Teddy Swims on fatherhood, finding presence and making your house feel like a home
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For Teddy Swims, home isn’t just about what fills a room - it’s about who fills it.
The Grammy-nominated singer has officially been named Ashley Furniture's newest Chief Mood Officer, joining the brand for a campaign celebrating Ashley Luxe, its luxury collection that launched earlier this year.
And while Swims certainly has thoughts on furniture, give him a sprawling sectional over a loveseat any day; his idea of creating the perfect space has much more to do with connection.
“I’m more of a big round table than a long table,” Swims said. “I want to be able to sit next to everybody.”
That sense of togetherness has become even more meaningful for the singer since becoming a father. His son, now 15 months old, has changed not only the way Swims thinks about home, but also how he approaches his increasingly busy life.
“I feel like, with everything in my life, there’s more of a presentness to it,” he said.
Fatherhood has shifted my perspective. “As I find that my son grows and I’m watching time through a real lens of actual growth, he’s really taught me how to be where my feet are,” Swims said. “Wherever I’m at, I try to be as present as possible.”
Watching his son learn has also inspired Swims to reconsider something adults can easily lose along the way: the willingness to be a beginner.“What point in our lives do we decide that we’re kind of done growing and we become this complacent version of ourselves?” he said. It’s a question that has encouraged him to pursue growth in his own life, whether that means considering piano lessons again or getting back into boxing and weightlifting.
“It’s good to be a baby at something again, and learn things, and grow at that rapid pace,” he said. Even his Ashley partnership has offered another opportunity to flex a different creative muscle. Swims said he has long enjoyed designing his own home, describing his personal aesthetic as a mix of seemingly opposite ideas.
“It’s got to have this kind of homeyness, but it’s also got to have this kind of flamboyant flair,” he said. “It’s got to kind of be loud, but also soft, but also edgy and kind of grungy, but still sweet.”
But after months spent traveling between hotels, green rooms and tour stops, the most important part of his home isn’t any particular design choice. It’s the consistency it provides.
Swims said coming home after being on the road can actually be jarring at first. After spending so much time surrounded by people and the constant energy of touring, suddenly returning to a quiet house requires what he describes as a “re-entry phase.” His solution? Fill the house back up.
“I want everyone around me that I’ve missed,” he said. “There’s nothing that you can beat from just that space of comfortable communion,” he said.
And yes, the furniture still plays a role. Ultimately, Swims believes creating a home that feels distinctly yours can provide something especially valuable when everything outside of it is constantly changing.
“The way your home feels and looks and smells is just one of the only consistent things you have in life,” Swims added. “So you got to make it perfect for you.”
Shop the Ashley Luxe collection below.
