What Commercial Design Taught Me About Creating Truly Personalized Homes

People are often surprised when they find out I’ve spent most of my design career working on commercial projects—think high-end multifamily developments, healthcare suites, educational environments, and corporate workspaces.

What might be even more surprising is how that experience has completely transformed the way I approach residential design.

At Ivity CO, we use every tool available to maximize the product you get, creativity flows from hand-drawn sketches, guiding design using human intuition supported by the possibilities of AI.

Commercial Design Is Deeply Human

(Even If It Doesn’t Always Seem Like It)

It’s easy to assume commercial design is all function and formality—but behind the scenes, it’s full of human nuance. You're not just designing for one person or family, you’re designing for many people with different needs, backgrounds, and ways of moving through space, all at the same time.

You learn to ask better questions. To think bigger. To connect the dots between intention, experience, and need. In many ways, that wide-angle lens trained me to see patterns, anticipate needs, and design environments that work—not just in a practical sense, but in an emotional one.

Combining rustic brick walls with natural wooden elements creates an earthy ambiance that celebrates comfort. Lush greenery and organic decor offer a serene culinary space.

When I step into a home project now, I don’t just see a house—I see a story waiting to be told. I see a space that has the potential to support someone’s daily rituals, emotional wellbeing, and future dreams; and because of my commercial background, I don’t rely on just surface-level style to get there. Instead, I look for:

• Flow and function, rooted in intentional planning.

• Details that feel as good as they look.

• Design that adapts as your life evolves.

  
  

The same skill sets used to plan hospitality-level luxury apartments—things like traffic flow, sensory experience, layering materials, and code-level thinking—become tools I now use to help individuals and families create spaces that truly feel like home.

Design Is More Than Aesthetic—It’s Emotional Architecture

My years in commercial design taught me that space holds energy. That good design can lower stress, improve connection, increase productivity, and make people feel better, sometimes in ways they can’t even put into words.

That’s exactly what I bring into residential projects. Yes, we’ll talk paint colors and finishes, and all the beautiful things. But we’ll also talk about:

• How you want to feel when you walk in the door.

• What kind of lifestyle you want your space to support.

• What you’re craving more of in your everyday life.

Because your home should be more than just pretty, it should be purposeful. And personal. And yours.

Whether you're looking to refresh one room or rethink your entire space, my approach blends big-picture strategy with deeply personal storytelling—so your home doesn’t just look amazing, it feels like you.

If you’re ready to work together or simply curious about how your space could support your life more intentionally, we should chat and how we can create something that works for where you are not - and where you're headed next!

Stay Inspired!

Dani