'Your home isn't weird enough, and that's why it looks like everyone else's' – this one piece of advice got me out of an interior design rut and now I think everyone needs to try it too

I’ve always loved a perfectly styled room, but lately I’ve noticed how many homes –mine included – have started to play it a little too safe. And as somebody who looks at a lot of homes per day, I'm getting a little bored of such rigid interior design rules.

The antidote to my design rut? Weirdness. 'Your home isn't weird enough, and that's why it looks like everyone else's,' says Denver-based interior designer Lily Walters, opening her viral TikTok video.

In the era of Pinterest-perfect interiors, and a design-by-numbers approach to shopping, perhaps it is time to embrace the weird and wonderful to help bring joy and personality back into our homes? Lily's 'make homes weird again' is a mantra I'm now vowing to live by. Here's how to make your home more unique.

How to add a little 'weird' to your home

'We're all so worried about doing our homes right that we forget to make them weird, she goes on to explain. 'You don't need another beige boucle chair or a framed photo of the desert, you need a tapestry with birds on your stairwell wall or a folk-painted chair shoved in the corner like a little secret.'

The key, however, is not to suddenly pile a myriad of oddities into your space but to follow Lily's expert advice to embrace a little weirdness here and there in order to make your home more memorable.

1. Stop matching and embrace clashing

In episode two of her "your home isn't weird enough" crusade, she says: 'I want your home to be personal and slightly unhinged.' A directive that might send shivers down the spine of perfectionists.

To her, that means resisting the urge to buy the same beige linen sectional you’ve seen on every Pinterest board for the past five years. Instead, she challenges you to 'bring in wallpaper that looks like a forest, curtains that clash on purpose, and a striped sofa that makes absolutely no sense – until it does'. It’s about creating rooms that spark conversation and feel alive, rather than blending into the background.

Clashing patterns and unexpected color combinations have long been a favorite trick of seasoned designers. When everything matches perfectly and has its 'place', nothing stands out. So to stop your room feeling like a showroom, try mixing patterns in a room to create a layered, in lived-in feel.

2. Try out some unique tile

If your kitchen backsplash or bathroom tile feels like an afterthought, Lily wants you to think again – and think weirder. 'I want to see fish tiles in your kitchen just because they make you laugh,' she says, urging you to pick materials that go beyond safe neutrals and trend-led shapes.

Tile isn’t just purely functional; it’s an opportunity for adding personality, and there are plenty of unexpected places to use tile. 'It should surprise you, make you laugh, or make you feel something – even if it’s just: "this is weird but I love it".'

Even in small spaces like a powder room, a statement tile can completely shift the energy of a room. Whether you pick bold colors, patterns, unique shapes, or a hand-painted fern leaf mural like the above, tile is a great way to dip your toe into something special.

3. Thrift unique art and sculptural mirrors

Scrolling through endless pages of mass-produced wall decor might be easy, but Lily wants you to get off your laptop and head to vintage stores for interior decor items to swap for thrifted pieces. And I have to say, I agree.

In her words, she’s looking for 'framed photos of a horse you don’t know' or 'a sculptural mirror that looks like it came from a haunted antique store.' These are the oddball treasures that, in her eyes, instantly inject soul into a space. 'Safe is forgettable, but weird things make it feel like you,' she adds.

Hunting for one-of-a-kind art and mirrors not only makes your home more personal, it also adds layers of history and intrigue. The beauty of decorating with vintage and thrifted finds is that they come with built-in character, too. A slightly worn frame, an unusual shape, or a mysterious subject matter sparks curiosity and invites conversation.

4. Collect 'random' objects that make you smile

Finding things that speak to you is crucial. 'Your home might be beautiful, but it might be lacking the things that make it weird,' she advises.

Her solution? Go shopping with an open mind and an eye for the unexpected. 'Find some really weird objects, put them in your home,' she suggests – like the 'funky alpaca sculpture' she once sourced for a client. It wasn’t necessary as such, but in Lily's view, 'it also was at the exact same time'.

A quirky ceramic or a vintage sailboat might not ‘belong’ in a scheme, but if it makes you grin every time you see it, it’s earning its place. Personal treasures, whether they’re kitschy, sentimental, or just plain odd, give a room a sense of story.

I recently returned from a trip to the Amalfi Coast in Italy with a small ceramic donkey in my suitcase, and not only does it add a new shape to my mantelpiece vignette, but reminds me of that vacation every time I pass by.

5. Display your weird and wonderful hobbies

Your passions – whether genuine, fleeting, or just for fun – deserve pride of place in your home and can double up as playful decor.

'Maybe you need to hang a golf club on your wall because you can and you have free will,' she suggests. Or maybe it’s 'a tennis racket mirror, even though you’ve never played in your entire life.'

'I want to stop your home from blending in,' she continues. And objects that reflect yours and your family's interests, pastimes, or sense of humor make your home feel like a true extension of you. It doesn’t matter if you’ve only picked up a tennis racket once, if it brings you joy, it belongs in your home.

6. Look to lighting to spark conversation

The most functional features in your home, like lighting ideas, can double as conversation starters. From oversized pendants to sculptural sconces and lamps that look more like art installations than light sources, the lighting choices in your home are a great opportunity to get creative.

'Even your lighting can be weird – chunky, shiny, and unapologetic,' Lily suggests. Because lighting naturally draws the eye, it’s a brilliant place to make a statement.

'Your home should make people stop in the middle of a sentence and say: "wait, what is that?"'

If you’re hesitant to go bold with permanent fixtures, try starting with smaller pieces. Plug-in table and floor lamps and portable lamps are easy to swap in and out, so you can experiment with scale, shape, and color without committing to rewiring ceiling or wall lights.

'Your home should make people stop mid-sentence to tell jokes, hold secrets, start rumors – and it should feel like you,' says Lily. 'So let's all stop worrying if it matches and start asking, is this weird enough? Because weird is memorable and memorable is magic.'

A perfectly curated coffee table might get you likes online, but a funky sculpture, a playful painting, or a side table that makes your friends laugh out loud? Those are the details that will be remembered years later.