Curating a Home that Reflects You: Art, Style, and Personal Expression with Carrie Shannon

There’s a moment when you first step into a new home and realize how much possibility the space holds. It’s not just about filling rooms. It’s about making the space your own. The furniture, the textures, and the art you choose slowly bring character to the space, turning empty rooms into something personal.

I recently sat down with Austin-based artist Carrie Loftis Shannon to discuss how personal style evolves, how to approach building a collection without intimidation, and why supporting artists, financially or otherwise, matters. In this piece, we explore how to identify your creative instincts and follow them with intention, allowing your home to become a thoughtful, layered reflection of who you are. 

Whatever chapter you’re stepping into, whether you’re a first-time buyer, starting your first solo space, relocating to a new city, upsizing for a growing family, or downsizing for simplicity, every home starts with a beginning. Start by asking a simple question: “What is the purpose of the art that I’m looking for?” In the context of your home, that purpose might take the form of calm, connection, creativity, or comfort. 

A thoughtful collection becomes a record of lived experience, capturing who you were in a particular season of life. “At different points in your life, you collect art for very different reasons,” Shannon continues. “It’s not one single thing that ties all the art together, but there are themes running throughout.” As Shannon shared, “Sometimes it's something that you see in the painting that reflects something inside of you.” The same instinct applies to interiors, where personal style often emerges intuitively, long before it can be clearly defined.

Trust your instincts. “You will know when you know, just like when you find that favorite dress.” There’s no need to rush decisions. Live in the space. Let it inform you. Over time, patterns will emerge-colors you gravitate toward, textures that feel grounding, pieces that feel essential. “Over time, I’ve seen that some people really need their art to feel grounded in reality, while others want it to be completely emotional.” Shannon continues. “Finding a balance between the two-and not forcing yourself into limitations-comes with experience." The more you look at art, the more you understand yourself in relation to it. And remember, style evolves. “Through different points in your life, you’re collecting art for very different reasons.” Your home can reflect that too-a balance of the practical and the emotional, the lived-in and the aspirational.

“When you take time to visit art museums, particularly while traveling, you start to notice what truly moves you. Some spaces you’ll feel no connection to, while others will make you want to stay all day, without fully understanding why. Those moments deepen your understanding and guide you toward collecting art that feels genuinely personal,” says Shannon. 

Showing up for artists, online or in person, matters. Following, sharing, or attending their work allows them to continue bringing their work to life.

A well-designed home, like a meaningful art collection, isn’t about perfection. It’s about presence, creating a space that reflects where you are and supports where you’ve been and where you are going.

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For more information on Carrie and to discover more of her work, follow her on Instagram: @carrieshannonart.

All art shown in this story are by Carrie Shannon.