Naming Your Home: How The White Elephant Came to Be
Recently, I came across a fun post from Southern Livingabout the tradition of naming homes and creating meaningful identities for the places we live. From bespoke logos to names rooted in family history or symbolism, it was a reminder that homes often carry stories far beyond their walls.
While the inspiration behind my own home’s name was not tied to Southern tradition, the idea immediately resonated with me. In this case, the name came directly from the experience itself. It felt so fitting that it almost named itself.
We purchased our home while it was already in the middle of a major renovation. Right after closing, we walked into what can only be described as organized chaos. Open walls, half-finished spaces, and a long list of decisions waiting to be made. No pretty before. Just a big project staring back at us.
Not long after, we escaped to Nantucket for a much-needed reset and stayed at a hotel called The White Elephant. At the time, I simply loved the name. Once we were home and standing in the middle of this renovation, it stuck with me.
Out of curiosity, we looked up the meaning of “white elephant.” Traditionally, it refers to something you pour time, money, and energy into without knowing if it will ultimately be worth it.
That definition hit home.
Even as a designer, renovations come with twists, turns, and moments of doubt. You question decisions. You question timing. Sometimes you question the entire process. Naming the house The White Elephant became a way to acknowledge that reality with honesty and a bit of humor.
Design is always a leap of faith. You commit long before you see the result. You trust the process through the messy middle and hope the vision on the other side is worth it. Giving the home a name helped ground us in that belief.
Naming the home also gave it a sense of identity. Not in a branded, logo-on-everything way, but in the way you begin to relate to a space differently once it has a name. It becomes something you care for, commit to, and see through. In many ways, The White Elephantstopped being a project and started becoming a home long before it was finished.
