I both love to decorate and love to appreciate other people’s home décor. I’ve probably said this before, but I’ll say it again: your home tells the story of who you are. I always find myself entranced by the way that other people decorate, whether it’s similar to my design style or totally different. Here are some of the things about decorating that I find fascinating.

1. Clusters of jewelry and beauty supplies on a dresser

I like to leave my perfume, my most-used hair supplies, my makeup, and my favorite jewelry on full display on my vanity table. This is because I think that these items are so interesting. I find myself fascinated when I’m at someone else’s home seeing an assortment of their beauty supplies — what products do they use? What kinds of interesting packaging do these products have? What pieces of jewelry do they own? Are the pieces heirlooms or simple costume jewelry? Some people like clean surfaces, but I prefer to leave out items that tell the story of my life. It’s simply more interesting!

2. Beautiful books and magazines

Besides the fact that putting these on display can be quite attractive, I love that books and magazines essentially tell the tale of your inner life — your intellectual journey. They are evidence of a rich thought life, and they show what it is that you enjoy thinking about the most. For me, many of my books and magazines are design and fashion, which shows how much time I spend thinking about creativity.

3. A variety of colors, textures, and patterns

I love mixing all of these things together in interesting ways. I adore mixing a variety of bright colors and floral patterns with a splash of leopard print (I would call this my signature style). I love the texture that wood, woven baskets, fluffy pillows, and even rusted metal add to a room. I subscribe to the idea that variety is the spice of life, and so you’ll never see me with a simple, clean design style. It’s just not me!

4. Found items that contribute to a well-traveled feeling

My fascination with found items goes hand in hand with my fascination of seeing someone’s beauty supplies. Besides being visually interesting, these kinds of items have the power to tell your life story without words. I will always prefer a well-curated collection of thrifted items or items picked up from traveling to a home of items bought at Home Goods or Anthropologie (not that these stores don’t have beautiful items!).