One at Home | with Vanessa Granda

Photographer Vanessa Granda has a gift for noticing the quiet beauty in ordinary moments. So it's no surprise her mountain cabin feels like a living extension of that same eye.

Vanessa opens the doors to her peaceful home, sharing the giant rock with a tree growing through its center that convinced her this was the one and how she built a space around comfort, intention, and the art of slowing down.


Photography & home of VANESSA GRANDA
Interview NICOLE GAVRILLES

Vanessa, we were so drawn to your beautiful interiors - How did you first come across your current home? Was there a specific moment or detail during the viewing that told you this space had the potential to be a sanctuary for slowness?

My husband and I were looking for a cabin in the woods where we wanted to slow down from city life. It was the first home we went to see and felt drawn to it right away. There was an abundance of light streaming in from the large windows and just outside the house there was a giant rock with a tree growing from the middle of it, both living in harmony. It was peaceful and felt like the perfect space for us.

Could you walk us through the process of transforming this house into a home that reflects intention? Were there specific structural changes or simply a shift in how you arranged and inhabited the space?

The house had great bones but it was stuck in the 80s and not in a good way. Everything was gray so when the light came in it felt quite cold and austere and we knew we wanted to add warmth so it felt cozy and welcoming. The first rule we gave ourselves was that it should still feel like a house in the mountains. Still keeping the cabin feel and not steering too far from the architectural bones that had been there.  In the end, we did renovate but with respect to the original home. Our kitchen, floors, bathrooms, paint colors all reflect the feeling we wanted from the beginning.

Are there any special pieces in your home that have been handed down through your family? What is the history behind them, and how do they contribute to the feeling of continuity in your space?

I love when furniture feels worn and loved. I love patina, I love a scratch and I love a good find. None of the pieces in the home are from family but they are mostly from vintage fleas, thrift shops, auctions, estates sales. I think by using items that are vintage the space feels lived in and collected. We took some collected pieces from our brooklyn home that we had scored over the years and brought them to this house; they were pieces we’ve loved and used for a long time so it helped the space feel like ‘us’.

You have a keen eye for detail; what are some of your most meaningful thrifted or vintage finds, and what drew you to bring those specific objects into your daily life?

My favorite find is the four simple bentwood bistro chairs I bought off a farmer. It took a long time to find these chairs even though they seem readily available at any cafe. We were looking for chairs that could offset our modern Bruno Rey dining table. We lived two years without actual dining chairs but then we found these perfectly aged chairs on marketplace for $25 each.  We cooked a big dinner that night to celebrate a proper seat.

When you are designing or reimagining a corner of your home, where do you draw your inspiration? Do you look to nature, your photography work, or perhaps specific artistic movements?

I usually start with the function of the space, what do I need this space to do for me? Then I usually reference The Essential House Book by Terrence Conran. It’s a great resource and the images are beautiful, very 90s but in the best way like old Ikea catalogs. There’s lots of good inspiration there and it’s super helpful when it comes to layout. I also like to start with an art piece, I think art brings together a space like no other. It helps me usually think of a color palette or materials that can compliment it.

“I used to be someone who loved form and didn’t care so much about function, I had plenty of beautiful chairs but none you wanted to sit in. Now, I just want a comfortable seat where I can slow down and read a book.”

What does the concept of "slow living" mean to you personally, and how do you ensure that philosophy translates physically into the layout and atmosphere of your home?

Slow Living is living in a space that is extremely comfortable with bits of analog. I used to be someone who loved form and didnt care so much about function, I had plenty of beautiful chairs but none you wanted to sit in. Now, I just want a comfortable seat where I can slow down and read a book. I want my rug to be soft. I want to have a long conversation on the sofa. I want to light the fireplace with small sticks and put on a record.

As a photographer, you are trained to observe light and composition. How does this professional perspective influence the way you curate objects and manage light within your own living space?

I’m immediately drawn to creating small vignettes throughout the home. Special moments where perhaps if it was photographed it would be the perfect combination of things. “An iron vase with meadow flowers sits on top of a worn table”.

What are the daily or weekly rituals you practice in your home that help you hit the "pause" button and reconnect with yourself?

I love tending to my garden, watering the plants each day, taking inventory, nursing a new seedling, feeding the birds.

Beyond the visual aesthetic, how do you engage the other senses (such as scent, texture, and sound) to create an environment that encourages decompression?

I usually have music playing in the background at all times, mostly jazz or something fun depending on the mood. A candle is aways lit after cooking and cleaning, it’s like a symbol for the kitchen is closed and it’s time to relax. My favorite is Boy Smells Hinoki Fantôme.

For someone looking to turn their own busy household into a retreat for slowness without a complete renovation, what is the first small, intentional change you would recommend they make?

Don’t use the overhead lights and instead plant some nice lamps around the home and always use warm white light bulbs. My most used are the hue bulbs that you can change from candle light to soft white.

Quick Fire Questions

Morning light or golden hour? Morning Light

Vintage finds or modern minimalism? Vintage all the way

Film or digital? Film

Quiet solitude or gathered friends? Quiet solitude but when that gets boring gathered friends.

Neutral tones or bold colors? Bold colors

Handmade ceramics or heirloom silver? Heirloom silver, very chic

Fresh flowers or dried botanicals? Fresh flowers

Cozy nook or open space? Cozy Nook

Currently listening to… James Blake, Trying Times

A book you read that silenced the outside noise? Just Kids by Patti Smith

A dish you cook that brings you joy Thumbprint nutella cookies

Favorite quote:

Please bring strange things.
Please come bringing new things.
Let very old things come into your hands.
Let what you do not know come into your eyes.
Let desert sand harden your feet.
Let the arch of your feet be the mountains.
Let the paths of your fingertips be your maps
And the ways you go be the lines of your palms.
Let there be deep snow in your inbreathing
And your outbreath be the shining of ice.
May your mouth contain the shapes of strange words.
May you smell food cooking you have not eaten.
May the spring of a foreign river be your navel.
May your soul be at home where there are no houses.
Walk carefully, well-loved one,
Walk mindfully, well-loved one,
Walk fearlessly, well-loved one.
Return with us, return to us,
Be always coming home.

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Vanessa Granda is a New York–based photographer and director known for her moody, refined aesthetic. Her work centers on visual storytelling across editorials and campaigns in both beauty and still life, defined by precise composition, sculptural color, and a luxe sensibility. This distinctive approach has led to collaborations with Merit, La Mer, Nike, Family Style, and more. She has been a contributor to print and digital editorials for One Magazine.

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Interview published for ONE Magazine Online

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