5 Ways to Set Up Your Home for Your Villain Era

The #VillainEra trend first took off on TikTok and has since garnered more than 160 million views (and counting) on the app. Despite its evil-sounding name, entering your villain era isn’t actually about being a villain. Instead, it’s a lifestyle shift that focuses on prioritizing yourself, rejecting societal pressures, and asserting healthy boundaries—no matter what others have to say about it. (And if that makes you seem like a villain, so be it.)

People everywhere (particularly women) are stepping into their villain era with a vengeance and embracing it in their daily habits, their wardrobe, their self-care routines, and even their homes. If you too are entering your #VillainEra in 2023, here are five ways you can apply that energy to your home.

1. Fill Your Home with Things that Bring You Joy

While even Marie Kondo herself has loosened the reins on striving for clinical tidiness in the home, her message about prioritizing the things in your home that spark joy is truly timeless. So don’t be afraid to make your space an unapologetic reflection of yourself and the things that bring you joy, no matter what others may think.

Physician-turned-interior-designer Kricia Palmer of interior design firm House Calls for Physicians agrees. After embracing her villain era and making the dramatic career change from medicine to interior design, she has a few practical tips for those who are looking to embrace their villain era at home.

First, “choose items that you genuinely love rather than those that you think you ‘should’ love. In the villain era …there are no ‘shoulds!’” she says. Also, when it comes to decorating your space, she says to consider your five senses: “What feels truly comfortable and luxe for you? What do you want to feel, smell, touch, and taste in your space? Whatever it is … do THAT!”

2. Prioritize Comfort and Functionality

We’ve all likely made the mistake of purchasing a piece of furniture or decor because it’s stylish and on-trend, only to later discover it’s incredibly uncomfortable or infuriatingly impractical. In your villain era, say goodbye to uncomfortable and impractical home furnishings and embrace the comfort and functionality you truly deserve in your own home.

Whether this means investing in a plush mattress and luxurious bedding to improve your sleep or buying soft towels to help make your daily routines more enjoyable, prioritizing your comfort can go a long way toward improving your quality of life and making your day-to-day habits at home more rewarding and enjoyable, says interior designer Shanade McAllister-Fisher. Now that’s #VillainEra energy.

3. Stop Worrying About the Resale Value

If you’re a homeowner, you’ve probably been told at one point or another that neutral and somewhat bland interiors are the best for a home’s resale value. After all, people need to be able to envision themselves in a space before making a big purchase decision, and for many, it’s easier to do that when they are looking at a blank slate, so to speak.

But unless you are actively in the process of selling your home, worrying too much about resale value will just drive you crazy, especially if you let those worries dictate every design decision. All it takes is a coat of paint and some reorganizing to get your home back to that basic builder’s beige when it’s time to sell, so have some fun in your space in the meantime!

“Do not design for resale. Design for you,” says Jo Smeeth, founder and principal designer of INDA Interiors. Read that again, bold it, and underline it—this is what the #VillainEra is all about, friends.

“Some homeowners default to ‘beige and boring’ even when that’s not what they actually like because they are nervous about reselling,” Smeeth says. “The truth is, you’re probably going to want to change the look and feel of your home in 10 years anyway, so just do it!”

4. Declutter

Decluttering can feel like a daunting and monumental task, but it’s truly one of the best gifts you can give yourself. A certain degree of clutter is inevitable as we all accumulate stuff over time, but if you don’t stay on top of it, clutter can quickly start to take over your home.

Whether you spend 15 minutes decluttering or dedicate an entire day to it, it’s a great way to reclaim your space and reduce the stress that is attached to the mess. And don’t worry, decluttering doesn’t mean getting rid of items that are sentimental or important to you—it’s actually quite the opposite. Take stock of your belongings, throw out or donate items that you don’t need, and organize the items that you use regularly or that have sentimental value.

While you’re at it, make sure to find a spot to showcase those sentimental items prominently! It is your villain era, after all, and what’s more villainous than showcasing the items that got you to where you are now?

5. Repurpose Spaces You Don’t Use

Do you have a formal dining room in your home that you don’t actually use? Or a spare bedroom that you set up just in case your in-laws come to town every once in a blue moon? Or a home office that has sat unused since the work-from-home days? Now’s the time to repurpose those spaces and create rooms that truly spark joy and excitement for you.

Have you always dreamt of having a home workout room? What about a plant room, a meditation space, a bedroom for your dog, a craft room, or a music room? Whatever it is, embrace your truest villain energy and go create the home of your dreams, even if the rooms within your home raise eyebrows.