The Aspiring Home

The Aspiring Home We create refined, calming interiors that honor your story.

The Aspiring Home Interiors is a boutique design firm founded by award-winning designer Joy Maier, with a commitment to gracious living and the belief that homes are meant to be lived in.

A little peek at another office we’re wrapping up—and this one began with our clients’ love of rich, happy color.We laye...
09/03/2026

A little peek at another office we’re wrapping up—and this one began with our clients’ love of rich, happy color.

We layered muted teal across the walls and ceiling, then took the built-ins to the deepest shade. That darker value anchors the room, while the surrounding color keeps it from feeling heavy.

There is a bit of science behind that choice. Muting a color lowers its visual intensity, allowing us to use more of it without going into overwhelm.

Blue-green also sits in an interesting psychological middle ground: blue is often associated with steadiness and focus, while green connects us to nature and restoration. Studies of office environments have found that blue-green rooms can also rate well for perceived satisfaction and performance.

We know that color is just one of the many details that create a space , but this combination can help a workspace feel settled and alert at the same time.

And then there is the mesh.

Brass grille doors were appearing in fitted libraries by the Regency era, around 1800, often backed with fabric (silk was a favorite) to soften the view of what was stored behind them.

More than two centuries later, mesh is still a go-to material for libraries and home offices. It breaks up a solid wall of cabinetry, allows airflow and gives us pattern without requiring every shelf to be styled or filled.

Here, the diamond mesh brings an upscale playfulness, undeniable warmth, and just enough energy to balance the layers of muted teal that keeps everything grounded.

I’m so excited to share this!I’ve been selected as one of 100 women to attend the 2026 NKBA | KBIS Women to Women Confer...
08/31/2026

I’m so excited to share this!

I’ve been selected as one of 100 women to attend the 2026 NKBA | KBIS Women to Women Conference in New Orleans this September.

To be included in this group of women from across the kitchen and bath industry is such an honor, and I’m really looking forward to the conversations, the learning, and a few days surrounded by women who care deeply about what they do.

A big thank you to NKBA | KBIS for selecting me, and to Maxim Lighting, Lutron, Café and Ferguson Home for sponsoring and supporting this special event.

I already know a couple of friends (Lori Carpenter , Kimberly Kerl award winning designer Top Innovator, KBB Magazine )who will be there, which makes me even more excited.

Will I see you in New Orleans too? Let me know!

Back in 1999, I was selected to be part of the festival cast of There Should Be Roses at Midland Community Theatre’s McL...
08/28/2026

Back in 1999, I was selected to be part of the festival cast of There Should Be Roses at Midland Community Theatre’s McLaren Comedy Festival. I played the nurse, and I still remember how excited I was to be chosen. It felt a little unreal.

That year, the play won the festival.

Not long afterward, our family moved to Huntington Beach, California, so I wasn’t there to audition when it went on to the MCT main stage the following year.
It opened to a sold-out house.
And that has always made my heart happy.
All these years later, I find myself thinking about that title again.

There should be roses.

But let’s not wait until they are being laid at a grave.
There should be flowers now. While we are here. While there is still breath in our lungs and another ordinary day waiting for us.

I have always loved fresh flowers in my home, but I think I understand more now about why. They don’t have to be extravagant. Sometimes one beautiful stem in a little vase is enough to remind us that life is beautiful, fleeting, and still asking something of us.

To notice it. To love people well. To keep learning, creating and giving. To keep striving for a life that was worth the living.
Maybe that is why the loss of one of the brightest lights in our world has felt so personal to so many. Dolly Parton came here with extraordinary gifts — and goodness, did she entertain us — but she also used those gifts to love people, help people and leave goodness behind. She bloomed where she was planted - overly used sentiment but so apropos when talking about Dolly.

And now the world feels her absence. That is something worth thinking about.

Not fame. Not applause. Not proving that we mattered.
But living fully. Loving generously. Using what we have been given well.

So buy the flowers. Use your gifts and talents to support others.

Put the roses on the table now. Give one to someone you love. And if all you have is one little bud in a juice glass, that counts too.

There should always be flowers.
Especially while we are still here to see and give them.

Yes… this is just a tease of one unforgettable, conversation-starting powder room.This room was a labor of love for clie...
08/11/2026

Yes… this is just a tease of one unforgettable, conversation-starting powder room.

This room was a labor of love for clients/friends who completely trusted me to design a space around the laissez les bons temps rouler wallpaper that first caught their eye. It’s technically called “Drunk Monkeys” but it kinda reminds me of Mardi Gras season back home.

From sitting on the floor with my contractor—who is now my friend—putting together pieces of wood until we found the exact layout and measurements for the wainscoting, to raising the ceiling to accommodate that exquisite chandelier, every inch was carefully considered.

Then there was the carpenter—also now a friend—who worked with me for hours designing a pedestal for the clients’ beloved monkey lamp. And because beautiful can also be practical, it doubles as a secret toilet paper stash. Yes, we think of everything around here. 😉

I could go on and on about the details that made this room so special.

Full reveal coming soon!

The approved design board. The wallpaper allowed us to play up the traditional elements and at first glance it looks like just another pretty bathroom until you’re seated. 😉

The render that helped our clients visualize all the materials and how they would come together for this authentic personal powder room.

The wallpaper that my clients fell in love with. What a fantastic fun challenge creating the design and then implementing the design into a beautiful reality.

The before… typical builder grade powder room. Great size for a powder room but sorely lacked character.

