Welcome to Second Nature, a Q+A series with Jute founder, Ali Davin, that explores all things healthy living, with a fond emphasis on that thing she does best—interior design.
Natural light is one of the most important things to consider when designing a space—we personally obsess over the size and placement of windows and doors in order to maximize it. But no matter where your home is located, you need window treatments to control the flow of light and provide privacy.
When it comes to decorating your space, chances are there’s one element in particular that really excites you. Some people are really into furniture while others gravitate toward textiles, and whether they realize it or not, nearly everyone has strong opinions on lighting.
There’s something about the start of a new year that makes people take stock of their lives and resolve to improve them. And that often extends to their homes. While summer may be high season for remodeling, winter is actually a smart time to do it, especially if it’s mostly interior work.
If you’re the type to make new year’s resolutions, chances are you‘ve switched to organic foods, pledged to shop locally, or even planned a slow-travel vacation. These small actions can add up to lower your environmental footprint.
Chances are you’ve been reading food labels for years and know which ingredients to avoid. You might also choose clean beauty products. But did you know that many of the items in your home can impact your indoor air quality—and your health?
Have you ever dreamt of opening a door in your home and discovering a space you didn’t know you had? It may not be as novel as a secret room, but you can utilize the area just outside your back door and transform it into an outdoor living room. Think of it as expanding your home’s footprint without an actual addition.
Picture the layout of your ideal living space: is it traditional and structured or an open plan that flows from one area to another? There’s no right answer. There are benefits to having separate rooms in your home—quiet, privacy, coziness—but there’s something so friendly and welcoming about a more casual multipurpose concept.
The entryway is like a welcome mat: everyone sees it, but they don’t spend much time there. And while it serves a very functional purpose—it’s a place to drop your keys, hang your coat, and literally enter your house—it also creates a strong first impression and sets the tone for your home.
There’s a reason it’s called a primary bathroom—it should be the most stunning one in your home, as well as a place where you can indulge and escape. And while everyone has a slightly different vision, designing the ideal room comes down to prioritizing the features that are most important to you.
Although you spend most of your time there with your eyes closed, the primary bedroom is one of the most important rooms in your house. It’s where you rest and relax, and where your body detoxifies.
We all know the importance of eating organic food: it means consuming fewer pesticides, antibiotics, and artificial ingredients, plus it’s better for the planet. But the health benefits of a clean diet can be greatly affected by storing your food—plus dishes, utensils, and cookware—in an environment that’s off-gassing toxic chemicals.
There’s a reason working out has the word “work” in it—often the hardest part of exercise is actually motivating yourself to do it. But instead of dragging yourself to a communal gym, what if you had your very own personal fitness sanctuary in your home?
There’s always a moment when you know a house is The One. It may be the light, the view from the kitchen, or an amazing spa bathroom. But sometimes, it’s what’s outside the home—in this case, a magical backyard that feels like a secret garden.
When you think about renovating your home, are you most excited about budgeting, demolition…or selecting paint, fixtures, and materials? Don’t worry—you’re not alone.
In theory, building a home from scratch sounds like a good idea: every last detail is tailored to your family’s needs, and there are few, if any hidden problems. In reality, it’s a huge financial investment and, in California, typically takes 5–10 years. More often than not, your kids have left the house by the time the build is finished.
In spite of their long, dark, cold winters, Scandinavian people are the happiest in the world, probably because they’ve perfected the art of getting cozy. The Danish call it hygge, but it’s about more than a fireplace and a cup of coffee —it’s creating a feeling of contentment and enjoying the good things in life.
While we live in a digital age, nothing beats the feeling of curling up with a good book in your hands. And if you’re an avid reader, there’s something almost sacred about the ritual of reading.
Does anyone actually like doing laundry? Then again, if you’re doing the wash in a dark, damp, unfinished space, that may have something to do with it. Wouldn’t it be nice if there were a way to make this unavoidable chore a little less tedious?
