This post is about a topic I have been thoroughly fascinated with for the last several years—ever since I became aware of this topic’s existence. A few years ago, I read an article in The New York Times that left me astounded. How did I not know about this phenomenon, so closely tied to a creative professional’s abilities?

The illuminating phenomenon I am talking about is the ability, or in some cases, the inability to willfully bring an image of something into your mind’s eye—to see something in your head. I had never given this any thought at all, but have come to understand that I have a very agile mind’s eye, and that this ability has served me well over my career as an interior designer. And, I understand that many people are not able to conjure images in their mind’s eye at all! How many times have we designers had clients wring their hands and become paralyzed with indecision, and say, “OOOOH, I just don’t know. I just can’t see it!!!”? (I have often clients that I CAN see it, and they need to trust me.)

2025 will be a milestone year for me, God willing, because it is the year I will turn the same age my dad was when he lost his very short battle with cancer. 

He died when I was 17, and back then, 44 seemed SO old. My dad owned a popular restaurant and catering business and a beautiful home, had five kids, was happily married to my mom, and was a powerful, charismatic presence. 

Now, as I approach the same age, I realize just how young he was and how his life was really just beginning. 

Losing him at such a young age has given me a unique perspective on how precious my time is and has majorly impacted my priorities. It is also why I spend time every Friday reflecting on how I spend my time every single week. 

As I plan for 2025, I reviewed all my notes over the past year and noticed some consistent themes of things I didn’t enjoy or realizations I had that I ignored for MONTHS. 

And this is NOT the year for me to hold onto anything that does not serve me. 

So, in honor of my dad, one of my all-time favorite humans in the entire world and the person who has had the most significant impact on who I am today, here are the 11 things I’m saying BYEEEEE to in 2025. (in no particular order) …

It is important for designers to recognize house styles in order to coordinate interior styling with exterior design. It would be inappropriate to style the interior of a mid-century modern home with pieces referencing Georgian design, or to use French country furniture in a Mediterranean home. Below is a comprehensive description of many of the house styles found in the United States. 

Many of the house styles listed below overlapped with each other timewise, in the periods of their popularity, so the order they appear below is not strictly chronological.

Historic American furniture styles are extremely varied and diverse. They were influenced by a wide range of European settlers who immigrated here and brought their own stylistic heritage, as well as by designers who shaped trends with their unique American sensibilities. 

European Stylistic Influences across North America

During the 1500s, and 1600s, early Spanish settlers conquered and occupied what is now Florida, Texas, Arizona, Southern California, and Mexico. The Spanish strove to impress native populations and to demonstrate their superiority with construction techniques. Delve more into Spanish-influenced architecture in North America here. 

The French did not occupy as much of the Americas during this colonization period as the Spanish, but they did settle in northeast Canada, across the Midwest, and down to Louisiana. The most lasting impacts of early French settlers in architecture and design can be seen in Louisiana, along the Mississippi River, and in southeastern Canada, as described here. 

The Dutch (from the Netherlands, previously known as Holland) settled along the eastern seaboard, particularly in New Jersey and New York. German migrants settled in what is now Pennsylvania. Their legacy in architecture and design is explored here.  

The Spanish, French, Dutch, and Germans were not the main nationalities to settle in colonial America. It was the  BRITISH who were the most predominant settlers. They came not only to explore the new world, but also to flee political and religious upheavals in Europe. Learn more about their architectural and furniture traditions here.

Frank Gehry, one of the most remarkable and creative talents in the history of American architecture, died on December 5th, 2025, at the age of 96. He will be remembered for his awe-inspiring, hugely memorable buildings, and for the simple fact that he challenged the most basic and long-standing premise in building construction throughout the ages: that walls should be straight and perpendicular to the ground. 

“I’m an interior designer in a small town and have been doing it for two years now, and I cannot get a client to buy into the furniture and styling phase of my design process. They either say ‘I already have everything from our current home’ or ‘I can do that myself later, we ran out of money.’ I really want to start building a high-end portfolio, but I can’t do that if clients won’t let me install and style. What am I doing wrong? HELP!!”

If you’re struggling to  get clients to invest in furnishings and styling, there’s a deeper issue at play. Inside, I’m sharing what’s actually going on and how to fix it. 

Join DTS Files to read the full article or log in to your account here. 

Spanish design and architecture are important to understand because the Spanish people have influenced not only their home country of Spain but also many other parts of the globe. During the Renaissance in Spain, beginning about 1490, Spanish explorers conquered large parts of what is now Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, the Virgin Islands, Mexico, South America, and the Philippines, as well as the southern and western United States. So, knowledge of Spanish design means that one also understands the architectural influences that can be seen in all of these varied locales

In central European countries, such as Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Denmark, the period of the Renaissance was delayed and not as long-lasting or influential as elsewhere in Europe. Even before that, these countries were not highly prominent within architecture and design as other parts of Europe. But there are several later periods when these countries were very much at the forefront of stylistic architectural and furniture innovations. This post focuses on several notable 19th- and 20th-century periods where important design innovations emerged from these central European countries.