We’re starting a year long series of interviews highlighting incredible women in our community. The focus of each interview is to have a candid conversation about their home, life, what they value, what feels challenging right now, and most importantly, what is bringing them joy.

Our first interview is with Hannah Key of The Freckled Key Photography. I’ve lost track with how Hannah and I first got connected, but it went something like…I use to work with someone in corporate architecture that went to school with her husband and I followed his wife on Instagram who is also a talented graphic designer and maker who was connected with Hannah and once posted about a photo Hannah took of their family. Phew! I’m grateful for the incredibly indirect way we’ve connected. I’ve truly enjoy getting to know her through Instagram, email and quick weekly messages about the randomness going on in life, motherhood shenanigan, decluttering adventures, an amazing vintage garment we’ve spotted, or our shared love for Revlon lip stain sticks! PS. She’s also an incredibly talented abstract painter/artist and absolutely worth having in your social media sphere! You can follow Hannah on Instagram here: @thefreckledkey

Scroll down to enjoy my interview with Hannah about all things home and life.

Please share a quick snapshot of your last 5 years:

Oh girl, you know I’m wordy, haha! I’ll try to keep it brief… In the last five years we have become the parents of TWO daughters, ages (nearly) 7 and 4. My husband started working for himself full time in April of 2019 so we are both officially self-employed, which is both amazing and stressful, haha. We have moved TWICE in the last five years (but we’ve been in Houston since 2009). We sold our beloved first home in January 2019 and moved into rental while we built our new home. We moved into our new home in November 2020, so just over a year ago now. I would say the last 5 years has been one of immense personal growth, and growth as a family. I struggle with anxiety and it really came to a scary head in the fall of 2020. I’ve come leaps and bounds since then (with the help of counseling, medication, prayer, and my beloved husband) and ever strive to empower other momma’s in their mental health journeys. We are not alone!

What's your day to day like right now?

I am a part-time homeschooling momma to my oldest (she attends school 2 days a week and I teach her here 2 days a week), so my day to day really changes depending on the day of the week, ha! Mondays and Wednesdays my girls are both in school, so I work from my home office or photographing families on those days! Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays I devote 100% of my energy to teaching and house duties. Weekends are a wonderful time to reset as a family; Scott (my husband) and I often take on a project and/or go for a hike with our girls.

How long have you been in your current home?

Just over a year! We moved in in November 2020.

What do you love most about your current home?

The natural liiighhht! OH my. My husband is an architect and when he was designing our home I told him I wanted two things: hardwood floors and as much natural light as possible — and he DELIVERED! I don’t have to turn on a light until dusk, and it just makes my heart sing.

What's something you'd love to change/or feels challenging for you in your current home?

Man, this is tough. My husband really designed the home of our dreams! I suppose if I could name a daily grievance it’s the ever-presence of my girls’ toys and clothes. I am very strict about culling their toys and clothes several times a year, but it seems I always find a pile of dirty clothes here and there as well as dolls, stickers, and craft paper all over my floor by days-end, haha. I am a creative person so naturally I highly encourage my girls to be messy and creative on a daily basis, but I am also a very TIDY person so perhaps I need to put some effort into teaching them how to better clean up after themselves; an exhausting effort, indeed, ha!

In the last year, have you spent any time decluttering/editing in your home (if so where/why)?

Yes!! All. The. Time. I probably tackle a drawer a week just to satisfy my love of organizing/purging. I will take on a larger declutter project, like a closet or a room, probably 1-2x a year. I love it!! I like everything to have a home and truly feel stressed when things are a mess so frequent little declutter projects are my JAM!

If you have spent time decluttering/editing, what was the result? Was it helpful?

ALWAYS helpful. I find that doing these small weekly declutter tasks give me energy to do the next one! I also love that my girls are witness to my frequent editing of our things, showing them that “stuff” is not where our joy and purpose lie.

What part would you rather do - declutter OR organize (+ why)?

Oooooo…. Can BOTH be an answer? Haha! I suppose when it comes down to it, I enjoy the decluttering process more. I find such satisfaction in seeing things LEAVE my house, haha. Giving everything a proper home after the declutter is immensely satisfying as well.

Where's your favorite spot in your home right now?

In the mornings, I really enjoy sitting on our big window bench with a hot cup of tea and my Bible (and my phone, because I’m addicted to my daily Wordle!) Afternoons I want nothing more than to sit in my sun-filled (TINY) paint studio and throw my cares at a canvas. My girls will often join me there with paper and pastels; it’s a sweet time of day that I have grown to love.

What object in your home means a lot to you? Oh man, I am pretty sentimental about items so there are several in my home that really mean a lot to me. I like to have a small treasure or two in each area of my house that reminds me of someone I love. I suppose the ones that give me the most daily smiles are 1) the hand-written birthday card from my grandmother that I keep in my bathroom. Seeing her handwriting every morning and reading her brief note are a daily delight. 2) A stained glass medallion that hangs above my kitchen sink. One of my dearest friends died of cancer 11 years ago and her dad made me this piece to remind me of her. I think of her every time I wash the dishes. 3) A large floral painting that my grandmother did when she was about my age. It sits on top of our piano. She is the one who taught me how to paint, so having one of her earliest pieces in a prominent place in our home delights me.

Tell me something fun or quirky about you I probably don't know... Hahahaha…. so many things?? Um… Okay, here’s a good one: I eat my pizza backwards (crust to tip) and I eat my sandwiches and burgers circumference first, then the middle. Ha!

OK, NOW A FEW RAPID-FIRE HOME QUESTIONS!

Light/bright OR dark/moody:

Both!! My photography and paintings are very much dark/moody (I believe this is a reflection of my own inner conflict — ever seeking light in the dark) but I HAVE to have light! My mood is so effected by light!

Open concept or separated rooms/nooks:

OPEN CONCEPT! Walls make me feel claustrophobic, ha.

Color or neutrals:

COLOOORRR!! I am all about those jewel tones!

Real plants or faux:

Real plants — I’m not the best at keeping them alive, but I have kept a 12’ fiddle leaf fig alive for 7 years, so I’m counting that as a plant momma WIN!

Listen to music or read:

Read. I am super super sensitive to sound, so music often stresses me out, haha!

Favorite morning or daily ritual:

My morning tea at the window seat.

Morning person or night person:
Ooophf. This is tough. I really like my morning tea time, but I tend to have more energy at night!

Favorite piece of furniture in your home:
Either my piano or my bed, ha!

Do you dress like the interiors of your home? Yes! Full of color and mixed patterns. Pattern mixing all day e’ry day!!

THANK YOU HANNAH for sharing more about your beautifully colorful life + home right now with us! I can’t wait to see what you’re creating next!

Follow along with Hannah’s photography, painting + much more over on Instagram @thefreckledkey HERE. You can find out more about here photography work at The Freckled Key Photography HERE. Photos Credit: Hannah Key