With everything from business meetings to math class happening at home these days, it can be tough to find some space to clear your head. So when Liz Vaccariello, Editor in Chief of Real Simple, twin mom, and proud paw-rent of Milo the rescue pup, tapped Etsy to create a welcoming workspace as part of the annual Real Simple Home designer showcase, she knew the key word was going to be “calm.” “I wanted it to be a home office, but also a place where someone could read a book or have a conversation with their kids,” Liz says.
Always up for a challenge, Etsy’s Trend Expert Dayna Isom Johnson went to task creating a sanctuary inspired by Liz’s personal style that would foster the balance and comfort we all crave. Part library, part office, the Etsy room—one of nine designer spaces unveiled at this year’s Real Simple Home—is chock full of personalized, one-of-a-kind finds that make everyday life more easeful. To help you achieve the same, we caught up with Liz and Dayna to tour—and shop—the zen space.

How did you use Liz’s unique personal style as inspo for the room?
Dayna: When I first chatted with Liz, she said she wanted to see a space that was comfortable, calm, and cozy, but I wanted to dig a little deeper and really unpack what that means to her.
Liz: Dayna and I actually got on the phone, and we talked about things that are important to me—like the natural world, my dog, and my favorite colors. She really wanted to have a conversation with me to get a sense of my personality. When I walked into the finished room, it gave me such joy, and felt really personal to me.
What stood out to you immediately?
Liz: On the wall there was a watercolor painting of my beloved dog, Milo. I don’t know how Dayna got it—she must’ve gone onto my Instagram and shared a picture of his face with the artist, Kartik of Coconuttowers. When I saw it, I shrieked, I cried—my heart exploded. I wound up taking it off the wall and holding it. That’s the kind of joy that something personal and customized can bring.

All of the pieces in the room are from different Etsy sellers. How did you weave them together to tell a cohesive story?
Dayna: I decided to let nature be the star, not necessarily in the literal sense, but in terms of the colors and the types of materials used. First, I created a palette that was based on calming ocean and forest hues. Then I pulled in different textures inspired by the natural world, like the linen pillows on the loveseat and the wooden secretary desk, which has beautiful carvings on the front that mimic the rings of a tree.

How is the nature-inspired palette pulled through the entire room?
Liz: When I walked in and saw the wallpaper by Kate Zaremba on one of the walls, I was so charmed by it. It’s a gorgeous, seafoam green pattern that felt very, very fresh. Also the loveseat stopped me in my tracks. It’s a beautiful, dark teal velvet—a sort of mid-century-style piece—that really played off the wallpaper well. I wanted a calming space, but I also like jewel tones, and I think the loveseat was Dayna’s way of giving me that.
Dayna: A lot of people are nervous to go with such a bold color for a big statement piece, but because the material is velvet, it really feels warm, cozy, and inviting.

What else was top-of-mind for you when designing the space?
Dayna: Especially right now when our homes have several functions, having different places to hunker down and be comfortable is really important, so I wanted to create distinct sitting areas within the room. It’s also important to establish some boundaries between your job and your personal life, and the secretary desk is a great example of how to solve for that. It allows you to tuck away your work at the end of the day.

In what other ways does the room design make creative use of space?
Liz: I opened the closet, which is very small, and Dayna had transformed it into a little meditation area with a meditation pillow and a sound bowl. Talk about a surprise! She turned that small nook into something really meaningful.
She also did a lot with shelving. I’m a big reader, and since the room was supposed to function as a library too, Dayna hung up lots of open shelves so that I can bring books in and out as I read them. That way it doesn’t feel so stiff; it feels like a living, breathing place where I’m reading and displaying books.

Which piece were you most pleasantly surprised by?
Liz: Lighting has always been tricky for me, and Dayna went with a custom, handmade chandelier from Illuminate Vintage. I’ve spent a lot of time looking at their shop since then, because I want to change up some of the lighting in my own home. The Illuminate Vintage designs are really modern and unique, so I feel like they might be a good solution for me.

