The 3 Spaces Where I Feel Most at Peace in Our Home

A love letter to the rooms that hold me.

For me, the most powerful spaces in my home are the ones that help me slip into a sense of flow. They’re intuitive because they’re designed around what I do in them—not just how they look in a photo.

Image: Stephanie Sunberg for Maria Stanley

A couple of weeks ago, I found myself sitting in the middle of the hallway floor. It’s not exactly a spot I would consider my space, but I had paused there to catch my breath before wrangling two defiant kids into the car for school. I stayed longer than expected, looking down the hallway toward my office and realizing how certain rooms in our house seem to hold me differently. Not just because of how they look, but because of how they let me be.

This moment reminded me of why I started Rooms of Our Own, a series in House Call’s Five Things newsletter where readers share the spaces in their homes that bring them comfort, clarity, or joy. I wanted to give people a space to talk about what they feel in these rooms, beyond what they look like.

The Power of the Spaces That Hold Us

One of the things that’s struck me most from reading Rooms of Our Own submissions is how universal the feeling is when a space truly supports us. These aren’t always the most beautifully designed rooms or the most “Pinterest-worthy.” They’re the ones that make people feel at ease emotionally, physically, and psychologically.