Design DNA

Design DNA reveals what makes a room work – breaking down color, layout, and detail so you can think – and decorate – like a designer

a living room with two yellow accent chairs, a pink couch with lots of pillows, two large windows with red shades, and lots of decor on the coffee table and throughout the room
(Image credit: James Merrell)

Design DNA is the Homes & Gardens series that deconstructs the world’s most beautiful rooms to reveal the principles behind their success – from foundational furniture and layout choices to color, lighting, and the finer points of styling.

This isn’t about mood or personality; it’s a blueprint for creating harmony and balance in your own home. Clear, practical, and deeply instructive, Design DNA offers you the tools to think like a designer – and the confidence to bring that thinking home.

The result is both inspiring and achievable, staying true to Homes & Gardens' central promise: to teach the art of living beautifully.

Latest

Neutral office space featuring an asymmetrical burl wood wesk, linen-shaded table lamps, wall art, a figural motif beige rug, and a striped office chair.

Inside a neutrally nuanced Mayfair duplex where work and wardrobe meet modern ritual