The Creative Eye of Holly Becker
Photo credit: all photography courtesy of Holly Becker
Meet Holly
I am very excited to introduce you to Holly Becker - bestselling author, interior designer, stylist, photographer, online educator and founder of the hugely influential design platform decor8, which launched in 2006 and went on to become one of the world’s most successful interior blogs. Aside from her impressive credentials, what makes Holly so special is her thoughtful and deeply creative approach to everything she does. Writing from the heart, she is genuinely passionate about her work and, in today’s digital world of AI-generated content and information overload, that feels so refreshing. Holly’s philosophy has always resonated with me, which is why I have wanted to write a feature on her for some time. So, when I heard about her new creative community, The Eye - something I shall enlighten you on later in this article - I knew it was the perfect opportunity.
Holly has shaped the careers of many creatives, including mine. I first met Holly back in 2013 when I took one of her first courses and immediately connected with her calm, thoughtful and creative approach. At the time, I was rushing around styling and photographing houses for interior magazines, while also writing the articles, so her approach helped me enormously to remain grounded and focus on the bigger picture - the joy of creating! More recently, I turned to Holly again, this time for guidance on my blog after feeling overwhelmed by advice focused on algorithms and traffic, rather than thoughtful content and genuine connection with readers. Holly encouraged me to focus on what I truly wanted to achieve - writing about what I love and sharing my interiors knowledge with others.
Decor8 is one of the world’s most widely read interior design blogs, at its height attracting 1.5 million readers, which is hardly surprising as it is beautifully written and designed - without an advert in sight! Holly secured her first book deal in 2010 and has since written four more design books translated into 20 languages. Her first book, Decorate, sold 300.000 copies worldwide. Recognising her distinctive voice and aesthetic point of view, Living at Home, one of Germany’s leading interiors magazines published by Gruner + Jahr in Hamburg, invited her to create an entirely new publication centered on her creative world. The result was HOLLY, a magazine named after her, for which she served as editor-at-large and creative director.
When it comes to interiors, Holly is not about blindly following trends, but shaping how we see our homes through a more creative and intuitive eye. Her ethos centres around showing us how to create homes that feel layered, expressive, and alive - not by following rules, but by trusting our instinct. Some of Holly’s more recent work explores the connection between emotional well-being and interior design, alongside personal reflections on creativity and mindful living.
What makes Holly so inspiring to me, and many others, is that she is far more than an interior stylist or designer. She’s truly multidisciplinary, combining her interiors work with educating and inspiring others through her creative communities, including her latest venture, The Eye.
Holly’s aesthetic
What makes Holly’s approach to interiors unique and refreshing is that her interior spaces never feel overly styled or contrived. She effortlessly combines different elements, displaying handcrafted and foraged natural objects beside contemporary designer pieces. Rather than chasing perfection, Holly advocates creating homes with warmth, personality and emotional connection or, as she describes it, “a warm hug at the end of the day”.
Holly’s interior style: Although Scandinavian at first glance, Holly’s own interior style is more eclectic and layered. Rather than following one particular look, she blends European and American influences with Scandinavian simplicity.
Styling for a sensory feel: Instead of simply prioritising how a room looks, Holly puts emphasis on the importance of how it feels - calm with comfort, calmness and emotional connection.
Layering textures: Layering tactile materials like wood, linen, wool and other natural fibres is key for Holly to create an interior scheme that has warmth and softness. Lighting is layered too, with lamps, pendants and candles to create depth and atmosphere.
Handcrafted and artisanal touches: Holly often incorporates handcrafted and artisanal pieces into her interiors, from hand-blown ceramics and woven textiles to natural foraged objects.
Emotional well-being and interior design: Holly frequently explores the connection between emotional well-being and our homes, encouraging us to create nurturing spaces and be mindful of the atmosphere we bring into a room.
Storytelling: Whether part of a styled vignette or a standalone piece, Holly’s interiors always feel meaningful, with the pieces she displays having their own narrative.
Colour palette: Holly’s interior spaces often begin with a base of soft neutrals or muted pastels, allowing colour to evolve naturally according to the mood and atmosphere rather than following decorating rules.
Mixing handcrafted, vintage and modern: Holly often mixes handcrafted and foraged objects with vintage and contemporary pieces, creating interiors that feel balanced and more personal.
The Eye
I believe that anyone who has followed, read about, or met Holly somehow wants to be a part of her creative world. Whether you love interiors and styling, floral arranging, collecting, searching for treasures, painting, or putting together mood boards, Holly has that rare ability to inspire the desire in you to create something meaningful and beautiful with your hands, while encouraging creativity to feel like a natural extension of your life.
This is exactly the thinking behind The Eye, Holly’s new online studio designed to nurture creativity and provide endless inspiration. The membership spans five months and is open to anyone wanting to build a more intuitive relationship with their home and creative life, but it will also appeal to those looking for fresh ideas to feed into their own professional workshops, client work, or creative projects.
The Eye beautifully brings together interior styling with creative practices such as flower arranging, prop styling, photography, mixed media art, painting, flea market finds, sensory exploration, and visual storytelling. Holly’s creative studio helps people better understand what they are naturally drawn to - whether certain textures, colours, or objects - and how to translate those instincts into their homes or creative pursuits. This is a space to reconnect with your creativity, and you don’t need professional design training, or even to consider yourself an artist or designer to join. All you need is the desire to create something more beautiful around in your life and home.
The Eye starts on June 1st and is now open for enrolment. Holly has kindly offered a special one-off discount for readers. Simply enter the code InteriorStyleHost for a $30 saving. For more information or to join, click here
Holly’s rug collection
At the beginning of this year, Holly designed her very first rug collection - the PURIST Collection - in collaboration with Tisca. True to her style, the designs are inspired by Scandi-Japandi aesthetics, featuring understated patterns crafted from soft, tactile fabrics such as wool, linen, and cotton. True to her commitment to authenticity and craftsmanship, the rugs are handmade by skilled artisans in Transylvania. The collection comprises eight different designs, including the checkerboard rug I featured earlier in the article and in my Home Decor Essentials post. To view the collection, visit the Purist Rug Collection
Holly the trade expert
Finally, let’s look at Holly’s work within the interiors world. From meticulous art direction and consulting for magazines to comprehensive trend reports and exclusive coverage of leading European design fairs - Holly has truly done it all.
Originally from the United States, Holly now lives in Hannover, Germany, with her husband and son. When she is not working with the interiors trade, or writing her decor8 blog and Substack articles, what continues to inspire her most is the opportunity to help others find their creativity. “I am so happy to share what I love, support others in their creative journeys, and stay connected to a global community through design,” Holly explains. And this is exactly why so many people are inspired by Holly - because she encourages us to see beauty not only in our homes, but in the world around us.
LET’S SUM UP
I hope you have enjoyed finding out all about Holly. Do check out her website where you will find even more information, as well as her Substack and blog at decor8
For further reading of other interior spotlights you might enjoy: my article which looks at interior styling, what it is, and the home decor essentials you need to help you style your own home: Interior Styling: What is it and How To Create a Beautiful, Cohesive Home
You might also like to read about interior designer, Katie Fischer and take a tour of her beautifully styled home: Styling a Beautiful, Timeless Home: Inside Interior Designer Katie Fischer’s Curated Home Décor World
