Letters of Appreciation
Welcome to my 3rd article in this ongoing series where each article is both a house feature and a sincere note of gratitude to the people who imagined it. Homes aren’t just structures, they are vessels for our stories, rituals, and sense of belonging. These articles celebrate the homes that teach us something about balance, intention, and the art of living well. Homes featured here are the reason I started Habitat Balance: the place where thoughtful design and mental well-being meet.
Below is my thank-you letter to the owners of this extraordinary home.
* Out of respect for the owners as well as copyright, this article provides links to websites where you can see photos and video of this project. Any other project or company mentioned has links provided as well.
Thank You Letter – The Brunson Residence by Sean and Geri Brunson
Dear Sean, Geri, and the team behind this project,
Thank you for reminding me that a home can feel personal in a way that goes beyond architecture.
There is a quiet confidence in this project. From the very first look, it’s clear that you knew exactly what you wanted to create. The plan is simple and it flows naturally. Nothing feels imposed. Everything feels earned.
But what stayed with me most wasn’t the structure itself.
It was the materials. The furniture. The art.
And the fact that so much of it came from your own hands, your own travels, your own story.
That is rare. And it matters more than most people realize.
I also love to travel and bring pieces back objects that carry memory, place, and meaning. To see that practice woven into a home that people actually live in, and feel good living in, is both inspiring and instructive.
And then there is the cypress. Knowing that you spent days sanding and sealing all those pieces yourselves and that when things didn’t go to plan, you pushed through anyway, says everything about the kind of home this is. It wasn’t just built. It was committed to.
That kind of effort leaves something behind in a space. You can feel it.
Thank you for showing what that looks like in practice. You have inspired me to explore this style more deeply and to think more intentionally about the objects and materials I bring into my own space.
Sean has said that experiencing good architecture is like being inside a work of art that it enhances your life. This home proves it.
The Home — Designed Around a Way of Living
Located along the Florida coast, this home draws from mid-century modern principles but it doesn’t feel nostalgic.
It feels current. Intentional. Personal.
The architecture creates a clear framework:
- Clean horizontal lines
- Open connections between spaces
- Strong indoor–outdoor flow
But what fills that framework is what makes it truly unique.
This isn’t just a well-designed house. It’s a curated environment.
Brunson Residence – Photos and Story via Dwell
Brunson Residence – Video via Open Space
A Home That Reflects Its Owners
This is where the home separates itself from almost everything else.
The art. The objects. The materials. They don’t feel staged, they feel chosen. Because they are chosen. And there is a real difference between those two things.
Rather than designing a space and then filling it, this home feels like it was shaped over time. Shaped by travel, by taste, by attention. Even as a new build, it carries the feeling of something collected slowly and deliberately. Sean talks about this in the video above.
The art isn’t there to impress. It tells a story. The materials aren’t trendy. They feel considered. Nothing is accidental.
And because of that, the home feels deeply human.
A mood, not a match. These tones reflect the feeling of the home — warm, grounded, and quietly considered.
Why This Approach Matters
A lot of homes today are designed to be seen.
This one feels like it was designed to be understood.
When a home reflects the people inside it, something fundamental shifts:
- It becomes more comfortable to spend time in
- It feels more honest, more grounded
- It becomes easier to truly relax because you’re not living up to the space. The space is supporting you.
That distinction is quiet but powerful.
How This Connects to Habitat Balance
Habitat Balance isn’t only about nature, light, or materials.
It’s also about alignment, between who you are and where you live.
One detail that captures this perfectly is the pool. Designed as an L-shape to mirror the floor plan of the home, it means that no matter what room you are in, you are looking at water. Every space connects to it. Every moment in the home is quietly accompanied by that sense of calm.
That is not an accident. That is intention built into the architecture itself.
This home shows that balance can come from:
- Surrounding yourself with objects that actually mean something to you
- Letting your environment reflect your personality rather than perform it
- Building in moments of calm, like views of water, so they become part of daily life rather than something you have to seek out
When your home reflects who you are, there is less friction in your daily life. Less noise. Less pressure to be somewhere other than where you are.
And that has a direct and real impact on how you feel every single day.
Lessons Anyone Can Take From This Home
You don’t need a custom build or a lifetime of travel to begin applying this idea.
You can start small:
- Remove things that don’t feel like you… even if they’re nice
- Keep things that do feel like you, even if they don’t perfectly match
- Add one object, piece of art, or material that actually carries meaning
- Build in one view or moment of calm… a window, a plant, a small water feature
- Let your space evolve instead of forcing it to be finished
A home doesn’t need to be complete. It just needs to feel like yours.
A Note on Finding Meaningful Objects: 1stDibs
If you don’t have the chance to travel, or feel overwhelmed by the idea of searching for one-of-a-kind pieces on your own, there is a platform worth knowing about.
This home raises a question worth sitting with: where do you find objects that actually mean something?
1stDibs is a platform that connects buyers with dealers, galleries, and independent sellers around the world, offering rare vintage furniture, one-of-a-kind art, antiques, and decorative objects across every style and era. Mid-century modern is particularly well represented with original pieces that carry real history and craft.
What makes it relevant here is the philosophy behind it. These are not mass-produced objects. Each piece has a provenance, a story, a specific moment in time it came from. That’s exactly the kind of object that makes a home feel like the one Sean and Geri have built. Not designed from a catalog, but assembled from a life well lived.
The goal isn’t spending more. It’s choosing better. One piece that genuinely means something will do more for how a space feels than a dozen that don’t.
Final Thoughts
This home doesn’t rely on grand gestures.
Its strength comes from clarity, from knowing what it is and what it isn’t. And from two people willing to put in the work, literally and creatively, to make sure that vision came through from the first decision to the last detail.
Maybe that’s the real takeaway.
Not every home needs to be everything. It just needs to be right for the people living in it.
When a space reflects who you are, something settles. There’s less pressure. Less noise. More comfort in simply being where you are.
And in a world that moves fast, that kind of feeling matters more than we often admit.
What object in your home carries the most meaning for you and where did it come from?
Let me know in the comments.
If you enjoyed this house feature, join the Habitat Balance Newsletter for monthly home inspirations, personal notes from my journey, and design ideas you can use in your own space, all with a focus on mental well-being and mindful living.