What was your favorite part of this collaboration?
Dayna: I personally love being able to walk into a space and get the true essence of the person it’s made for. I think because I was able to work so closely with incredible Etsy sellers to customize all these pieces, you could really see Liz in this room.
Liz: As somebody who’s sometimes overwhelmed by searching for things for my own home, Etsy was a revelation. The whole experience really opened my eyes to Etsy as a way to discover new artists. I feel like it’s going to be a comfortable place to find my own design voice, where I can play and dream and go down a rabbit hole of things that would be delightful around my house.
37 comments
Anna from SublimationDesignsAn said 188 days ago
I really liked the publication. Beautiful decor!
Jenny Yak from YaksStore said 188 days ago
very beautiful!
Maria from EcoLinenShopArt said 188 days ago
Yes, home office is very relevant now) thanks for the article) very beautiful combination of colors)
Anastasia from MypartyboxPrintable said 188 days ago
Great selection for inspiration.
anna from CalmeKidsCo said 188 days ago
Just gorgeous! I share my home office space with our two pet rabbits and they seem to be very keen on the straw and ripped up paper look...
Anna from YourBestColorStudio said 188 days ago
So stylish and cozy! I like when walls are not empty, on my walls there are a lot of photos and watercolor posters, which I draw :)
Sujata from TreasuredMemoryLane said 188 days ago
Very practical and stylish ideas for home office decor. Thanks for sharing!
branda Moreno from branda said 188 days ago
Great ideas!!! Thank you!!! :-) :-)
Mariya from MagicArtForYou said 188 days ago
Thank you for the article! I love the notes of nature in the interior! They add air to the interior, your article inspired me a lot!
ciaffi from ciaffi said 188 days ago
Thank you very much!!
Nina from OriginalJewelrByNina said 187 days ago
Очень уютно получилось! Я вдохновилась на создание собственного пространства! Спасибо!
Lindsay Dyches from MadlyPersonal said 187 days ago
Such calming spaces - love them all!
Gillian Northcott from esanivintage said 186 days ago
Some lovely designs. I especially love the wall paper and the dog portrait.
Ira Stolbova from IraStDesigns said 186 days ago
Leather-cut journal is amazing 😍, I think you just helped me with few Christmas gifts this year 💖
Nikki B from Apt1708 said 186 days ago
I’ve been looking at shelving and some other small things to add to my space. These are great items and tips!
Abri Designs from AbriDesigns said 186 days ago
Great inspo for work from home office space!!!!
Teuni Ponsteen from Joyfullifeprints said 185 days ago
Thanks! Nice ideas! A well organized home give a lot of peace of mind.
Abri Designs from AbriDesigns said 185 days ago
Great inspo for work from home office space!!!
Nadewda from ShopMommyKnits said 185 days ago
This is a great selection. clear and concise. I would also add some bright accent
Anita from TennesseeMasksByNana said 185 days ago
I need that couch! So lovely.
Rosita from pillowlink said 185 days ago
I would like to see more finds - what interesting to shoppers. Or might be more to interior designers.
Daria from TomilkinaDesign said 184 days ago
Very nice!
Oksana from CrochetGoodFood said 184 days ago
What a cozy room. All things are in their place. As soon as I came across this post, I am just doing home renovations and plan to allocate one of the rooms for a home office.
Naveed from 24247 said 184 days ago
Just gorgeous! I share my home office space with our two pet rabbits and they seem to be very keen on the straw and ripped up paper look...
FunnyFabric from FunnyFabricStudio said 183 days ago
Very stylish and comfortable!
Mariana said 182 days ago
Excelente producto. Calidad y buen servicio....
Lee Dawn from rootpeople said 182 days ago
What beautiful ideas for our ever evolving home spaces! Love that wall mounted desk 3🌟🌟🌟
Evgenia Guguly from GugulyArt said 181 days ago
I liked the personal approach to design
Tanatchamon from NadaShopTH said 179 days ago
very beautiful!
Chryssina Mar from Homesite said 179 days ago
So inspiring, thank you!!
Natalia Kuznetsova from NataToysPatterns said 173 days ago
Thank you very much for your article! I really like the elements of nature in the interior! They add freshness to the house! Your article inspired me to create new home decor designs!
Umesh Vigg from TheInspireDecor said 166 days ago
Amazing craftwork !! So impressive !! Good to see the amazing levels of creativity !!
Jenny Yak from YaksStore said 163 days ago
Nice ideas!
Umesh Vigg from TheInspireDecor said 155 days ago
Fantastic work !
duy trương said 150 days ago
thank you for sharing with me!
ksongxxoo said 116 days ago
Thank you for the creative ideas you gave Me. I'm trying to balance My Spray Tan Business and my apartment in the same space. Not an easy task. But, you did inspire me.
Elena from DarkBlueCatArt said 68 days ago
I really like the ideas which are placed here! Pictures (I like watercolor paintings) can be an amazing addition to any office or home.