Do you believe in magic? Increasingly, I think I might.

A few months ago, my children discovered the joy of what they call “potions.” There’s no crow’s foot or rat’s tail or even mermaid tears. No, the ingredients are much more processed, in true 2026 fashion, but that doesn’t make them less enchanting, according to my children anyway.

This all started as a fun, DIY lava lamp project that was pushed to me via mom-stagram. With Mason jars, olive oil, water, paint, glitter and Alka Seltzer, my kids were introduced to the world of chemical reactions and, without a better way to word it, junk in jars. It was a Pandora’s Box situation.

Every day since—and this is not an exaggeration—they have insisted on further exploring their creativity through the lens of potions. They have become something akin to the witches that star in their Halloween-themed storybooks, whipping up enchanted brews whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Slowly but surely, they have used every jar, plastic cup, Tupperware container and any other empty vessel that can hold water for their creations, which are often confusing combinations of water, rocks, beads, glitter, paint and anything else they can get their tiny hands on. The opportunities … they really are endless.

If you have children, you know that these vessels of gunk cannot simply be thrown away. No, no. Each jar of trash has sentimental value. So now here I sit, surrounded by jars of junk, aka potions. Occasionally, my husband hits his breaking point and trashes the whole lot. And I breathe a sigh of relief as the clutter evaporates. But the solace is always short-lived, as more will soon hit my countertop.

While I, of course, do not believe that the mixtures of gunk are magic. I do, however, believe that the “potions” hold some power, albeit perhaps not supernatural.

The proof is in the process. Putting things in jars makes my children feel powerful, inspired and innovative. They are creating something new and, through that process, they are also sparking something in themselves. That’s the magic, and that’s worth clutter on my counter, if you ask me.

Interior design is similar, at least in some ways, to children creating potions, I think. It’s a process that involves making a mess, putting seemingly unexpected things together and committing to the idea that success can only be defined, truly, through the eyes of the beholder.

In this month’s issue, we’re exploring several projects that capture the same magic that my kids are capturing every afternoon when they stick rocks, glitter and watercolor paint in water. I mean this as a compliment; I promise. These spaces are imaginative, exciting and, most importantly, they are canvases for the creativity of those who put the work in to make them what they are today.

I hope you when you look through the pages of this issue, you are inspired, but not just to take an idea straight from the page. Instead, I hope you are motivated to make your own “potion,” so to speak; to seek out the magic that only comes when you explore your creativity.

In the meantime, I’ll be heading back to Target to purchase another flat of Mason jars and lots more glitter. There’s plenty more magic to be explored.

Looking forward,

Riley Bienvenu Bourgeois