Notary In Your Space with Joy Fitzgerald

Please introduce yourself.

My name is Joy Sunyoung Fitzgerald and I am a calligrapher, illustrator and stylist. I live in Portland, Oregon with my husband and our two children. Most of my time for the last eight years has been devoted to raising and educating my young kids. I pour much of my energy into cultivating our family life at home. I am passionate about setting an atmosphere where we can collectively and individually flourish in a harmonious and fruitful way. During the pandemic, I created an online course called, "Creating a Beautiful Life at Home", where I shared about how I intentionally set rhythms for the smooth running household while incorporating beauty into everyday life.

My interests beyond my daily tasks are endless. But currently I am most intrigued by the art of Korean quilting and epic novels centered on generational familial stories.

What is one thing you love about where you live?

That I get to enjoy both the benefits of city life while still being immersed in such lush nature.What sparked your love of interiors and design?I'm honestly not quite sure when it all started. I do have many childhood memories when I'd spend afternoons cleaning and rearranging my belongings and furniture without any prompting. I've always found satisfaction in finding better and new ways to arrange my little corners of the world. I think my love for interiors and design didn't come to full bloom until I got married and started building a life and home with my husband and children. It was, and still is, a welcomed challenge to find ways to express who we are as a collective family, while still honoring who we are individually. I derive joy to express all that through our style, personally and through our home.

 

How do you find/source the pieces in your home?

It always starts with a need, then a vision - those two things combined shapes how I go about searching for a piece. I rarely make purchases before having an exact purpose or use for it. I do a lot of sourcing on OfferUp and Facebook Marketplace, especially for furniture. For smaller pieces, I like to support small shops that inspire me or direct me to beautiful high-quality products that have been tested by time. I also look for small business owners who have similar values for what they are looking for in a product.

How would you describe your personal style, and approach to interior design?

Intentional, natural, warm, simple, practical, enduring, meaningful, monochromatic and textural, honoring tradition but with my own spin.

Any advice for people looking to create warm and inviting spaces?

Embrace the personalities under your roof and find ways to celebrate it meaningfully and beautifully. I think what makes a space warm is when it is expressing who you are and what sets you apart - the soul, if you will. I think coldness from a space comes from trying to copy something you saw somewhere that has no real relevance to you. I believe homes are deeply personal and should be unique.

Practically speaking – never underestimate how much scent, lighting and textiles can set a tone and mood. Nothing quite beats the glow of a candlelight or the aroma of something warm cooking on the stove.

 

 

Shop Joy's Notary Ceramics picks.