About us

Fewer, better things. A calmer home.

Holistic Home Guide is written by Ellen and Greg Kinsey, a brother and sister who grew up between Wales and Canada. We write about the things we live with at home: the pans on the stove, the sheets on the bed, the water in the glass. Our idea of a good home is simple: fewer, better things, chosen to last and good to live with.

Who we are

Ellen has written for the web for ten years, including three years at Bauer Media writing about products and the home. Most of that work was research: comparing products side by side until the one worth buying was clear. She is now setting up a new home in the Austrian Alps, one considered choice at a time.

Greg lives and works around the world, so he has set up a lot of kitchens. His rule for every one of them is the same: fewer, better, versatile things. Back in the family home he took on the practical upgrades: the pans, the water filters and clearing out what the kitchen didn’t need.

Our grandparents’ kitchen in Wales was the family hub: long-lasting pans, a pot of tea always ready and never any over-buying. That is still how we think about a home.

“A home should feel like a sanctuary from the outside world, but also a place where people gather, connect and feel welcome.”
Ellen

“Fewer, better quality and versatile equipment is better than more.”
Greg

How we choose products

Every guide starts with the three questions we ask before we buy anything for our own home:

• Is it built to last? We look at what it is made of and how it is put together. We lean toward stainless steel, cast iron, carbon steel, glass, wood and natural fibers such as cotton, linen and wool.
• Does it feel good to use? Weight, handles, how it cleans, how it looks on the counter or the bed after a year.
• Would we keep it in our own home? If not, it doesn’t make the list.

When we write or update a guide, we check every product on Amazon’s US store, and what we say about materials has to match the listing. When a listing doesn’t say what something is made of, we don’t guess. We name the downsides, too.

Tested by us marks a product one of us has actually used at home. Everything else is a research pick: we compare materials, construction, care and the maker’s details side by side.

We write about materials and how products perform. We don’t make health promises about any product.

How we make money

We’re reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It never changes which products we pick.

Say hello

Questions, corrections or a brand collaboration? We read every message ourselves: inquiries@holistichomeguide.com. For one email a month about what we bought and what we kept, join our newsletter.

Barefoot Backpackers is where we go. Holistic Home Guide is where we come home.