Image Credit: Piglet in Bed
Non-aesthetic homes: the TikTok trend you need to know… and how to master the look
Have you come across the ‘non-aesthetic’ trend online?
While social media can be a great source of inspiration for our interiors, it can also set pretty unrealistically high standards for our own home décor.
Sure, we love looking at immaculately curated homes with everything neatly in its place, but the busyness and messiness of ordinary life means the reality, even for the content creators themselves, is often quite different.
Enter TikTok’s non-aesthetic home trend – flying in the face of filtered perfection, instead celebrating the authenticity and homes that welcome the flaws that make our spaces unique to us.
It’s certainly a craze people are embracing, with the #nonaesthetichomes hashtag clocking up over 10K posts since it began to gain traction towards the end of 2024.
What is the non-aesthetic trend?
Unlike other decor trends that are more centred on design and cohesion, this particular look is about appreciating that your home does not and will not look perfect all the time.
Instead it’s about understanding that homes are spaces for living, and learning to embrace that lived-in beauty, imperfections, messy bits and all.
“Over the past few years, cracks have been beginning to show in the illusion social media creates regarding people’s lifestyles,” explains Rhiannon Masters, interior designer and Head of Brand at Piglet in Bed.
“More and more of us are beginning to realise that social media doesn’t show the full picture and, instead, embracing realistic portrayals of life is becoming the norm, which is lovely to see.”
Instead of carefully curated and pristine interior styles, Rhiannon says we’re beginning to see people celebrate homes that venture away from sticking rigidly to a certain interior trend and instead celebrate authentic and lived-in looks.
Of course minimalist fans may worry this this brave, new aesthetic may be a step too far from the clutter-free spaces they covet, but experts say there are some ways to find a balance between curated and chaotic.
From embracing the joy of intentional mess to curating your clutter here’s how to lean into the look and embrace a more homely interior style.
Non-aesthetic trend: style your clutter
One styling technique to help you embrace a more lived-in home style is to embrace your clutter.
“We all know how hard it can be to say goodbye to our beloved possessions when we think it’s time for a declutter.
“But, in reality, you can use your trinkets and treasures in a creative way to actually add the lived-in style to your home,” explains Rhiannon.
She suggests using teapots as vases and books as centrepieces for your dining table, or displaying sentimental pieces and framing mementos.
“These are just a couple of ways to get creative with your clutter and all add character,” she explains.
“Think of the cosy messiness of a creative home – unmade beds, open books, and dishes in the sink. It’s about life happening in the space, not a showroom.”
Don’t limit yourself to certain interior trends
A fundamental technique that allows for an effortlessly realistic interior look is not limiting yourself to one particular style.
Instead, Rhiannon suggests taking elements of different styles and merging them together to create a unique, personable space.
“A great tip to help follow this rule is when you are choosing design elements for your home, pick things you love rather than things based on a certain interior style,” Rhiannon adds.
“By including everything you love into your home interior, it helps to create an environment that speaks true to your personality, whilst creating a unique interior look that boasts authenticity.”
Clash your patterns
While print clashing is a core technique in interior styling, especially for the maximalist trend, it’s also a technique that compliments an authentic style.
“Similar to not limiting yourself to styles, you don’t want to limit yourself to certain patterns and prints to incorporate into your home,” Rhiannon suggests.
“For instance, if you love gingham, florals and stripes, don’t feel like you have to pick just one pattern to incorporate into your home.
“You can pair all of your favourite patterns together in complementary colours to achieve a striking and comforting style that looks effortlessly curated.”
Non-aesthetic trend: embrace intentional ‘mess’
Intentional ‘mess’ embraces the idea of a curated, yet layered, aesthetic that adds depth and narrative to a space.
“It’s not about excess, but rather the artful arrangement of objects, textures, and materials that reflect individuality and evoke a sense of personality in the home,” explains Bo Hellberg, CMO at String Furniture.
He suggests looking to open modular shelving which allows for both organisation and creative freedom, allowing you to design and personalise your shelves with carefully curated pieces.
“By incorporating elements that can evolve with a space—whether through the integration of unique design pieces or versatile storage systems—intentional clutter becomes a way to craft personalised, dynamic spaces that are both functional and visually striking,” he adds.
Keep it organised
While the non-aesthetic trend is all about embracing home necessities, everything should still have its place.
Finding the line between minimalist and messy can be tricky, but keeping your accessories organised is a good place to start.
“Styling your clutter on a simple shelf can be beautiful and decorative,” Bo explains.
“Treat your shelf like a canvas and create a work of art on top of it with artfully styled ‘clutter.’
“Not only is it fun to create your own, organic and changing artwork from your own nick-nacks, but it is a great way to save space.
“When you lift things off the floor and use shelving as a storage solution, you also create the illusion of a larger space.”
Non-aesthetic trend: stay sentimental
Sentimentality is at the heart of the non-aesthetic home. Avoid filling your space with items just for the sake of tapping into the trend.
Instead, display items that are truly meaningful and bring joy and comfort to your space.
Bo says the look is about celebrating individual journeys, and taking pride in the objects we have collected throughout our lives.
“Whether it’s a collection of specific objects like crockery or crystal ware, or just sentimental bits and pieces, this is about giving your clutter a new lease of life.
“Every ornament, shell, fridge magnet and dog-eared book can make up a mosaic of colourful references to your life,” he adds.
Do a spring re-clutter
While spring is traditionally the time we have a clear-out, Dayna Isom Johnson, trend expert at Etsy, suggests curating rather than culling the items in your home.
“Curating your clutter is the ultimate organising solution for those who are torn between what to keep and what to throw away this de-cluttering season, but who says you should throw anything away at all?” she explains.
“Items don’t always need to be tidied away in a cupboard that’s already bursting at the seams – try thoughtfully displaying your belongings instead.”
She suggests stacking up your prettiest serving bowls on your kitchen counter and using them as a fruit bowl.
“You could even use an aesthetic tray as a stage to place some of your favourite skincare products in your bedroom,” she adds.
“I particularly love this trend as it allows you to create an environment that feels lived-in, welcoming, and uniquely yours, breaking away from the uniformity of minimalism and celebrating individuality.”
Find a minimalist/messiness balance
How do you embrace this look if you’re actually a minimalist, clutter-free fan?
“If you want to achieve a minimalist look whilst incorporating a non-aesthetic look, I would advise choosing one area of your room to add a cluttered style to, rather than trying to incorporate your whole interior,” advises Rhiannon.
“For example, stacking books in the centre of your coffee table and topping off with a candle or plant pot is a minimal way to add an element of cluttercore into your home without going over the top.”
Leave space for the eyes to rest
To ensure you don’t go overboard and create messiness over-styled clutter, Rhiannon advises limiting the number of pieces you’re styling in one area and being mindful of the placement of the items.
“For example, if you’re curating a cluttercore tablescape on your dining table, place the items down the centre of the table to create order and opt for different sized objects to help the gaze flow naturally over the whole arrangement, rather than attract attention to one ‘messy’ area,” she explains.
She also suggests using different textures and materials for a table runner and place three to four candle sticks evenly spaced along.
“Then, add shorter objects in between and flatter trinkets around the bases to create a carefully styled centrepiece that draws your attention to the whole look,” she adds.
Looking for more interiors inspiration? Take a look at From runway to room: 7 chic interior design trends inspired by the catwalk or Wabi Sabi interiors: 11 ways to get the calming look in your home
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