This Cottage In Arkansas Is The Epitome Of Slow, Intentional Living

We asked Murphree about how she's designed her space to be brimming with love and personality and curated to support a "slow living" mentality. Here are her top takeaways:

Heirloom, comfortable, and meaningful.

When we moved into this home last winter, we were careful to design each room to best serve us on a daily basis. For example, my beloved library was originally the dining room. And while I am a lover of tablescapes and hosting our loved ones, I knew that room would be such a sweeter home for my morning routine, for my books, for one day soon, a baby girl playing on the carpet. So we put in a built-in bookcase, moved the dining table into the front living room, and now we have a library where we spend most of our time.

As for smells, my dad owns a flower and gift shop just a few blocks from our home. My mom and I are notorious for taking a few candles every time we visit! My house smells of those and fancy laundry detergent.

I would say my favorite sentimental thing in my home is the collection of art from our honeymoon to Newport, Rhode Island. We brought back quite a few pieces, prints, and we even framed the breakfast menu from where we stayed to keep in our kitchen. I always laugh that people on social media probably think we live in a coastal town with all the New England–inspired art we have in our home... Nope, just a landlocked state and a love for the East Coast!

Some of my favorite ways to prepare to host at my house are to design little e-vites and send them out, curate a playlist to have on low when everyone arrives, and set up a sweet little drink station—another excuse to use my collection of pitchers!

The newest item in our home is rapidly changing, as we're in the last few weeks of preparing a nursery before we bring a baby girl home. As of right now, our latest addition is a wicker lamp from Target we found for our bedroom dresser.

For the winter, I lean toward incorporating more blues and greens and natural décor into our home. On the porch, we kept our artificial trees from Christmas in the baskets, adding a velvet brown bow to the top. On my bed, I switched out my all-white pillows for an icy blue pair of gingham euro shams. And I've found myself collecting more plants to scatter throughout the house too!

We always say that this little house feels like an escape into everything we've loved in our lives: each other, our family, our favorite books, a comforting kitchen, reminders of time spent in Rhode Island, a cozy bedroom.

Home has always been an escape for us— somewhere to feel unequivocally comfortable in who we are. So in that way, our home is where my soul feels most healthy.

Home means being where I most love to be, with the people I most love to be with. And thankfully, my little cottage in my hometown, with my husband and my dog and a baby girl on the way, is just that!