Boston-based interior designer Erin Gates originally said no to writing a third book. It was late 2020 and social media was changing the way her business worked, driving the need for a constant stream of new content, clients, and collaborators. Gates had just delivered her second child after a grueling IVF journey, and COVID was still running rampant, when she and her husband closed on a circa-1865 Second Empire–style home in Massachusetts that they planned to turn into their forever home. As Gates considered putting down roots for a lifetime and making decisions for the long haul—rather than quick fixes and prioritizing resale value—she realized the benefits of documenting the journey of designing her own generational home. 

The resulting book, Elements of Timeless Style (Simon Element, 2025), is the third (and possibly final) chapter of Gates’s interior design tomes, this time focused on making your own forever home. Whether the project is completed in phases or all at once, Gates encourages thoughtful decisions, unique spaces, and having a little fun along the way. “I look at the incredible projects in this book, built to last a lifetime or more, and I know that within the walls of each home so much life will happen. Stories will play out, memories will get made, life events will transpire with these spaces as the backdrop. I love that I get to be the one who helps enhance these spaces for the better and contributes in some way to so many people’s lives,” she writes.

Gates considered the homeowners of the Lincoln, Massachusetts, home pictured here to be dream clients: a semiretired couple hailing from California was looking to build a home near their family that seamlessly blended indoor and outdoor living. Their implicit trust allowed Gates to create a natural, layered, unfussy interior within an open, modern structure. Outside, the dramatic architecture balances out a cozy fireplace with plenty of seating and a comfortable daybed swing specially requested for the grandkids. Rougher materials like stone, concrete, bronze, and weathered steel are offset by plush upholstery, linen pillows, and soft blankets. Create your own outdoor sanctuary with these nine finds.