Introducing Sense of Spencer

A letter from the founder Melissa Barnes to welcome you to Sense of Spencer and share our story.

Hello, I’m Melissa. I created Sense of Spencer because I was searching for a more convenient way to find unique decor and curate a personal home — and I thought I wasn’t alone.

Where it all started 

I grew up in a home surrounded by beautiful objects and heirlooms. My mom taught me to collect things that have meaning and will stand the test of time. Every item in our home had a rich story — I could pick up any object and tell you where it came from and why it was special. They each had a purpose whether it was to be admired on a tabletop or used as a vessel for an ever-revolving flower arrangement. As a result, our home gave me a strong sense of place and sparked my passion for creating soulful interiors.

As an adult, I encountered this again spending time in England — my partner is British, and we visit frequently. Homes in England have a tremendous amount of character, truly reflecting the people who live in them. This is just in their DNA. But it’s also due to access — there’s a robust community of UK brands and artisans creating really interesting home decor, not to mention the plethora of antiques with rich stories and patinas that are within reach. Brits honor heritage in their interiors, but at the same time capture an iconoclastic spirit, nothing is ever too precious. Their homes are comfortable, warm, and dynamic — they’re spaces meant to be lived in, not show rooms.

Perhaps not surprisingly my mom always drew a ton of inspiration from England, and lo and behold my middle name is Spencer (not named after Diana, for the record). 

I wondered why in America, there’s a lot of sameness in decor. This was the spark for Sense of Spencer.

A charming bedroom in the English countryside at the Glebe House Devon bursting with character with loads of art and a mix of happy prints.

A charming series of prints my mother collected and found the perfect place for right between her closets.

Replacing sameness with special 

When I look around my four walls, the objects that I love the most are special in some way –  I see souvenirs of my travels, momentos of life milestones, and treasures that remind me of friendships, loves and a life lived. 

However, when I wanted to add to my collection or was looking for something specific, I was at a loss. The easy thing is going to big chains with mass produced items that all feel the same — they might get the job done or satisfy an itch, but they hardly felt like something I’d treasure now or into the future. 

To find the good stuff, you have to really dig. But dig I did, and I found a gold mine of beautifully designed, well crafted objects for the home. So, objective 1 was to bring this curated selection of unique decor to people who seek special and value convenience. Sense of Spencer does the work for you, finding new brands and artisans and vetting pieces for their craft, care and artistry. 

Cracking the code on styling

I could have stopped there, but I realized through lots of conversations with decor shoppers that there was another problem to solve. Over and over again I heard people say they don’t feel confident visualizing decor in their home or mixing pieces together, leading them to back away from the unique stuff and stick to basics. It dawned on me that we have been honing our personal style with clothes since we were teenagers, but when it comes to home, we don’t have as much practice — and the stakes feel higher.

Objective 2 was to help people style objects and understand how they will look in their home. Design novices might lack a trained eye, but they know what they like — so that’s where we started. Sense of Spencer is an inspiration and idea-led shopping experience. We present visual references, covering a range of styles and approaches to decor, and then curate products to ‘get the look’. So it’s easy to implement but still feels unique to you.

A collection of special items including a candle bust from Cire Trudon, Estelle colored glass coupes, and a vintage ceramic dish.

Inspiration meets curated product.

See SoS Guides for more.

The finishing touch

And finally, it was important to package it all up in a beautiful and exciting way that will inspire people to embrace the personal. Sense of Spencer honors and celebrates beautiful, well-crafted designs by showcasing them in a stylized way. We feature homes that embody ‘Sense of Spencer’ – that are beautiful and creative but above all feel unique to the individual.  

When you live with what you love, your house feels like a home. Everyone deserves to live in a home because home is where you can truly be free, where you can relax, connect, grow, create, dream.

I hope Sense of Spencer becomes a place you come for unique objects, guidance, and the spark you need to create your own personal home.

X Melissa, Founder