This morning, I was sitting outside on the patio with my iced chai, enjoying one of those rare little Houston moments when the breeze is just right. The air felt surprisingly comfortable, the trees were moving gently, and for a few minutes, I thought, this is exactly where I want to be. Then the breeze disappeared, the cloud moved, and suddenly I was sitting in the blazing Houston heat, sweating through my morning and holding an iced chai that was becoming decidedly less iced. So, naturally, I went inside.

But as I walked into the house, I had another thought: Why doesn’t inside always feel as peaceful as outside? For years, my home was very white. Clean, bright, and certainly beautiful, but over time, I started to notice that some spaces felt a little too crisp. I wanted my home to feel warm, inviting, and peaceful—not overly decorated, but not so white that it felt impersonal either.

That has led me to rethink some of my spaces and embrace something I am seeing more and more in home design: organic design. There is a reason this style is gaining so much attention. After years of the all-white interior dominating design, people are beginning to bring color, texture, natural materials, and greenery back into their homes. Instead of rooms that feel perfectly polished but somewhat impersonal, we are seeing spaces that feel warmer, more collected, and more comfortable.

And I have to say, I am enjoying it.

I’ve been redesigning areas of my own home and slowly introducing more color. Nothing too dramatic or overly trendy. Just richer tones, softer textures, natural materials, and pieces that make the rooms feel more inviting. I’ve also been adding plants here and there, which instantly give a space a little more life.

What I love most about organic design is the feeling it creates. There is something inherently calming about natural colors and materials. Greens, warm neutrals, earthy tones, wood, linen, stone, and greenery can soften a room in a way that an all-white palette simply cannot. They create visual warmth without making a space feel busy. And that matters, particularly in Houston.

We spend so much of our lives moving between the indoors and outdoors, but our climate often dictates exactly how long we can comfortably stay outside. A beautiful morning on the patio can turn into an afternoon retreat indoors very quickly. I want that transition to feel comforting rather than disappointing. I want my home to feel like a place where I can exhale—somewhere that feels peaceful after a busy day, where I can enjoy my morning chai, entertain friends, or simply sit quietly without feeling like I am living inside a showroom.

Plants have become part of that equation for me. A beautiful plant in a corner, greenery near a window, or even a small arrangement on a table can completely change the feeling of a room. They add movement and life, while color and natural textures keep the space from feeling overly stark.

Of course, I still love a beautiful white room. There is nothing wrong with a crisp, sophisticated interior. But I think we are beginning to understand that luxury does not have to mean minimal, monochromatic, or perfectly coordinated. Sometimes, luxury is comfort. Sometimes, it is a room that feels collected over time rather than designed all at once. It is the velvet chair you want to sink into, the wood table that gets better with age, the plant that has grown a little too large for its corner, or the unexpected color that makes you smile every time you walk into the room.

As August winds down and Houston slowly begins its long transition toward fall, I find myself appreciating these little changes even more. We may not have crisp autumn mornings just yet, but we can certainly create a home that feels refreshed for the season ahead. For me, that has meant saying goodbye to some of the white and welcoming a little more color, texture, greenery, and personality.

After all, if Houston is going to keep us inside for part of the day, I want the inside to feel just as welcoming as the outdoors.

Until next time,
Dee Dee Guggenheim Howes