Last summer, I moved to an apartment complex originally built in the 1930s. Something about this space – maybe the charming French doors, maybe the original hardwood floors, or maybe the simple fact that I will likely not always have the opportunity to live alone and design a home entirely for myself – set a fire in me to curate my own personal oasis. I wallpapered accent walls, stuck plants in every corner, and created my own music area. I ordered pink plush dining chairs, mounted sconces and museum lights, and placed all my clothes on matching hangers. I hung up prints I designed, paintings made by my talented friends, and scriptures that spoke to me. I even found a vintage rotary telephone and floor-length feather robe that perfectly complemented the space’s aesthetic. Of course, I documented this home transformation process with an Instagram story series I titled “girl apartment.”
Home is supposed to be our safe space. It’s the place we retreat to relax and recharge. In harsh winter months, we may not leave our homes for a few days (any fellow SAD survivors here?). It only makes sense that we should design our homes to be our own personal wellness spaces.
So, how are Mavens around Indy creating spaces in their homes that express who they are and aid in their relaxation, rejuvenation, and overall wellness? The answers are inspiring.
Home Gym
Movement has always been an important part of Holly’s life – she and her husband both enjoy lifting, running, and biking. When the pandemic hit in 2020, what was once a dream of building a home gym became a necessity for them to stay active (and sane). Holly started buying the basics for her basement: horse stall mats, a squat rack from Facebook Marketplace, and a Peloton. Throughout the years, they installed high-quality flooring, drywall, mirrors, and even a portable sauna, transitioning the home gym from a functional workout corner to an intentional wellness space.
The space has also evolved with the changing seasons of their lives; as Holly is pregnant with her third child, the room is a haven for her to practice prenatal Pilates and yoga. She uses the area for lifting, stretching, and cardio, and her husband uses the sauna for daily recovery. Because they have two young boys already at home, the convenience of a dedicated place to move their bodies and invest in themselves is a game-changer for their physical wellness.
Home Sauna
To assist with physical healing, pain relief, and deep-tissue remodeling, Lauren H. bought a pop-up infrared sauna in 2023. She and her husband use the at-home sauna to purge toxins and promote circulation, helping them reduce stress and ease muscle aches. Because Lauren has two cats and two dogs that already spend time alone when she’s at work, she appreciates having a way to invest in her wellness routine from the comfort of her home. The pop-up sauna even allows her to be hands-free outside of the space, so she can read a book, throw a ball for her dogs to chase, and pet her kitties all while relaxing inside the infrared area.
Home Reading Rooms
Last winter, Megan made transforming a spare room in her house into a home library her weekend passion project. An avid reader growing up, Megan took a hiatus from the hobby after college until a series she found a few years ago reignited her fire – she read eight books in one month and has since rediscovered her love of literature. Megan realized she wanted somewhere to keep all of the books she had tucked away and a safe haven that was all her own to immerse herself in the stories she reads.
To revitalize the room, Megan painted the walls and the trim around windows and doors, added bookshelves, and even brought in a bed. She hopes to change the light fixture and install faux copper ceiling tiles in the future. Megan now uses the room as a quiet place to read, play Nintendo Switch, craft, and spend time with her dogs.
When Emily moved into her new apartment last year, she wanted to maximize her space and fill her room with things she loved. Her reading corner has become the space where she can have morning devotional time and quiet reading time after chaotic days as a nurse. Emily’s furry friend is also a big fan of the reading chair.
Home Worship Spaces
A friend of mine (also named Kylie) and I serve on the worship team at our church. As music, faith, and community is important to us, we both have spaces in the home that allow us to be more connected spiritually.
When I moved into my apartment last summer, I wanted an area where I could practice music. Worship music has been a major part of my life since I was a newborn (not an exaggeration – I was born on a Saturday and my parents took me to church the following Sunday), and I grew up singing and playing instruments with my dad. Even after leaving the nest, I wanted my home to embody one of the most important aspects of my life: music. I positioned a piano and guitar against my living room window wall and decorated the windowsill with plants, books, scripture, and sheet music from a classic hymn. Now, I use the space to rehearse for the worship team, record songs I learn, play tunes for my friends, and otherwise express my spirituality through music.
Kylie wanted her home to be an inviting space for her and her community to connect, worship, and study. She and her husband designed their living room with intentionality to allow guards to be let down and hearts to heal, adding scripture artwork on the walls, a piano atop one side of their dining table, and lighting and furniture that feels cozy and inviting.
Home Culinary Corners
Coffee fanatic Lauren S. created an at-home coffee bar when she and her husband became homeowners last spring. Having an option to make homemade coffee let her invest in her interests, experiment with new recipes, and add glimmers of joy to her day. The investment in a home space also contributed to her financial goals, trading in paying for craft coffee for trusting her own creativity to concoct caffeine creations. So far, Lauren has learned to make shaken espressos, lattes, and matchas with both popular and avant garde flavors. This at-home coffee bar makes her savor getting coffee from a coffee shop even more than before, as stopping by a coffee shop now feels like a social event or special treat rather than a costly daily activity.
