Astrid Insieme
Founder/Owner of Insieme House
Sanbornton, New Hampshire
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Instagram: @insieme_house | insiemehouse.com
Best Advice
Always follow your instincts. Personally, this maxim has always served me well. It may take some time to truly hear and be able to distinguish its particular “voice” from all the other competing ones within our being, but once you connect with it, it’s always the best life compass!
Secrets to Great Home Images
Always rely on natural light and get creative with your vantage points when photographing your home! Also, it’s important to understand that objects read quite differently behind the lens than they do in reality, so oftentimes you need to (re)adjust how things are placed in relation to each other in order to achieve that perfectly composed shot. The truth is that there is a lot of styling and recalibrating involved in those seemingly effortless photos!
Creating a Nurturing Home
My biggest tip is to wholeheartedly embrace the idea that essentially, your home should be a projection of your inner world. It really is as simple as that! Your home should reflect and embody your aesthetic preferences, your experiences and ultimately evolve with you. If you fill it with objet that you love and surround yourself with the colors, textures, scents and sounds that most appeal to you, you’ll have created an environment that ultimately echoes and nurtures your soul.
Making Your Space Feel More Alive
Plants are a surefire way to bring life and organic appeal to any space! Artwork adds vivacity too, as does a constant stream of music. And fragrant candlelight in the evening! The reality is that a happy home is one that is used…where meals are cooked and shared, where its inhabitants enjoy each other’s company and entertain guests. Essentially, how alive a space feels corresponds directly to how dynamic the household is!
Design Hacks
Generally, I think it’s important to approach design with the idea that items you already have can be revamped and given a new lease on life, whether through paint or new upholstery, etc. Adopting the spirit of repurposing and refurbishing opens the door to transforming things and creating unique and personalized pieces. And also, it allows you to see and use items differently than they are intended…I recently transformed resin baskets into outdoor solar lanterns, for example!
ORIGIN Quick List
Where do you do most of your collecting?
Thrift stores, antique shops, flea markets
Where do you shop to find your pieces?
Anywhere and everywhere – no sourcing snobbery here!
If you had to design a room in one color, what would it be?
Blue
What designer or site gives you the most inspiration?
Michelle Nussbaumer
What hashtags do you use to find awesome design on Instagram?
One of your favorite quotes?
“The mind is everything…what you think, you become.” (Buddha)
Something we wouldn't know about you?
I’m double-jointed, have dual citizenship, and had two wedding ceremonies (same guy!)
The 411
I am a Portuguese-born interior decorator/product stylist/online shop owner living in the woods of New Hampshire with my amazing Husband, Brian, in joint pursuit of creating our best lives. Currently remodeling our A-frame into something a little bit different.