Decor
4 Little Things That Inject More Personality Into Your Home
Your space could use fewer trends and more things with a backstory.
Home might be where the heart is, but if you’re not careful during the decorating process, your space can lose its soul somewhere along the way. In an age when everyone’s a few clicks away from finding (and buying) TikTok-lauded buzzy trend, or enlisting artificial intelligence to solve your latest spatial conundrum, it’s easier than ever before to stay ahead of the design curve. But here’s the thing: It’s also easier than ever to wind up with a spot that looks like everyone else’s.
“The downside has become the algorithm,” explains Lindsay Thornton, founder of the design firm Cornerstone Design & Build in Ontario. “If you liked a house with light oak floors and black and white accents, that’s all you saw. Slowly, ‘group think’ in design drifted into builders’ plans for mass-produced homes and has stripped personality from where we live.”
What your home really needs is its mojo back: Those small-but-mighty — and often quirky — touches that make your home feel like… well, you. Below, design experts share the little things that make your place more personable.
1. An Intentional Vibe
Trends might come and go, but a good vibe never goes out of style. When DIY home designer and YouTuber Alexandra Gater starts an interior design project, she often asks clients to submit four to five inspiration photos to understand how they want to feel in their place.
“It’s so telling,” she says. “Do they want to feel cozy in their space, and that’s why there are so many dark moody paint colors in their images? Or is their space small, cramped and not filled with enough light, which is why they’re choosing really bright and airy, white-walled spaces?”
Often, the mood you want to imbue can inform what goes inside. Transform your living room into an intimate speakeasy by loading up a bar cart with your favorite bottles and sprinkle a few matchboxes from your favorite watering holes. Stressed-out remote workers can make their home office more peaceful with a line of crystals on a windowsill and a houseplant in the corner. (The latter will literally add life and reportedly improve your mood.)
2. Paint — Even If It’s White
“Adding color and pattern is a simple way to add whimsy, personality and charm to a home,” says Molly Torres Portnof from design studio Date Interiors in Brooklyn. “For a bit more drama, ‘drench’ your space in pattern or color.”
Gater agrees and says pigmented punch can be your secret to a unique space. “I just love how color makes me feel,” she shares. The YouTuber loves to find inspiration everywhere, be it a trip to her favorite bead store or a linen shirt she found online.
“I might notice a rusty red beside a pale blue and a weird chartreuse and think, ‘Wait… I love that,” she says. “They eventually influence how I mix colors in my work, whether that’s a room, a piece of furniture, a textile, or even just styling a shelf.“
If bright, unbridled hues aren’t your thing, neutrals can still make your home special. “A lot of rentals are painted in a cold, blue white,” she adds. “Put a can of creamy white on the walls and I promise you will feel the difference, not just see it, without spending a lot.”
Unless your lease has a strict “no-paint policy,” Gater says a new hue is surprisingly renter-friendly. “It’s so easy to reverse,” she explains. “I always say that as long as you are able to paint it back to white, painting is [a great] way to transform your rental.”
As for a specific shade? She recommends Benjamin Moore’s Cloud White, which will “instantly warm up the space.”
3. Unexpected Touches
It’s natural to focus on a living room or primary bedroom’s decor, but don’t forget about smaller spots, like bathrooms, hallways, and foyers. “Growing up, my aunt had a handmade, paper-mâché mermaid hanging on her bathroom wall,” Gater says. “So simple, but I still remember how much it felt like her!”
You don’t necessarily need to get crafty. “A cute shower curtain or a fun piece of art can turn it into a room you genuinely love being in,” she says.
Similarly, Thornton suggests paying attention to tiny details like your cabinets’ and drawers’ hardware. Swapping out those builder-grade knobs and pulls is an instant way to add personality. As long as you triple-check the thickness of your drawer or cabinet door — and find hardware with a screw long enough to match — the options are virtually endless. Visit your local antique shop for delightful vintage pieces or turn to Etsy for unique and even custom options.
Since hardware is lightweight and easy to ship, you can buy a beautiful set from far-flung corners.
4. Items With Lore
Never underestimate the power of trinkets. You know, that adorable dish you picked up from your favorite flea market or a bunch of hotel keys you squirreled away on vacation.
“To me, the most interesting spaces are ones that are a mix of so many things that someone loves — things that are bought new, thrifted, collected from travels, and things that don’t match with each other! — over time,” Gater says. “When I come home, my space really feels like mine because it’s filled with deeply personal pieces that I’ve collected over time,” she shares. “Mugs my partner and I made in pottery class, hand made art pieces that were gifted to me, or candle holders that I purchased while travelling.”
The key, Thornton says, is to be thoughtful about how you style your odds and ends. Thornton likes to group pieces in a similar finish for cohesion. (She once peppered a children’s bathroom with a miniature brass bathtub and pair of birds on a floating shelf and vanity, respectively, to bring a fanciful flair.)
Also, pace yourself before festooning your space with personal touches. “Start with two to three pieces as you mix and match new with old,” she recommends. “A room full of artifacts from world travels can look tastefully done when you know how to edit.” Translation: You don’t want to dump every souvenir you’ve ever collected on the same shelf.
It takes time to build a home that brings you joy, so Gater recommends keeping a Pinterest board of styles, items, and colors you like, and adding to it over time until it feels like you — not whatever’s trending.
The result? A home that not just tells a story, but tells your story.
