I’ve always believed you can tell almost everything about a person by what they notice.

The things they bring home from a trip. The objects they keep long after they’ve forgotten where they found them. The meal they make on repeat. The corner of the house they instinctively return to. The sound that wakes them in the morning.

Speaking with creator and newly minted jewelry designer Caelynn Bell, it became clear that she pays attention to these in-between moments perhaps more than most.

A Greek salad recipe learned in Greece; sparrows nesting just outside her bedroom window; deer and elk appearing in the backyard; antiques discovered in Malta that would eventually inspire Bellboy, the jewelry line she recently launched.

For Caelynn, home isn’t simply a place you arrive at. It’s a feeling you learn to recognize – a deep exhale, a slower pace, a quiet kind of presence.

From her home in Colorado’s Roaring Fork Valley, where she lives with her husband, Dean Michael Bell, I spoke with Caelynn about mountain living, the objects that become anchors in our lives, and the beauty of creating a home that feels entirely your own.

We’re all multi-hyphenates. If we met at a dinner party, how would you introduce yourself? And how does that compare to the version of you that the people closest to you know at home?

I usually introduce myself as a creator based in Colorado, married, with three rescues who run the house more than Dean and I do. 

I recently introduced myself as a jewelry designer, which made me so excited for the Bellboy launch. 

I’d say my friends closest to me know me as someone who is obsessed with her animals, loves being at home, but is also somehow always traveling. 

When you’re rooted in Colorado and have friends travel to you instead, what do you hope they notice about this little corner of the world that you’ve built?

Most of our friends live in big cities, and what I notice every time they visit is their ability to relax and breathe. 

Our valley moves at a different pace, and it kind of forces you to slow down and be present. 

I hope that’s what they take home with them – not just the trip, but that feeling of getting to calm your nervous system and rest. 

Before Colorado, you lived in quite a few other places. How has your definition of ‘home’ evolved over the years?

I’ve lived in Virginia, North Carolina, California, Nevada… but Colorado is the first place that’s felt like home instead of just somewhere I was living. 

I love to travel, but I love coming home even more. 

There’s something so special about driving into the Roaring Fork Valley or flying into Aspen, where I feel an immediate calm wash over me. Since moving to the valley, I realized home isn’t just a place anymore, it’s that feeling. 

What is your favorite room or spot of the house you love to return to most? 

It depends on the season. 

In the summer, it’s our backyard. Our two senior dogs and cat love getting to run around together and enjoy the sunshine. We usually have deer, elk, and turkeys wandering into the backyard at all hours. 

In the winter, it’s our office. My husband built this incredible room with a huge mural and built-in bookcases. The office looks out to our mountain, so it’s a very peaceful place to work. 

If I could press pause on one ordinary summer day in your life right now, what would I see?

The windows and doors are open, the animals are outside laying in the sun, we have 90s music playing on the speakers, Dean and I are cooking together, and we end the night eating in the backyard with a glass of orange wine. 

What have you two been cooking up lately? Any go-to recipes? 

I always try to take a cooking class when I’m traveling. 

I went to Greece last year with my best friend, and we learned how to make the perfect Greek salad. It’s my go-to with grilled chicken or salmon. I make it once a week using cucumbers, red onions, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, feta, a homemade dressing, and lately I’ve been adding mint. I learned the trick to a perfect Greek salad is the way you mix it. Instead of using spoons,  grab the bowl with your two thumbs and toss it until it’s mixed. There’s something about this method that works every time. 

Do you have any other rituals or routines that have quietly become your favorite part of the day? 

I love my early mornings in the mountains. 

It’s so quiet where we live, so I usually wake up to sparrows (they built their nest right next to our bedroom window, so they’ve turned into my alarm clock). 

I let the animals out and sit outside with my coffee and Kindle before starting my day. 

And when the day winds down, what nighttime essentials are you reaching for – more books or journals? 

All of the above. I have my Kindle, where I’m currently reading Anathema; and a physical book – right now it’s The Creative Act. I have my hand cream from Soft Services; my Hatch; a Flamingo Estates candle; and Ritual Sleep. All the necessities for my nighttime routine. 

Beyond the things you reach for every day, are there any quirky or unexpected items in your home that have special meaning to you? 

Our gallery wall in our living room has become quite eclectic, and I love it.

There’s art we’ve collected from all over the world, sentimental pieces from friends, a vintage rotary phone, books mounted on the wall, an old tennis racket, and an instrument that to this day, neither of us can identify. 

It’s been fun to see how weird we can get with it.

I love that so many of your meaningful objects seem to come from elsewhere – travels, friendships, different seasons of life. Was there a particular object, heirloom, or memory that became the emotional starting point for Bellboy?

I’d had the idea for Bellboy in the back of my mind for years, but Malta is really where it clicked. The antiques there carried so much history, and it sparked something inside of me. 

I’m currently working on the second drop, which is inspired by a piece my grandma passed down to me. 

I’m always getting inspired by vintage pieces, travel, interior design, and nature.