easy to get caught up in the wave of want. I need to “change my house for spring.” I want these new pillows, or new bedding set or perhaps an entirely new kitchen. But have you have stopped to ask what, in fact, is your intention for “needing” these things. The more I “shopped” through Scandinavia, looking at beautifully designed pieces everywhere I went, the more I realized I actually need very little.

Instead, I began to think about the intention of our houses. Is it to feel cozy? Calm? Inspired? To be welcoming? Feel friendly? Or soothing?

So many design trends come and go (as we regularly document here), and yes, you can always get something cute at Target, but what if we didn’t cram our spaces full and instead looked for moments for our eyes to rest. To actually notice everything in our homes, rather than gloss over the details.

So as I move ever closer to calling This Old Victorian complete (SO close you guys, I thinking you might appreciate weekly updates – you interested??) I’m going to hold my intention for my version of modern living, rather than my desire for stuff, to drive the final design.

I would invite you to also think about your spaces in terms of how you want them to make you feel!

all images from H&M Home Spring 2019 collection, as a little reminder that thoughtful design doesn’t have to cost a fortune