While the kitchen is a constant reminder of real life— groceries to put away, dishes in the sink, piles of stuff accumulating on the island—the dining room is the domain of your fancy, pulled-together self. It’s where you entertain friends and family, share a delicious meal, and connect through sparkling conversation.
There’s a nip in the air, and it’s time to trade your rosé for a glass of red, but that doesn’t mean you need to spend the next six months indoors. Thanks to heat lamps and outdoor fireplaces (and down jackets), we can extend our time outside well into autumn.
Zoom calls at the island. Homework at the banquette. A glass of wine at the bar. Chances are you’ve been using your kitchen for more than cooking, so why not design it to be a more multipurpose space?
No matter how beautiful, purposeful, or elevated your home design is, no space feels complete without artwork. It’s what makes your home feel truly personal, and it’s often the first thing people notice when they enter a room.
Remember when grabbing a backpack and a Eurail pass and hitting seven cities in two weeks sounded like a good idea? Now that we lead more stress-filled lives, rushing from place to place is often the last thing we want to do. What if you could stay in one destination, take in your surroundings at a more leisurely pace, and actually be able to relax?
You know that relaxed, recharged, rebalanced feeling you get from spending a week (or two) at a resort? That’s how you should feel in your vacation home. And because it’s a place to escape everyday life, the décor should look somewhat different from your primary residence.
When you were a kid, chances are your family spent most vacations in the same place every time. That likely shaped how you recharge and where you go to do it. And while traveling the world is always a rewarding experience, there’s something comforting—and instantly relaxing—about returning to a familiar destination.
Climate change is real. Over the last 150 years, increased greenhouse gas emissions—particularly carbon dioxide—have trapped heat in the atmosphere and made the planet gradually warmer. The number-one source of these emissions: burning fossil fuels for energy.
Have you ever noticed that whenever you’re entertaining at home, everyone always ends up in the kitchen? It’s the social hub of your home—and where the food and drinks are—and thus where everyone wants to be.
For many of us, the first of spring isn’t the when the trees begin to blossom, the birds start to sing, or even an arbitrary date on the calendar. Instead, it’s the first day that’s still bright enough to enjoy dinner outside—even if we’re still bundled up in our parkas.
When it comes to real-estate buzzwords, curb appeal is the new location, location, location. While a good-looking exterior can get prospective buyers in the door and potentially increase your home’s value, it impacts more than just selling (or buying) a house.
When designing your home, lighting is probably one of the last things you think about. But it’s just as important as the structure, surfaces, and furnishings, if not more so. Light plays a huge role in the functionality and the mood of a space, as well as how you feel inside of it.
If you have the means, building your dream home from scratch—or undergoing a to-the-studs renovation—can be totally worth it. It can also take years of waiting for permits, addressing unforeseen setbacks, and even battling your neighbors in court.
For many, the start of a new year means committing to a transformation, whether that’s focusing on fitness, finances, family, or all of the above. And while radical resolutions can take time to manifest, giving your living space a makeover can be both fairly simple and highly impactful.
Floors are the foundation of our living space—they’re where you do yoga, play with the kids, or just rest your feet. And as the largest surface in your home, they can have a dramatic effect on its look and feel.
Dining in is the new dining out, and with the holidays approaching, chances are you’ll be entertaining at home in the upcoming months. But as anyone who’s ever hosted a dinner party knows, what food you serve is often the least important part.
For many people, autumn means going back to school, changing colors, and pumpkin spice everything. For others, it means shorter days, the common cold, and even a sense of sadness as the freedom of summer comes to an end.
Picture this: perfectly hung rails of clothes. A neat stack of sweaters. Shoes lined up tidily along floor-to-ceiling shelves. A comfy seat in the middle. But you’re not in a chic little boutique—you’re in your very own closet.
Cotton or linen? Blanket or quilt? Top sheet or not? The bedding options are endless, and in spite of what your grandmother might have told you, there’s no right or wrong way to make a bed.
