# Refnest: A place to keep visual references

> A desktop vault for collecting, organizing, and revisiting visual references.

- Site: Falah Isnan (https://falah-isnan.com/work/refnest)
- Author: Falah Isnan (https://falah-isnan.com/)
- Published: 2026-09-23
- Updated: 2026-09-23
- Discipline: Desktop product
- Focus: Collection and retrieval
- Client: Personal
- Stack: Tauri / Rust / Bun / Effect / React
- Access: Public source

## The problem

References pile up in folders, chats, and browser tabs. Collecting one is easy; finding it again months later is not.

## The approach

A desktop vault built on Tauri, with the system logic in Bun rather than the Rust runtime, so collecting, organizing, and revisiting stay one continuous motion.

![RefNest reference library with folder navigation and a grid of original ceramic, architectural, and abstract studies.](https://falah-isnan.com/work/refnest/library.webp)

Refined product views based on the app. All reference artwork has been replaced with original AI-generated studies.

## Inside the product

### One place to start.

Capture a website, import files, create a folder, or jump to a collection. The command palette puts those actions beside search, so moving through the vault starts in one place.

![RefNest command palette with capture, import, generate, workspace, and folder actions.](https://falah-isnan.com/work/refnest/commands.webp)

### Make the next reference.

Write a prompt and choose the model, size, quality, and style from the generation panel. New images save into the generated folder, alongside the references already in the vault.

![RefNest image-generation panel showing a ceramic-lamp prompt and model, size, quality, and style controls.](https://falah-isnan.com/work/refnest/generate.webp)