Puppy Chaos, 432 Hertz, and Grounding Garden Rituals: Inside Designer Tiffany Howell’s Morning Routine
TIFFANY HOWELL |interior designer and founder of design studio NIGHT PALM
Tiffany Howell’s interiors are known for their emotional atmosphere; they are the kind of rooms that seem to hum with feeling before you’ve even registered what’s in them. So, it follows that her mornings are less about efficiency than mood-setting: fresh air before coffee, a few quiet minutes in the garden, a little red light, a lot of skin prep, and a grounding walk through Silver Lake before the workday begins.
At the moment, there’s also a new variable in the mix: Romeo, her two-and-a-half-month-old English cream golden retriever, who has effectively replaced sleep with chaos. While she is disciplined about going to bed on time, Howell is currently waking up at hours better suited to bakers and early morning television producers. Still, even in this more feral, sleep-deprived chapter, Howell remains impressively committed to her routine. Some working mothers of teenagers and puppies might unravel; she picks a pomelo and dry brushes.
5:00 a.m.
Right now, everything is a little different because I have a new puppy. I usually get up around six, but lately it’s been more like five because he’s still waking up every two to three hours. We got Romeo for my son, who’s 15, and he’s so cute that I’ve forgiven him for completely destroying my sleep.
The first thing I do is let Romeo out into the garden, and I’ll have a Cure electrolyte. I’m always slightly dehydrated, no matter how much water I drink, and my cardiologist told me I should be having at least two or three electrolytes a day in addition to water.
6:15 a.m.
I like to sit outside with Romeo and watch the sun come up. My house opens into a courtyard and a little garden, so it’s a really lovely place to wake up.
I know there’s all this talk about morning light and cortisol, and I do think that matters. But more than anything, I know that if I don’t get a little fresh air and sky first thing, it changes my whole mood. If I go straight to my phone in a dark house, I’m just not as good.
6:30 a.m.
Then I make coffee. I usually take it back outside.
A big part of my morning is ritual, and one of the things I love doing is picking something from the garden. I have a lot of citrus and herbs, so I’ll pick pomelos or blood oranges and juice them or make peppermint water. I like doing one little thing with my hands that feels connected to nature before the day really starts.
7:00 a.m.
This is when I start waking up my son, so the whole vibe changes. The music shifts. The house gets louder.
Once I know he’s up and moving, that’s usually when I do my red-light mask and listen to 432 hertz. I try to do it every morning if I can. I usually listen to this [grounding sound frequency] on Spotify, and sometimes I’ll meditate or do little gratitude prayers while I’m doing the red light.
It’s very calming for me. Some days I do it as a separate meditation, and some days I combine it all because time is precious, and I’m trying to get out the door.
For me, the ritual is almost more about the sound than the beauty benefits I get from the red light mask. The red light is a bonus, but the 432 hertz is really what helps me settle before the day gets busy. It helps me feel grounded.
7:45 a.m.
I make the same breakfast almost every day: a two-ingredient pancake made with banana and egg.
When I first started making it, I thought everyone was lying because it did not seem possible that banana and egg were going to become a pancake. But I’ve perfected it. The trick is using really good butter in the pan so it crisps properly.
I’m gluten-free because of Hashimoto’s, so I’ve been eating this way for a long time. I know what works for me.
8:00 a.m.
Then I go for a walk. Usually, I’ll walk the Silver Lake Reservoir or the hills nearby. If I can’t get out, I’ll do the treadmill downstairs. I always try to get in at least half an hour.
That walk is non-negotiable for me. It just changes the entire tone of the day.
8:30 a.m.
When I get back, I dry brush before I shower. I do it fully dry and focus mostly on lymphatic areas because I’ve learned a lot about that through bodywork and lymphatic massage. I really focus on the area under the arms, around the stomach, collarbone, outside of the legs, behind the knees, and even the bottoms of my feet.
If I have time, I’ll do my whole body. But if I don’t, I still always try to hit those key areas.
8:40 a.m.
My shower is one of the parts of my routine that varies the most, but it always must feel really good. I usually start with the goop Beauty Luminous Cleansing Balm, and I almost always do my face scrub in the shower.
I use an exfoliating cleanser on my body. I also love a good body oil. I usually put that on while I’m still in the shower.
I’m very sensory-oriented, so products either need to have no scent at all or smell incredible. If the texture or scent is off, I’m immediately not interested.
I only wash my hair once or twice a week. I usually use the Crown Affair hydrating shampoo and conditioner.
9:00 a.m.
At some point in the morning, I’ll put on the Augustinus Bader eye patches. I wake up puffy almost every day. I usually wear them while I’m having coffee or moving around the house.
After the shower, I’m all about skin prep. I use Augustinus Bader The Essence and The Rich Cream. I don’t like wearing a lot of makeup. I just want my skin to look glowy and fresh.
I like makeup that gives me enough coverage to feel polished but still looks like skin. I never want to look too done.
Right now I’m using the Westman Atelier Lit Up Highlight Stick, the Westman Atelier Vital Skincare Complexion Drops, the Counter Cheeky Clean Cream Blush, and the Kosas Weightless Lip Color in Stardust.
9:15 a.m.
I don’t do much with my hair, honestly. I don’t really use hot tools. I’ll maybe put a little oil in it, braid it, or let it air-dry.
My hair is never best on the first day I wash it—it’s much better on day two or three—so I mostly just try to make it look a little more polished and leave it alone.
A good brush helps. I’ve been using the Crown Affair brush, which I love.
After that, I get dressed, and that’s usually where I have a little more fun. I keep the beauty very minimal and then put more personality into what I’m wearing. For me, it’s all about easing into the day. I don’t do well with transitions, so if I don’t set myself up, I really feel it.
