The Home Work Journal · By Alyson Rice
Consider this your permission to stop decorating for a future buyer when your home isn’t even for sale.
Can we talk about something? Somewhere along the way, a lot of us were told to make “safe” choices at home. Choose neutral finishes. Think about resale. Don’t do anything too personal. What will the next buyer think?
And listen, some of that makes sense. If you’re planning a big investment, or putting your house on the market, it’s smart to think about what will last and what might appeal to buyers.
But what if you’re not selling? What if you’re happily living there, with no plans to move, and you’re still making every decision for a hypothetical future buyer who hasn’t even introduced themselves?
Meanwhile, you’re the one living with those decisions every single day.
Life’s too short for a boring home!
Yes, I love colour. No, I won’t make you love my pink.
When you meet me, you’ll learn pretty quickly that my clothes are often colourful. Colour makes me happy, and my own home is no exception. There are colourful touches in the furniture, rugs, artwork, and accents. Gasp! I even have an orange leather chair and curtains covered in big, bold, colourful flowers. What can I say? I like a room with a little personality…
And quite frankly, it’s a big part of why I left corporate interior design. I couldn’t take one more beige-on-beige-on-beige room.
But here’s the important part: I want your home to make you happy while you’re living in it. Not me. Not the imaginary buyer from five years in the future. You.
Maybe you can’t stop thinking about a hot pink sofa. I’m listening. Maybe your dream is a calm, neutral room with beautiful layers and thoughtful details. I love that too.
A neutral home can have plenty of personality, and I’m not going to arrive on your doorstep determined to turn everything into my signature pink. Unless, of course, you love pink. Then we should probably talk and identify your signature pink too!
And while we’re talking neutrals… they’re not all created equal.
Beige, grey, white, cream. They all have their place. But a warm beige and a cool beige aren’t automatically going to be best friends. The undertones matter. The light matters. And the other materials in the room definitely matter.
And would you believe me if I told you I firmly believe navy can act as a neutral? It can! Navy can be a wonderfully versatile backdrop alongside warm woods, crisp whites, colourful artwork, and all sorts of textures.
The trick isn’t avoiding colour. It’s being thoughtful about where it goes, what you pair it with, and how much you use. A carefully chosen pop of colour can feel meaningful instead of overwhelming.
Five ways to give your home a little personality.
Start with the thing you can’t stop thinking about.
It could be that hot pink sofa, a rug, a piece of art, or a paint colour you’ve saved to your inspiration folder approximately 86 times. Start with something you genuinely love and build around it. Your favourite thing deserves more than a passing appearance on a mood board.
Think lipstick and mascara.
This is something I say all the time. Think of your room as the outfit, and the artwork, pillows, rugs, and accessories as the lipstick and mascara.
You can keep the walls and larger, more expensive pieces neutral, then use those finishing touches to add colour, energy, and personality. They can make a huge impact for a relatively modest investment compared with replacing the big pieces. And they’re much easier to switch up when you feel like a change.
Of course, if your heart belongs to that hot pink sofa, we can make that the star. The lipstick-and-mascara approach is an option, not a rule.
Repeat a colour, but don’t make everything match.
Pull a shade from your rug into a cushion, a print, or a little accessory. A few thoughtful repeats help the room feel connected. Matching absolutely everything can make it feel like it arrived in one very large box.
Test before the big commitment.
Paint samples are your friends. Look at them in the actual room, in morning and evening light, and next to the flooring, cabinetry, and furnishings you’re keeping. That beautiful “perfect beige” can look completely different when its undertone meets your existing finishes. And yes, the same goes for all 47 shades of white.
Keep what you already love.
A room doesn’t need a full shopping spree to feel new. Sometimes moving the furniture, rethinking the layout, or changing a few accents is enough. I’ve been rearranging furniture since I was five, so you could say I’m a little biased on this one.
Confidence looks good on a home.
Good design isn’t about being colourful for the sake of being colourful. And it certainly isn’t about playing it safe just because someone, someday, might want to buy your house.
It’s about making thoughtful decisions that feel right for your space, your budget, and the way you live. Some homes need a bold statement. Others just need the right lipstick and mascara.
My job is to work with YOU on what YOU love, not to hand you my personal style and call it a day.
So go ahead. Give that colour you can’t stop thinking about a fair audition. Or embrace a beautifully layered neutral palette that makes you smile every time you walk in.
Make your home feel like you. That’s a trend worth keeping.
