Interior Design: What Does Your Home Say About Your Identity? | Emily Paulsen & Jamie Gasparovic
Interior design gets dismissed as superficial all the time, something you either have a knack for or don’t. But after sitting down with Jamie Gasparovic, founder of Studio Gaspo, I’m convinced: it’s deeper than style. It’s about identity.
Jamie designs bold, unapologetic homes for people who are, in her words, “allergic to the ordinary.” But what makes her work stand out isn’t just the aesthetics. It’s the strategy. Her process starts with values, memories, and ambition, not fabric swatches or Pinterest boards. And that’s what makes her spaces feel alive.
We talked about what it means to live in a home that actually supports you, not just logistically, but emotionally. And why so many of us end up in environments that don’t feel like us… even if they look great.
Because here’s the truth: when your space is out of alignment, it wears on you. You feel it in your routines. In your energy. In your self-perception.
And the good news? Fixing it doesn’t start with a remodel. It starts with noticing.
Notice Where You’re Stubbing Your Toe
One of the most practical takeaways from this conversation was this: your home is constantly giving you feedback. You just have to pay attention.
Where are you stubbing your toe every morning?
Where do you have to cross the kitchen three times to make a drink?
What part of your setup feels clunky, awkward, or like it never quite works?
Start a list. Keep it in your Notes app. These little friction points aren’t minor annoyances. They’re data. They tell you what your space needs to function better, and they’re the best place to begin when you’re ready to make a change.
Start With Identity, Not Inspiration
Jamie’s entire approach flips the script on how most of us think about design. Instead of collecting trends or trying to recreate a look you saw online, she encourages starting with your story.
What moments from your childhood home stuck with you, and why?
What do you want to feel in your living room?
What matters to you more than how the space looks?
These aren’t abstract questions. They’re the foundation for real design decisions. Whether it’s choosing color, art, layout, or furniture, aligning with your identity gives you a filter to evaluate everything through. Without that, you’re just guessing, and that’s usually when regret (and redesign) shows up six months later.
You’re Allowed to Use Placeholders
There’s so much pressure to get everything “right” on the first try. But as Jamie shared, design is an evolution. And sometimes the smartest move is to use something temporary while you wait for the right piece.
That might mean putting a basic print in a frame until you find the art that speaks to you. It might mean using an off-the-rack rug while you search for the vintage one you actually want. Placeholders are allowed. They’re part of the process.
This isn’t about perfection, it’s about momentum. Being in motion toward something that feels like you, even if it’s not finished yet, is more powerful than waiting for everything to be just right.
Curious About How Your Space Can Grow With You?
Our homes should reflect who we are, not just who we were when we moved in. And as we evolve, our environments should evolve too.
You don’t need a background in design to make that happen. You just need to pay attention. To ask better questions. And to trust that your space can support your next chapter, if you give it the chance.
Here are a few ways to begin:
Track your daily friction. Every inconvenience is a design opportunity.
Make a list of what you want to feel in each room, before you shop.
Let go of the pressure to finish. You’re allowed to layer, wait, and evolve.
Use placeholders strategically, fill the space while staying open to something better.
Stop asking what’s trendy. Start asking what’s true.
Let’s Stay Curious Together
This isn’t about having a magazine-worthy home. It’s about feeling grounded where you are. Supported by your environment. Called forward by your space.
You can listen to the full episode with Jamie Gasparovic wherever you get your podcasts. And if it sparked something in you, a shift, a memory, an idea, I’d love to hear it.
Join me on Instagram @curiouslifeofachildfreewoman and tell me what you’re rethinking about your space.
🎧 Listen to the full episode here.
And join the conversation on Instagram @curiouslifeofachildfreewoman.
