At the Pace of the Horse: Materials That Carry a Home Forward

2026 is the Year of the Horse and as a bona fide, forever horse girl, there was no chance we were letting this moment pass quietly.

We’re commemorating it the only way I know how: through design.

The Horse symbolizes a transformative period, one defined by energy, freedom, vitality, independence, and perseverance. Qualities that feel especially resonant as a new business owner, but also as a person stepping more fully into her own momentum.

Interior design, at its best, is never just visual. It’s physiological. Emotional. Environmental.

Materiality matters because the materials we live within shape our daily experience, how we move, how we rest, how we feel in our bodies. They influence our health, our nervous systems, and our sense of grounding.

So in honor of the Year of the Horse, here are the materials that best embody its spirit and why they deserve a place in our homes right now.

Energy → Wool

Energy is the capacity for doing work.

And let me tell you, wool fucking works.

Wool is a truly majestic material. It shows up everywhere: area rugs, throw blankets, upholstery, socks. It’s versatile without being precious, hardworking without being dull.

Naturally stain-resistant. 

Water-resistant. 

Odor-resistant.

It’s a renewable, biodegradable material that can be sourced locally and ethically from almost anywhere in the world. And somehow, despite all that performance, it remains incredibly low-maintenance.

Wool holds warmth without heaviness. Texture without chaos. It’s energy you can feel, quietly supporting you, day after day.

Freedom → Tartan

Freedom is the quality of being frank, open, and self-expressed.

Historically, tartans were used to identify Scottish families, woven declarations of lineage, belonging, and identity.

Pattern as autobiography.

What I love about tartan is that it doesn’t ask permission. It announces itself.

In a world of neutrals and restraint, tartan says: this is who I am. It carries history, individuality, and confidence in equal measure.

Freedom in design isn’t about lack of structure; it’s about choosing expression over anonymity. Tartan reminds us that personal identity has always had a place in the built environment.

Vitality → Wood

Vitality is the power to continue in existence, to live, to grow.

Wood is, quite literally, alive.

Even after it’s felled, milled, and shaped into floors, tables, or cabinetry, wood continues to breathe. It expands and contracts with the seasons.

It deepens in color.

It tells time.

Wood connects us to cycles, growth, dormancy, renewal. It reminds us that change is not failure; it’s evidence of life.

A home with wood in it never feels static. It evolves with you.

Independence → Paint

Independence is freedom from control or reliance on others.

Paint is the most accessible form of design autonomy we have.

Not everyone can renovate. Not everyone can replace finishes or furnishings. But almost anyone can walk into a hardware store, pick a color, and make a decision for themselves.

And my god, paint is powerful.

In two coats, you can completely shift the energy of a room. You can make a space quieter, braver, warmer, sharper. You can say something without explaining yourself.

Paint is design democracy. It allows self-expression on your own terms and that is independence in its truest form.

Perseverance → Stone

Perseverance is continued effort despite time, pressure, and opposition.

Stone has been practicing this for millennia.

Formed slowly within the earth, shaped by pressure and patience, stone is endurance made tangible. Mountains turned into surfaces. Time turned into structure.

It doesn’t rush. It doesn’t weaken. It holds.

Stone reminds us that strength doesn’t always look loud. Sometimes it looks like staying solid, grounded, unmovable, long enough to matter.

The Year of the Horse isn’t about speed for speed’s sake. It’s about momentum with intention.

The materials we choose are not neutral. They carry meaning, memory, and energy into our daily lives. Choosing them thoughtfully is an act of alignment, with who we are now, and who we’re becoming.

Here’s to a year of movement that’s grounded. Freedom that’s personal. Strength that lasts.

Love,

Sav

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