Embracing a home meant for family living —one intentional room at a time.
There was a time when open floor plans felt like the height of style, where bigger was better.
Where walls disappeared, rooms blended together, and every corner of a home was flexible.
We cooked ate worked and relaxed all in the same space. But we have noticed a return to rooms with a purpose.
The most interesting homes we’ve seen recently are bringing rooms back—not more square footage, but more intention.
Rooms that invite you to do one thing well, rather than everything at once. Isn’t the Jennifer Neil Talia Chandelier stunning?!
Breakfast rooms are quietly returning, offering an intentional start to the day.
Libraries feel less decorated and more like a gathering spot.
Sitting rooms aren’t just for guests, they’re for discovering a favorite book and drinking your early morning coffee. Purposeful rooms bring a simplicity to everyday life.
These rooms don’t feel too precious. They feel lived in.
Sabbe Interior Design is a master at designing rooms with a purpose.
There’s something timeless about a home that allows each room to unfolds. A place to eat with family.
A nook perfect for organizing your day.
Even storage has its own space and is puppy approved.
These spaces tend to be layered and inviting. Comfortable bedding, cozy rugs and special antiques that feel warm and personal,
with a bathroom designed for relaxing.
Homes with purposeful rooms just feel more inviting even if they’re smaller.
The return of rooms with a purpose isn’t a trend. It’s just a quiet correction.
A reminder that a well-loved home doesn’t have to present itself all at once, it can unfold, one beautiful room at a time.
Are you noticing more rooms with a purpose? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below and as always, thank you for reading Design Chic!
Beautiful Photography: Joseph Bradshaw
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My 13th novel SUMMER STATE of MINDreleases May 5, 2026 and I can’t wait to share it with you. Preorder here!
More About SUMMER STATE OF MIND:
“Queen of the beach read,” (Cosmopolitan) New York Times bestselling author Kristy Woodson Harvey returns with a heartfelt escape to coastal Carolina.
After the worst day in her professional life, burnt-out NICU nurse Daisy Stevens runs to Cape Carolina, North Carolina, looking for a new life—and possibly new romance. On her first day at her “simpler” job, high school baseball coach Mason Thaysden discovers an abandoned baby, sending ripples through the entire tight-knit town of Cape Carolina.
Mason is still struggling to reconcile the scars of the injury that kept him out of the big leagues, stuck in his hometown, and searching for a way out. This newcomer and the child they’ve saved together might be just the motivation he needs to stay put. Sparks fly as Mason acquaints Daisy with Cape Carolina, introducing her to his friends and family, including his batty Aunt Tilley, who is looking for relief from long-buried family secrets and her own fresh start.
But as Daisy becomes increasingly attached to this abandoned child, and begins facing her own demons in the process, a startling discovery is made that threatens to rip the entire town of Cape Carolina apart, placing Daisy, Mason, and Tilley in the center of the storm. In a novel that proves that “Kristy Woodson Harvey is (the) go-to for elevated beach reads” (People), they will each learn that with love, understanding—and a community theater production of Hello, Dolly!—sometimes life conspires to bring us just exactly where we belong.
