What Winnie Harlow's New Digs Can Teach Us About Creating a Feeling of 'Home'

Winnie Harlow’s Dressing area photographed by Douglas Friedman for AD Magazine

I came across the glamorous home of model Winnie Harlow in Architectural Digest’s September 2023 issue. Besides dissecting every angle of her sleek new digs, I was intrigued by her story (told by Sydney Gore) and the way she created a feeling of home. Harlow is best known for being the first supermodel with vitiligo, shattering all sorts of stereotypes about what it means to be beautiful. The idea of turning a visible “condition” into a work of art admired by an industry that previously shunned it, is nothing short of genius and very modern. 

With the help of A-list interior designer, Martyn Lawrence Bullard, Harlow designed a home that exudes a laidback luxe vibe. As per the article, Harlow worked with interior designers in the past, yet they weren’t able to grasp her vision– her desire for a space that felt both glamorous and soothing. Had she worked with a design psychologist, perhaps things would have turned out differently. A design psychologist is trained to highlight the nuances in our vision for a space and translate it to an ideal design scheme, layered with meaning. 

Self-Expression is Everything

Winnie Harlow’s Family Room photographed by Douglas Freidman for AD Magazine

This “vision” we have for home may not always be easy to articulate and is rooted in our self-place connection which first appears early in childhood. As young children begin to experience the physical world, everything is new and enchanting; and it is during these moments that our emotional life and home become intertwined. Our concept of home is much more than a building, it’s a place where we have been nurtured and loved, or not. So it can be difficult to separate the details of the space from our emotional experience with it. And as we grow and experience new places, we build upon those earlier experiences of place.  

Design psychologist, Toby Israel, Ph.D. explains in her seminal book, Some Place Like Home, we experience a strong self-place connection when our space fits our image of home and self, allowing for the ultimate self-expression. While an aesthetically pleasing home is something we strive for, a home that meets our psychological needs goes a long way in helping us create a feeling of home. When a home meets our need for self-expression, and we are able to experience a sense of love and belonging in it, it  is said to satisfy our psychological needs. 

Draw from Complex Experiences

Winnie Harlow’s Bathroom photographed by Douglas Friedman for AD Magazine

Bullard did not mention the use of design psychology, but his ability to create a space for Harlow that made her feel like it was an accurate expression of her suggests he was attuned to her psychological needs. He appeased Harlow’s desire for a glamorous and soothing space using  curvy furnishings and warm textures in a dramatic black and white color palette.  While I do not know Harlow personally, I suspect that her experience with vitiligo has impacted her design sensibilities. That is, if she was ostracized for her condition and had to learn how to move through the world with an inner resolve about her value, then it may make sense that she is drawn to drama and luxury as a way to assert and pamper herself. 

Beyond that, Harlow’s desire for calm surroundings may be a way to balance out her fast-paced, high-profile life, and perhaps a reminder of a less stressful time growing up in the Caribbean. Of course, this is all speculation but a possibility nonetheless. In a similar vein, Bullard’s reported decision to capture the joy of her accomplishments by adorning Harlow’s walls with pictures of herself is certainly consistent with design psychology principles. While Harlow is now venerated for her boundary-breaking modeling career, success is not a straight line and she may continue to struggle or may have old wounds that show up every now and then. So the presence of her pictures act as a visible reminder of her ability to overcome obstacles, and help to foster self-love and a sense of belonging. 

Tips for Creating the Feeling of Home

Winnie Harlow’s Dining Room photographed by Douglas Friedman for AD Magazine

Consider high positive associations. 

As mentioned above, a home that is psychologically satisfying is key to creating the feeling of home. If you work with a design psychologist, they will take you through a series of exercises to help you uncover the elements of home that are ideal for you. But a simple way to start creating an ideal space is to consider the places you’ve lived, stayed, or visited; and identify high positive associations with those places. In other words, consider what elements from past places stood out and inspired you. Next, think about how you can incorporate those elements in your current space. One thing to remember is that design psychology is not about nostalgic design. So rather than trying to recreate past places, try capturing the essence of those high positive associations from past places so you can experience them in your current space. In that way, your home becomes more of you, and is better equipped to support you as you strive to be the best you, you can be. 

Choose furnishings that go beyond trends.

I love a good trend as much as anyone. But we often tire of trends once they have had their moment. So if you do not have the means to keep switching out furnishings, and prefer something longer lasting, think about pieces that you will appreciate beyond the trends. Consider furnishings with classic, simple lines that can be paired with many decor styles, or maybe a sentimental piece that has become part of your home story. 

Move objects around.

When we’ve seen a room the same way for months or years, it can start to feel old, triggering the urge to buy new furniture. But instead of spending more money, try rearranging the furniture first. It can give the room a jolt of energy, and create a sense of excitement that makes it feel as if you had purchased new furniture. What’s more, when you rearrange your room during a significant life change, it can act as a catalyst for adaptability and growth. 

Think about how much control you have in your home.

According to a 2003 article, the place people remember as most significant during childhood are ones found in nature where they were able to create and use their imagination to the fullest. That is, they valued the place they had the most control. Unfortunately, children who have had traumatic home experiences with little to no control over their environment do not fare as well. It is the inability to make changes to their environment or exercise choices that lead to what Israel refers to in Some Place Like Home, as an “environmental assault” on their sense of self and value. That is, children’s immersion in an environment that fails to validate them contributes to a lack of self-validation. Thus, while you may not have experienced childhood trauma, it shows how important a sense of control is in your living space. You may live in a rented apartment and cannot paint your walls or put up wallpaper, but you may be able to incorporate color by hanging pictures on the wall. So instead of focusing on what you cannot control in your space, turn your attention to what you can do to express yourself in some way and create a sense of connection with the space. 

