When the Nest Empties: Designing for What Comes Next
There is a black and white photograph of our youngest from when she was only a couple of months old. She had a fully coiffed head of hair, much like she does now. At the time, we simply wanted to capture the moment and create meaningful artwork for our home. Without telling us, our photographer submitted the image, and she became the cover girl for Mothering Magazine.
I still remember the exact day that photo was taken. If I am honest, my primary feeling during that season of life was complete overwhelm. I was constantly second guessing decisions, reading parenting books, and feeling like everyone else had it all figured out except me.
Now, decades later, we are standing at the edge of her graduation.
People try to explain what becoming an empty nester feels like, much in the same way they try to explain life before children when you are pregnant. You hear the words, but you do not truly understand them until you experience them yourself. With everything happening right now, I don’t think the reality of this transition has fully landed.
The quiet hasn't arrived yet.
When the House Gets Quiet
The house does not know she is leaving, but we will feel it.
When I think about what I will miss most, it is the noise. The constant chatter. The lack of silence. I will miss the family dinners, the feeling of gathering around the kitchen island while cooking, and the comforting hum of activity—the sense that someone is always coming or going.
The season of constant activity and being needed every single day is ending. The daily interactions that seem so ordinary are shifting, and soon, we will experience that first week when neither child comes home.
But I do not feel this as a profound sadness. Instead, I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude. I am incredibly proud of who both of our children have become. They are kind, competent, independent, funny, smart, and scrappy.
A Full Circle Moment in Charleston
This transition feels uniquely serendipitous because it represents both an ending and a beautiful beginning.
Sophie is heading to Charleston. We are moving to Charleston. And, simultaneously, Kensington Design House is launching in Charleston.
It is a full-circle moment that has prompted us to think entirely differently about what a home needs to be.
Designing the Next Chapter
For years, we designed our homes around the beautiful chaos of raising children. We prioritized playrooms, maximized the number of bedrooms, built out storage, and engineered our spaces to manage endless schedules.
Today, we are asking completely different questions about how we want to live. We are no longer designing for the season behind us; we are designing for the season ahead.
As we build our new home—and help our clients navigate similar transitions—our focus has shifted toward:
Fewer Bedrooms, More "Us" Space: Repurposing square footage for the way we actually live day-to-day.
Dedicated Wellness Spaces: Creating environments specifically designed for rest, recovery, and daily well-being.
Room for Creativity: Carving out quiet corners and studios that foster inspiration and deep work.
Hosting and Community: Designing inviting, fluid spaces meant for entertaining friends, gathering with neighbors, and nurturing our marriage. We picture community gatherings in a barn or a beautiful candle-adorned greenhouse, where we can sit back and enjoy Rich's amazing cooking.
A Launch Pad: Building a home that feels grounded but easily supports travel, new experiences, and the ongoing launch of Kensington Design House.
Above all, we want to create a wonderful, welcoming home that our adult children will always want to come back to.
For years, home was the place where we raised our children. Now, home is becoming the place where we start the next chapter of our story.
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