The last pieces are officially in, and this primary bathroom is finally complete.We changed nearly everything about the ...
07/31/2026

The last pieces are officially in, and this primary bathroom is finally complete.

We changed nearly everything about the layout to make a cramped, underused space feel as open and functional as possible.

The tub, shower, vanity and storage all had to work harder—and now the room finally feels like it fits the home and the people who use it.

There were plenty of details to solve along the way, but seeing it all come together was worth every decision.

Professional photos are coming soon, and I cannot wait to share the full reveal. But for now… she’s pretty fabulous in color pencil format. ❤️

A little update on the petite library project - I’m looking at molding options for the petite library bookcases, and whi...
07/23/2026

A little update on the petite library project -

I’m looking at molding options for the petite library bookcases, and while this profile is beautiful on its own, it projects too far beyond the shelf. When it meets the narrow center detail, you can clearly see where the molding stops. It looks added on rather than built as part of the bookcase.

And that is not what we want.

The goal is for these bookcases to feel older and established—as though they have always belonged in this room. You should not be able to tell whether they were original to the house or finished yesterday morning.

That requires looking closely at the profile, projection, scale, and every place where one piece meets another. Straight on, it looks “ok” but adjust the angle and you see it. It’s why I like to take pictures of molding combinations because what’s wrong can’t hide from the camera.

Intricate projects that help tell the story of a space take both designer and carpenter working together, making adjustments until the millwork feels connected to the architecture instead of simply attached to it.

The difference between almost right and right is less than an inch. Unfortunately, being slightly off can give the entire secret away.

So which pieces made the cut? Stay tuned and follow along!

Monday Blues…the best huesI know, I know - so corny BUT look at that fabric and stain combination that will be adorning ...
07/13/2026

Monday Blues…the best hues

I know, I know - so corny BUT look at that fabric and stain combination that will be adorning two “soon to be gorgeous” sleigh chairs.

Traditional meets modern in the most ridiculously good way. I got so excited with the combo I didn’t take the time to steam out the wrinkles before snapping a pic. 😂

May your Monday be spectacular.

The hunt for bookcases for the petite library has been a bit of a Goldilocks situation.I found some truly gorgeous antiq...
07/07/2026

The hunt for bookcases for the petite library has been a bit of a Goldilocks situation.

I found some truly gorgeous antique bookcases from the 1800s—pieces with carved details, old glass, beautiful wood, and the kind of character you simply cannot manufacture overnight. I looked at examples in the British Museum, wandered through antique shops, measured, reconsidered, and tried very hard to convince myself that several of them were the one.

But one was too large. One was too ornate. Another would have swallowed this little room whole.

I still believe the right antique or vintage bookcase may be out there somewhere, but I finally had to admit that I really do not want to wait indefinitely for it to appear. So, I designed the bookcases instead.

They are in production now, and they will bring the aged warmth, depth, and collected feeling this petite library needs—without making the room feel as though the furniture arrived first and the walls were built around it.

Inspiration came from every cabinet I studied along the way, including these beautiful examples from the British Museum and several I found while antiquing. None of that searching was wasted. It helped me understand exactly what I wanted to create.

The pause has been a good one, too. We have several incredible client rooms coming together right now, and it is very much all hands on deck around here. But the petite library is moving forward, and I cannot wait to share what is coming next.

The kitchen work triangle has its place, but it does not get the final word.This is my personal kitchen, and I have made...
07/06/2026

The kitchen work triangle has its place, but it does not get the final word.

This is my personal kitchen, and I have made it work for our family by creating a hybrid of the traditional work triangle and task-based work zones. I added cabinetry and countertop where I needed it, and I also use the breakfast table beside the kitchen as part of the working space. Sometimes that table holds dinner. Sometimes it holds groceries, prep, paperwork, or someone keeping me company while I cook. That is real life.

But I also know this kitchen will change in the future.

Putting a microwave above two wall ovens may look neat on a builder’s elevation, but in daily use it is simply silly—especially for someone of shorter stature who is expected to lift hot food over her head. That is not thoughtful design. It is an appliance stack created to fit a wall.

In the race to create an “efficient” kitchen—and I use that word lightly—many production and semi-custom builders are treating the kitchen as an afterthought instead of the heart of the home. The appliances are present. The island is large. The boxes are checked. But no one seems to have stopped and asked how the people who live there will actually cook, gather, serve a meal, unload groceries, make coffee, or move through the room together.

A kitchen can satisfy a formula and still miss the family entirely.

My take is that we do not have to choose between the work triangle and work zones. We can use both, then build upon a much older foundation: putting a meal on the table with love, caring for the people around it, and designing the room to support the life being lived there—not simply arranging appliances in the fewest number of steps.

I am sharing more about the history of the work triangle, the rise of kitchen work zones, and why a hybrid approach may be the better answer for today’s homes on the blog.

Bonus: Read the post & get my free printable to help you look at your own kitchen and decide whether a hybrid of the two could make your kitchen function better now or if the layout is showing you that larger changes may be worth it.

I will link the post in the comments below 👇

“Independence Day: freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and...
07/04/2026

“Independence Day: freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed—else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die.” — Dwight D. Eisenhower

“Let every nation know… that we shall pay any price, bear any burden… to assure the survival and the success of liberty.” — John F. Kennedy

“If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.”
George Washington

Happy 250th- May freedom ring …LOUD.

Address

Dallas, TX

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+19452348062

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Aspiring Home posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to The Aspiring Home:

Shortcuts

Share