Emily Henderson has been a sensational presence in the design world for over a decade. The winner of HGTV Design Star Season 5, Emily has established herself in the interior design industry with her unique talent with which she infuses her client’s homes. Founder of Style by Emily Henderson, her outlook on home design, and home improvement and decoration has amassed millions of followers.
So when I got the first opportunity to speak with her, I couldn’t let it pass. In this exclusive interview, Emily Henderson delves deeper into her style, talk about the inspiration behind each project, and the shifting gears toward wellness and family-oriented design. Read on to know more about this insightful conversation.
Homecrux (HC): Tell us a little about yourself. Who is Emily Henderson?
Emily Henderson (EH): I was born and raised in Oregon and then after 20ish years of being gone, moved back with my family to raise our kids while renovating a 100-year-old farmhouse. Before that, I worked in New York City as a prop stylist when I won Season 5 of HGTV Design Star. From there, I moved to Los Angeles, went on to host Secrets from a Stylist, and became a New York Times Best Selling author. In addition to working as a designer, I run my daily style and design blog “Style by Emily Henderson.” I love every style, but vintage and comfort are a must in all of my designs, and if you know me, blue is my favorite color.
HC: Did you always want to be a designer? Who helped you along the journey?
EH: Growing up, I didn’t even know what a designer was. I grew up in Oregon canning my own tuna and making clothes. It all started when I got a job as a shop girl at Jonathan Adler’s first store in New York. Stylists came in to get pieces for shoots and I knew that’s what I wanted to do. I was lucky to get a job assisting a magazine stylist until I was ready to go out on my own. It was so exciting and challenging, and I loved every minute of it.
HC: How do you strategize for diverse projects in your portfolio? Any particular design ethos?
EH: I never really had a “strategy.” Since I’m a stylist at my core, I truly love every style, so in designing my own home or choosing projects, I just did (and do) what excited me the most.
HC: Have you ever collaborated with any other designer? How do you find the middle ground amid creative differences?
EH: I have, and it’s both great and challenging at the same time. You have multiple people with differing styles and ways of working. However, I do love to collaborate and learn from other designers. Like any relationship, you have to be willing to compromise, which is why it’s so important to work with people you trust and respect. Sometimes their ideas will win, other times yours will, and sometimes you come up with an even better option together.
HC: What inspires for your projects?
EH: My first inspiration is always the architecture of the home. For me, that informs so much when it comes to the hard finishes (i.e., tile, flooring, cabinetry, etc.). From there, inspiration can come from anywhere. I love vintage, so often that’s a great starting point, but a color or a design I saw and loved can also be a jumping-off point.
HC: What is the biggest interior design trend at the moment?
EH: Right now, we’re seeing a big shift towards ‘wellness design,’ the practice of curating aesthetically pleasing homes that also prioritize health and well-being. In recent projects, I’ve seen an increase in demand for water filtration systems that contribute to a healthier home environment. More homeowners want high quality when they’re investing in their home – and now that means that the quality of the kitchen faucet has to match the quality of the water itself.
I typically guide anyone renovating towards Culligan reverse osmosis systems, which are stylish and functional options to bring great-tasting, safe water from high-end faucet finishes. This trend is simple in theory but requires thoughtfulness behind what meets the eye.
I love the challenge of creating spaces that look amazing while keeping health and wellness a top priority. For example, my brother just built a home from the ground up, and with only a mention from me about how much I loved my system he wanted one in his home too. All of them love it, no surprise. We are big water people, and they love how good it tastes and feels.
HC: How much do you emphasize wellness and family-oriented design?
EH: Wellness and family-oriented design are at the core of how I design. A home should be a safe place that supports both physical and mental well-being. When I begin a project, I integrate elements that promote healthy lifestyles wherever I can, whether that’s through air purification, natural lighting (so important to me), layouts that encourage movement and relaxation, or water quality (also so important to me). A lot of my clients are surprised to learn what could be lurking in their drinking water because we often can’t see, taste, or smell the contaminants that live in our water at home. In any space I design, I really want to provide beautiful and effective solutions that can provide peace of mind while seamlessly blending into the look and feel of a home.
HC: What interior design trends can we expect to see in the spring of 2025?
EH: This spring will continue to build upon the momentum of the wellness movement that we’re seeing in the design world and beyond – with more technology-driven solutions for health-conscious living. Sustainable and biophilic design elements, like natural materials and indoor-outdoor connectivity, will remain really big. We’re also seeing more homeowners making purposeful choices to avoid single-use plastic, opting instead for more sustainable solutions.
Depending on where people live, air and water quality enhancements like reverse osmosis are great investments to make sure homeowners are maintaining a more sustainable home. Multi-functional wellness spaces like spa-inspired bathrooms and home gyms will continue to become more common as self-care at home grows. In spring 2025 and beyond, the focus will remain on creating homes that not only look beautiful but actively contribute to the health and happiness of those who live in them.
HC: How does a home designer align their vision with that of the demanding clients?
EH: For the past handful of years, I’ve been primarily working with friends and family, so I am very lucky that I don’t have to deal with “demanding clients.” It’s a super collaborative process, but given how well I know them, they trust that I have their best interests in mind and will design a home that truly works for them.
HC: How do you stay on budget? How’s the balance between judicious spending and cutbacks achieved?
EH: Budget is always something you have to keep in mind, and yes, you have to decide what are the non-negotiables and what are just “would like to haves.” Then, you do your best. For my brother, wellness was a non-negotiable whereas added storage space was a nice-to-have. We made sure he got a top water filtration system before adding more cabinets.
HC: How do you find one-of-a-kind pieces for your designs? Any particular stores that you prefer? Do you DIY things as well?
EH: Thrifting is probably my favorite thing in the world to do. I love shopping in person, and I have my beloved Portland spots, but Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, Etsy, Chairish, 1stDibs, and Instagram (for vintage dealers like @shopwilma) are all online resources I look at constantly.
HC: How often do you stick to the interior design rulebook?
EH: Ha, well it depends. I wrote a whole book on design rules, so I love knowing them, but I also love knowing how to break them if that makes sense.
HC: The most interesting project of your career.
EH: The best projects of my career have been for people going through hard times. We call them Feel Good Flash Makeovers. I know that sounds cliche, but this industry can at times feel silly or wasteful, and there is just nothing that makes me feel happier and more grateful that I get to share this wildly special job with people who deeply deserve to have their houses turned into homes.
HC: My favorite interior design style is mid-century modern. What is yours? Do you often find your projects getting influenced by that style unknowingly?
EH: This is an impossible question for me! I’m not lying when I say I love every style. I guess I would say “eclectic farmhouse” is my current favorite because that’s the style of my home, but mid-century modern is also extremely high on the list.
HC: What is that one signature piece that you have to have in every project?
EH: Vintage. Always and forever. It adds instant soul and is usually a one-of-a-kind piece(s).
HC: Any suggestions for someone like me who wants to kickstart their design journey?
EH: Just start doing it! With social media, it’s so easy to want to be precious or overthink each move but the more you create, the more confidence you’ll get as you hone your skills.
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