After Katie’s breadmaking supplies took over too much counter space, her fiance encouraged her to create an at-home baking station. Together, they found a rolling island on Facebook Marketplace and made it into her own corner of the kitchen dedicated to feeding her love of baking. Sourdough making requires a lot of equipment to keep the starter happy and to shape and store loaves, and the new bread corner allows Katie to control sunlight, temperatures, and other environmental factors that affect bread quality without taking up everyday kitchen space.
Home Meditation Areas
As the wellness director at a large medical school and a meditation teacher, Kristen knows a thing or two about caring for your body, mind, and soul. After a major hip surgery a few years ago, she began creating a meditation space at home to assist in her rehabilitation; now, she uses the space for daily physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness.
Having a meditation space at home allows Kristen to set the tone for her days each morning and reflect on her days in the evening. In the morning, she uses it for stretching, gentle yoga, meditation, reading daily reflections, gratitude journaling, and quiet time with her coffee and spiritual connection. In the evenings, she returns to the space for more gratitude journaling and tenth step inventory as part of her AA recovery journey (three-and-a-half years sober and counting!). To maximize the opportunity for deep meditation, Kristen often lights incense, turns on a zen playlist, and positions herself near plants or natural light.
Another maven, Heather, recently added a decompression and meditation component to the spare bedroom in her home. She painted the room a calming color, installed color-control light bulbs, and added a small table where she sits to drink coffee and journal as part of her morning ritual.
Home Dance Studios
Belly dance instructor Jeana intentionally chose a home with an open floor plan when buying her house in 2023 so she could use her living room as a dance space. She hired someone to mount mirrors on the walls and uses the area almost daily to supplement her studio practice and teaching. Because belly dancing often includes props, it’s important for Jeana to drill them regularly to stay sharp (both figuratively and literally when it comes to sword dancing).
Jeana leads a busy lifestyle between the demands of a full-time university professorship paired with the schedule of belly dance performance and teaching. Having a home space enables her to practice consistently and offers her a safe space to vulnerably experiment with different dance forms.
Pole dancer Christina was inspired to create a hybrid home dance space and gym two years ago when her husband began meeting with a nutritionist. The couple began acquiring weights and permanently installed a pole she was already using to practice her skills and tricks when she couldn’t make it to her studio. Because it has a lot of open space, Christina can use the area to diversify her exercise routine with weightlifting, pole fitness, and Zumba.
Home Plant Collection
Abigail is a runner who loves the great outdoors. To bring her love of the outside indoors, she assembled an at-home plant stand when she moved to Indianapolis in 2021. The plant collection features a variety of succulents, which she loves because of their unique shapes and sizes. Abigail’s plants currently reside in her loft guest bedroom space in front of a floor-to-ceiling window, and she is grateful for the way they contribute to the air quality and aesthetics of her home. In addition to making her feel more peaceful and connected to the world around her, Abigail appreciates how plant care instills a sense of responsibility in her: Seeing the plants visibly change as they mature gives her a sense of pride in her ability to nurture their growth.
Home Study Spot
When Lauren M. was admitted into online seminary school, she knew she needed a cozy corner in her apartment that would feel warm, focused, and inspiring for long evenings of studying and writing papers. A firm believer that environments shape mental focus and creativity, she decided to create a home study spot for her first home decor project of 2026. Lauren’s new space is an ideal place for her to read, study, write, and occasionally work from home throughout the week. While she loves working from local coffee shops, Lauren loves having a home wellness space where she can concentrate with minimal distractions (aside from her kitten, Canyon, who seems convinced she built the desk solely so he could have a better view out of the window).
Home Crafting Chamber
In addition to using her home sauna for physical wellness, Lauren H. enjoys crafting as part of contributing to her mental wellness. She kicked off 2026 with a home renovation project dear to her heart: designing a craft room. Lauren realized she missed having a place that was uniquely hers when she and her husband moved into their new house, as her pets often pulled her away from crafting, reading her Bible, and other activities that required deep focus. Now, she is turning a spare room in the house into a home workshop where she can experiment with an array of DIY crafting projects like pyrography, watercolor, and calligraphy as well as a personal sanctuary to dive deeper into her faith. The workshop build is in its beginning stages, and Lauren is currently winding down after work by adding wildflower stamps to an accent wall in the space.
Despite their diverse motivations and interests, all of these women find benefits of having home wellness spaces that fuel their passions. Their unique tastes and forms of expression have become part of the beauty of their homes – connecting their inner and outside worlds, increasing their financial discipline, giving them a safe space for vulnerability, and improving accessibility to the things that make them feel most alive. How inspiring it is to see home curation as a way to create deeply personal, functional, intentional environments.
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