Preserving Stories Through Design

As a child, I watched my grandmother carefully tend to the settee that had once belonged to her mother. It had been in the family for generations. Her grandfather used to nap on it every Sunday afternoon. Now, it sits at the foot of my bed, a quiet but powerful reminder of the hands that have rested on its arms, the conversations it has witnessed, and the history it carries.

Years later, I found myself living across the world—Nigeria, Angola, China, Spain—constantly reshaping my idea of "home." Each move came with new walls, new furniture, and a new culture to embrace. But no matter how different the surroundings, it was the personal pieces—the Nigerian quilt, now framed and hanging on my wall, the handcrafted wooden sculpture from Beijing, layered over my husband’s grandfather’s hand-carved wooden screen, the Micanga glass trade beads from Angola, shimmering with history. That grounded me. These weren’t just objects; they were touchstones, each carrying whispers of the past, of places and people I had loved.

History has shown us what happens when personal and cultural artifacts are erased. The burning of the Library of Alexandria, the looting of sacred temples, and the destruction of artwork during wars. These moments stripped civilizations of their stories, their identities. When we remove or disregard the objects that hold meaning, we lose more than decoration; we lose history itself.

That is why, as a designer, I am passionate about preserving and elevating the personal pieces that tell a story. I don’t believe in starting from scratch just because a trend has changed. Instead, I help my clients weave their past into their present, incorporating heirlooms, travel finds, and sentimental pieces in a way that feels fresh, intentional, and uniquely theirs.

A well-designed home isn’t just beautiful, it’s personal. It should reflect where you’ve been, who you are, and what you cherish most. Because when we honor our personal histories, we don’t just create beautiful spaces. We create living, breathing stories that stand the test of time.