Thanks to modern technology, we take conference calls in the car, check email after putting the kids to bed, and send invoices from the sofa. The lines may be blurred, but there is a way to make working from home work for you.
From the first time they sleep through the night to the days when you have to drag them out of bed before noon, kids grow up so quickly—and so do their tastes.
Kitchens tend to get all the attention, but the bathroom is one of the hardest-working spaces in your home. Serene yet practical, luxe yet utilitarian, it’s a small room with a big emphasis on function.
Whether you’re a beach person or a city person, travel is a way to connect with different cultures, appreciate the beauty of the world, and create memories to last a lifetime. It’s also an opportunity to protect and preserve our planet.
Have you ever noticed that when you host a gathering, everyone ends up in the kitchen? It’s where the food and drinks are, but it’s the heart of the home, where we nourish ourselves and connect with each other.
Our living spaces have more influence over our day-to-day lives than we realize. And if things aren’t going as well as they could be, it may not be you—it may be your home. The good news? It’s all fixable.
Are you sitting down right now? If the answer is yes, chances are it’s on a piece of upholstered furniture. From dining chairs to sofas, most of our waking hours (and frequently our sleeping hours) are spent on these comfy furnishings.
If you’ve ever been to Italy, you’ve probably noticed that Italians know how to live. It’s more than delicious food and wine; la dolce vita—the sweet life—is all about embracing simple pleasures every day.
It’s a beautiful day, and you want to relax outside with a book for a few hours. Which sounds more enticing: a random cluster of plastic furniture, or a living area filled with natural materials that’s just as cozy and comfortable as your indoor one?
Picture this: there’s a fire in the fireplace, you’ve just made a drink at the wet bar, and now you’re sitting down to relax on your sofa. But you’re not in your house—you’re in your outside living room.
As anyone who has ever decorated a home knows, the options are endless—and dizzying. But beyond aesthetics, everything from the paint on your walls to the linens on your bed can affect your health.
You’ve made the decision to renovate your home, and that’s super exciting. But there’s more to it than just designing your dream space. From demolition to construction, the materials and techniques you use can affect the environment inside and outside of your home.
The Scandinavian concept of Hygge has been all the rage for awhile. Who doesn’t love feeling cozy, comfy, and content? But Hygge is more than a cup of tea and a thick blanket. It’s part of a greater design movement that embraces simplicity, function, and connection to the natural world.
A cozy, approachable living space starts from the ground up—literally. The right area rug should visually define a room, but there’s more to it than style. Area rugs absorb impact and sound, add warmth, and help us feel grounded by slowing down the energy flow of a space in a calming, welcoming way.
Much like the paleo diet, there’s a lot to be learned from the past. From how they built their homes to how they cleaned them, our ancestors were pioneers in sustainable living.
Green juice. Raw food. Elimination diets. Sound familiar? Chances are, you’ve given your body a detox from time to time, and you’ve felt amazing afterward.
At its surface, feng shui can seem like a mystifying combination of colors, elements, and directions. But there’s more to it than painting your front door red, adding a water fountain, and hanging a few crystals.
Whether you live in a climate that changes with the seasons, your linens wear out, or just because you feel like a change (no judgment!), soft goods come into your home more regularly than anything else. Here’s why you should always choose natural ones.
It’s common knowledge that we should eat organic food, cook with nontoxic pans, and clean with natural products. We are conscious of what we consume with our bodies, but what about the environment we live in? The next step in living a green, sustainable life is being conscious of the materials in our home, from the surfaces that surround us to the air we breathe.
Have you ever had such a good night of sleep that you felt like a bear emerging from a months-long slumber? Remember that feeling of waking up clear-headed, bright-eyed, and ready to conquer the world?
Antiques do more than add character to your home. They can last for hundreds of years and are more than an investment—they’re a way to keep your home (and the planet) healthy.
