The inner workings of the mind fascinate me. Why are some humans prone to creativity in one area and not another, especially when it comes to organization? I know I have an eye for aesthetics, but boy oh boy am I lacking when it comes to having a methodical system for my home. I am offering the big reveal here – behind closed doors, things are in fact a bit of a shit show. There are piles of clothes and important paperwork that can never be found, stuffed into a forgotten drawer. It is comical, really, how I can never find my phone. Even during shoots it is a running joke. Forget Where’s Waldo – around here it is, “where’s Athena’s phone?” Oh, and you should see the desktop of my computer. Or the kitchen, when I am cooking – honestly, you have never seen such a MESS. In case you’re wondering, it drives my husband crazy because he happens to be on the other size of the organization spectrum!

And now, it is autumn – that time of year when the air begins to turn slightly crisp and you look forward to pulling out that cozy sweater. You know those people who turn over their closets every season? They make it a ritual in spring to stow away their chunky knits and heavier blankets, and then come fall, they get to pull out that tidy box of sweaters and bedding. I am fascinated by this orderly approach. For ages, I had so wished that were me. For a girl who lives her life so in line with the seasons, I felt like I was missing out!

Well this fall season, I began to turn over a new leaf. I have lived in my Amagansett home for 6 years now and while it is my full-time summer abode, I also use the home all year round. Yet somehow, before last week, my bedding and the styling of most of the rooms had remained nearly the same for all these years. That’s why I was excited for a push in the organized direction when I began communicating with the team over at photo goods company Artifact Uprising. I have been obsessed with the company’s Instagram account, aesthetic and printing for quite some time, and after having them print a mini recipe book for me last year, we began a dialogue about a future collaboration. The Artifact team asked if I was a fan of bedding company Coyuchi, which I immediately squealed over since I am a massive admirer of the brand’s organic linens. And so, over a mutual swoon-affair, a little trifecta of EyeSwoon x Coyuchi x Artifact Uprising was born.

Together, we gave my home an autumn refresh. Artifact offers wood framing services and recently released its float frame and asked me to try them out by turning my favorite photographs into artwork for my home. So in an uncharacteristically methodical way, I dug through the archives from some of my favorite family holidays. From last summer’s trip to Sicily, we framed a stunning capture in the Aeolian islands. There was also a tender image of Jivan sailing through Zanzibar in Africa, another of a herd of zebra and wildebeests migrating their way through Tanzania, a serene seascape photo taken right here in Amagansett, and finally, a pair of decaying floral images captured by dear friend Andrea Gentl, as part of the Natura Morta series she shared on EyeSwoon. Meanwhile, Coyuchi made each of my beds that much more swoony with their super-supple, relaxed linen bedding and textural decorative pillows layered with cozy blankets. And it didn’t end there. We decided to fully shift the palette of my master bedroom from natural tones to dark and stormy grey linens for my fall and winter bed. We updated the shelving in our family room. My bathrooms were even elevated with cloudlike, plush towels and Mediterranean style.

Coyuchi and Artifact Uprising, you brought me closer to my home, my sanctuary, the place that matters most. There is nothing more luxurious than feeling connected and comfortable in our own space, having the things around us evoke memories and tell our story. And as for my own story? I can say this — while I am proud to have taken steps towards a more orderly home, I accept the fact that I still am, and probably always will be, on the disorganized side. As far as I’m concerned, if life can be messy and beautiful at once, so can my house! And finally, to all the swooners, clean and messy alike, enter to win an autumn refresh of your own below.