Consider designing for a variety of sensory experiences 

While we tend to focus on sight, our memories are triggered by all the senses. So it’s important to consider how a space feels, smells, and sounds in order to more fully connect with your surroundings. The more in tuned you are with your dwelling space, the more it will satisfy you psychologically, and the the easier it is to use as a springboard to live out your potential. 

Why the Idea of "Good Taste" Feels Out of Sync in 2023? A Design Psychology Perspective

Elsie De Wolfe’s Residence via Another

I grew up in an era when good taste was well, good taste. It didn’t necessarily need to be defined, but it implied there was a style standard to aspire to. Now this standard is being challenged, thanks to sociocultural shifts that manage to move the zeitgeist or frame of reference. 

Inspired by Sarah Archer’s article in Architectural Digest, Is It Time to Do Away With “Good Taste”? I set out to explore this idea further. Archer says good taste, once defined by the arbiter of good taste herself, Elsie de Wolfe, reflected “status”, “[old] money”, and “establishment.” We would recognize it today as the roots of grandmillennial style with lots of chinoiserie, chintz, trelliswork, and French antiques. Archer argues that De Wolfe’s idea of good taste reflected a kind of “visual soft power” that made it aspirational and by definition, unattainable at least by those who had not yet made it up the pearly, socio-economic ladder. 

In a similar vein, fashion legend and a leading figure in hip-hop, Dapper Dan told Hot 97 in a 2019 interview, that aspirational fashion is what maintained his brand as people want something that seems “unreachable.” This idea of aspirational fashion or interiors thrives on our desire for the ideal. According to a 2012 study, researchers found that luxury is appealing because it supports the self in everyday living and offers an opportunity for people to live out different selves. So while we may respect interior design elements with aesthetic and financial value, it is the story these elements tell that determine whether we connect with it or not. 

In her latest book, Designing-Women’s Lives: Transforming Place and Self, design psychologist, Toby Israel says that the way we perceive design depends on our perspective. Highlighting legendary architect, Denise Scott Brown who paved the way for women architects in the 50’s and 60’s, Israel writes that Brown was influenced by many “taste cultures”, including the kitschy vibe of the Las Vegas strip; and her “pluralistic perspective” allowed her to embrace “high, middle, low, and other design cultures.” Brown heralded “design-in-everyday-life,” and as she puts it, embraced “context”, “social concern”, “symbolism”, and “the messy vitality of the vernacular.” Interestingly, Dapper Dan said he did not design fashion as much as he “translated culture.”

Home of Denise Scott Brown via Superaggregration

The terms high, middle, or low taste cultures are loaded, and reflective of a societal framework that puts people in categories, for better or worse. Nevertheless, Brown’s ability to connect with and incorporate different taste cultures into her designs, even ones people frowned their noses at, was pretty groundbreaking for its time.  More recently, we have begun to embrace diverse experiences; and the cultural richness that comes from being exposed to different cultures. We see it in our language like “mixing high and low furniture” and while this is usually referring to price point and quality, it speaks to the shifting frame of reference of our time– that is, there is value in both low and high. 

While we don’t need to throw out the idea of good taste, it has different connotations than De Wolfe experienced in her time. That is, today’s “good taste” is not yesterday’s “good taste.” The term continues to imply standards which we need for motivation to attain goals and be better humans, but it’s more inclusive and based on varied values that can very well include De Wolfe’s vision of it. So that leads me to want to answer a few questions about this “new” good taste. 

Home of Denise Scott Brown via Superaggregation

What is good taste in 2023? 

Archer asked a number of designers what good taste is to them, and some memorable ones are “a kind of knowing” and “owning one’s aesthetic choices with confidence.” In other words, good taste is not insecure; and the idea of using your home to validate who you are (often by following a series of generic rules) is antithetical to good taste. Rather, when we design our home in a way that reflects who we are, then we put ourselves in a position to be tastemakers. Archer concludes that prioritizing comfort is a “subtly radical” approach to design, and a hallmark of good taste as it reflects an “authentic hospitality.” This is a willingness to serve others by translating diversity into design in much the same way as Denise Scott Brown and Dapper Dan.

If I had to come up with my own definition of good taste, I’d say it is the ability to translate into design elements, a specific point of view that is unique to you and inspiring to others. This too requires a “knowing.”

Is good taste learned or are we born with it?

I’d say the answer is both. We are all born with sensibilities, and some of us may be particularly sensitive to design and the way we combine design elements. But as De Wolfe says, good taste can be developed. So we have to have enough self-awareness to know what we respond to and why. We all have a working design sensibility we can improve upon. And by improve, I mean make it sharper and more identifiable for you and others. Like with anything, it takes some work to grow and get better.

What are some ways to develop my design tastes?

According to design psychology, our sense of home is impacted by our past experiences with place and the impact it has on our emotional life. So we should be aware of the ways lived experiences impact our affinity for different styles and spaces. One way to do this is through environmental autobiographies that help you better understand your self-place connection. This way, your home reflects you and meets your social, psychological, and aesthetic needs. 

We must also educate ourselves on what different design styles mean, and the impact they have had to better determine if they are suitable for us. Consider ways to use different design metaphors for your experiences so like Dapper Dan, you too can translate culture, for yourself and others.