Designers At Home: Holiday Tour with Heather French

I’m bringing you along with me to Santa Fe for a quiet, layered look inside the home of designer Heather French—a place that feels deeply rooted in its landscape and gently expressive of the family who lives there. Walking through her territorial-style house, especially dressed for the holidays, felt like a reminder that good design isn’t about spectacle, but about intention: rooms shaped by how they’re truly used, materials that show age and wear with grace, and traditions that build warmth over time. From fruit-laden tables and needlepoint banquettes to a kitchen designed for lingering and a living room meant for both conversation and rest, Heather’s home is a beautiful example of how style can be personal, soulful, and quietly enduring

KEY TAKEAWAYS

This episode begins the way so many meaningful design conversations do—not in a studio, but in motion. I’m coming home from Santa Fe, still carrying the atmosphere of the place with me: the earth tones, the vast sky, the sense that architecture there doesn’t compete with the landscape, it yields to it. That feeling sets the tone for this Designers at Home episode, where Heather French of French & French Interiors opens the doors to her family’s home, beautifully and generously.

A Home That Rises From the Earth

Heather and her husband Matt have lived in their Santa Fe home for just under three years, spending the better part of the first year remodeling. The house is territorial in style—stick-frame construction designed to look like adobe—and it does exactly what Santa Fe architecture does best: it sinks into the land. With its low profile, earthy color palette, and historic district constraints, the house feels as though it belongs exactly where it is.

What struck me immediately was how much restraint there is. Nothing feels overworked. The architecture is quiet, respectful of place, and allows the interiors to do the talking.

The Front Room: A Library That Tells a Story

The first room we step into is a library that immediately tells you who lives here. The ceiling is papered in a marbled design by Isidore Leroy, created by Claire Staszack—an unexpected move that brings depth and intimacy to the space. I often say that when architecture is simple, the ceiling is an opportunity, and this room is a perfect example of that philosophy.

Custom millwork grounds the room, while a round table encourages intimate dinners, studying, and everyday use. The chairs are upholstered thoughtfully: a durable, solid fabric on the back, a patterned textile on the front, finished with beautiful piping. It’s a reminder that practicality and beauty don’t have to be at odds.

Holiday Decorating, the Slow Way

Because this was filmed during the holidays, the house is dressed in a way that feels abundant but never fussy. Bowls of persimmons, oranges, and tomatillos appear throughout the home—simple, vibrant, and deeply traditional. Heather uses what she already owns, layering in natural elements and letting the season enhance her everyday spaces rather than overwhelm them.

This is slow decorating at its best: nothing disposable, nothing rushed.

A Dining Hall Disguised as a Hallway

One of my favorite transformations in the house is what Heather calls the “dining hall.” What was once a hallway is now a hardworking, beautiful space anchored by a custom banquette upholstered in a Schumacher needlepoint fabric on a deep chocolate ground. The darker background gives the floral pattern weight and sophistication, while the golden mohair seat cushions add durability and comfort.

A custom table inspired by an antique Walter Anderson piece sits at the center, complete with hand-carved woodpeckers at its base—small details that reward close looking. Italian arrow sconces and Beata Heuman’s Dodo Egg lanterns layer in light, mixing European influence with subtle nods to Santa Fe’s tinwork traditions.

A Kitchen Designed for Living

The kitchen was completely rethought to suit how this family actually lives. Once a narrow galley, it’s now open, generous, and deeply functional. Visual Comfort star lights replace recessed cans, and a faint Sister Parish wallpaper lines the ceiling—quiet, charming, and very kitchen-appropriate.

An antique French butcher block takes center stage, skirted with simple curtains to hide storage. There’s an eat-in banquette that technically overlaps cabinetry, and that’s exactly the point. Heather chose how the space is used over how it looks on paper, a decision I wish more people felt empowered to make.

Open shelving was intentionally avoided in favor of plate racks, which feel purposeful and controlled. Seasonal dishes rotate in and out, reinforcing the rhythm of the year.

The Big Room: Texture, Scale, and Comfort

The great room—affectionately called the “big room”—is where scale and texture really shine. Grasscloth wallpaper by Elizabeth Aiken sets a neutral foundation, allowing layers of linen, velvet, rattan, brass, wood, and glass to coexist beautifully.

The furniture layout is intentionally unconventional, accommodating both conversation and movie nights. Overscaled lighting and tall drapery humanize the space, while painted vigas keep the ceiling feeling light. The result is a room that feels grounded yet airy, sophisticated yet deeply comfortable.

Above the mantel hangs a painting by artist Blaine McCauley, depicting Georgia O’Keeffe’s home at Ghost Ranch—a meaningful nod to place and history that feels perfectly at home here.

Holiday Layers That Feel Personal

As we move through the house, the holiday details continue: poinsettias placed in antique baskets (never foil), garlands of spruce layered with dried citrus, and ribbons that soften stair rails and doorways. Heather uses blood oranges, grapefruits, and traditional oranges together, embracing variation and imperfection.

Nothing feels store-bought or staged. Everything feels lived with.

A Home Rooted in Place and Life

This episode is a reminder that the most beautiful homes aren’t about perfection—they’re about alignment. Alignment with landscape, with daily rhythms, with memory and tradition. Heather’s home reflects not just her talent as a designer, but her values: hospitality, practicality, and a deep respect for materials that age well.

It’s a house that feels collected, not decorated. And that, to me, is always the goal.

Until Next Time

-Zandra