The Living Energy of Home with Lilly Walton
"The Quiet Beauty of Home” is a conversation series that explores the soul of a space. Where beauty is rooted in meaning, and design is guided by values, not trends. Each interview offers a glimpse into how someone creates, lives in, and cares for their home with intention. We hope these stories inspire you to slow down, look closer to notice what matters, and honor the quiet details that make a space feel truly yours.
If I were to describe how a home that had a soul would feel, it would be warm and inviting, with a refined sensibility, but not be too precious, so that one could not feel at home. In Ojai, interior designer and intuitive energy healer Lilly Walton has created a space that reflects just that, a place where beauty, connection, and peace are not only seen but experienced. She has created a refined, but not too precious, space for her family and friends to feel nourished. Through her work and her home, she invites a more conscious way of living, one that honors both the physical environment and the unseen energy it holds. In this conversation, she shares how her home is shaped by her values and how those intentions guide the way her space is designed, lived in, and continually evolving.
Let’s begin with an introduction. Can you share a little about yourself? What you do, where you live, and what “home” looks like for you right now?
I’m Lilly, an interior designer and intuitive energy healer, currently weaving both worlds in my signature program called Sacred Home Alchemy. It’s part design, part energetic recalibration, part empowerment, part identity work. It’s very potent and powerful, and I am so excited to be on this new path.
I live in Ojai with my husband, 3 daughters, our dog Buddy, and kitten Frankie Puma. Home is full of life, full of girls. This season is filled with weekend sleepovers, volleyball in the yard, and cozy evenings by the fire with friends.
How would you describe the feeling of your home?
What aesthetic or atmosphere inspires the space you’ve created?
Our home feels warm and inviting. Refined but not too precious. An understated, simple beauty that also feels deeply intentional. Earthy tones, soft textures, like you come in and want to stay awhile. My hope is that when people walk in, their nervous systems instantly relax. Of course, sometimes it’s total chaos, but that’s the ebb and flow of life with 3 kids!
If you had to name three core values that guide the way you live, what would they be? Why do those values matter to you?
Connection: I want our home to be a place of deep connection and presence for our family and those we love.
Beauty: I believe beauty is healing. It’s incredibly important for me to weave beauty into everything. It’s my love language to myself and others.
Peace: I want our home to feel deeply nourishing, like a real retreat from the outside world.
How do those values show up in your home?
Connection, beauty, and peace all weave together throughout our home. We’ve got places meant more for connection and places that invite slowness and reflection. Beauty is the thread that connects it all.
Is there a daily ritual or moment in your home that brings you peace, inspiration, or a sense of rhythm?
We love puzzles, specifically Liberty puzzles. We always have one out on our coffee table, and it has become a connection point in our home, especially in the mornings. You can find me there with my matcha. It’s a calm way to start the day.
What does “home” mean to you, beyond four walls? Why is it such a meaningful part of your life?
There’s the physical home, which is the foundation and backdrop to our lives. It’s where we spend the most time. It’s where we process the full range of emotions in our human experience. Environments deeply shape our moods. They are the greatest amplifier, and that can either work for us or work against us. I am here to help people make that connection. But then there’s our other homes, the body and the Earth. To me, those are just as important to tend to.
When it comes to caring for your home, what practices feel most nourishing to you?
(Think cooking, cleaning, organizing, gardening, repairing, or anything else that feels like devotion.)
I love making soups in the winter and trying out new recipes for friends. I am on a big organizing kick, and that has been bringing me so much joy. I also love rearranging items. If a room feels a little stale, I will start moving things around. It’s very meditative for me, and it always brings life back into the space.
What are some of the most meaningful objects in your home? What stories do they carry, and how do they add soul to your space?
We have so much of our family history woven into our home: my grandma’s recipe box filled with her handwritten recipes, lots of artwork from my husband's side of the family. We have travel mementos from places we love. Lots of handmade ceramics. I don’t believe in filler and excess. If it’s in our home, it’s either deeply meaningful, useful, or something we love.
When you bring something new into your home, how do you decide it belongs? What values shape your choices when it comes to acquiring or keeping things?
As a designer, I care deeply about craftsmanship. I want to feel the hands that made the pottery rather than a mass-produced vase from a big box store. Energetically, you can feel the difference. Items that come from someone’s creative expression resonate with me, and they give off a warmth that can’t be replicated from a factory. I lean towards quality over quantity. I am mindful to shop from vendors that tread lightly on this Earth, and that includes sourcing vintage when possible. I collect items that light me up in some way, but I am also good at knowing when something no longer resonates, and it’s time to let it go. It’s a constant ebb and flow; home is always breathing.
How has your relationship with home changed over time? Is there a lesson your home has taught you?
So many! I feel like our relationship has deepened with time. She’s taught me that perfection is an illusion and the quest for it will keep you stuck. She’s taught me to never take her for granted and that pouring love into her is always a worthy investment.
What book, poem, or piece of writing has shaped the way you think about home or slow living? Why does it resonate with you?
I love books like The Kinfolk Home and Abode for simple living that feels warm and inviting. I also love Lauren Liess’s books- she has a beautiful way of connecting with the land.
If your home could whisper one word to describe how it holds you… What would it say?
It holds us lovingly and tenderly.
images courtesy of Lilly Walton