I’m excited to keep our chat about Whimsical Charm going! If you’re new here, Whimsical Charm is an interior style that’s playful, a little unexpected, eclectic and colorful. It’s how I describe my style now.
A home with Whimsical Charm doesn’t take itself too seriously, but still feels intentional and pulled together. It’s colorful, but not chaotic. Eclectic, but not overwhelming. Think of it like this: a space that makes you smile every time you notice a little detail.
Whimsical Charm is about layering things you love (art, patterns, quirky little treasures, etc.) in a way that feels joyful, cozy, and a little magical.
How Do I Do This In My Home?
Lately, I have been thinking about how I approach each room in our house: how I use a color palette to guide me, how I balance colorful pieces so the space doesn’t feel overwhelming, how I layer in art, and sprinkle in little quirky touches that make me smile.
And the more I thought about it, I realized that these are the core features that define Whimsical Charm. These are the building blocks that make a home feel joyful, intentional, and wonderfully personal. And this is the path I’d send people on if they wanted to make their home whimsically charming, too.
So, let’s chat about each of these and the importance they play in the overall style.
1. use colors that you love
Honestly, color is where I accidentally start every single room. I never sit down and think, “Okay, time to pick a palette!” Instead, it usually begins with a piece of art I love and then I pull colors from that to guide the whole space.
I really do feel like color is where the whimsy starts. You can have all the other pieces of Whimsical Charm– the art, the quirky little details, the mix-and-match furniture — but without color, something feels… incomplete. Color brings the joy!
This feels like a good time to call out that WHIMSY DOESN’T MEAN RANDOM.
Going “super colorful” with no plan is where things can start to look chaotic, and that’s not in line with Whimsical Charm. But really, your space won’t feel magical if everything is shouting at once. The more intentional your palette is, the more pulled-together (even if it’s playful!) your home will feel.
So here’s my simple way to introduce color into your home:
- Pick a handful of colors you really love: I usually end up with three to five. Let those be your guide. I almost always pull mine from art… you can read more about how I do that below!
- Use those colors in unexpected places: a DIY painted arch, a lamp base, a picture frame. Little pops go a long way.
- Repeat the colors throughout your home so everything feels connected. Not matchy-matchy, just little threads tying one room to the next. For example, I might use yellow in a really big way in one space, and then just as a tiny detail in another.
How to Pull Your Colors
- Start with an anchor piece that makes you smile, maybe it’s a piece of art, a pillow or even vintage textile.
- From there, pull three to five colors from that piece. Those become your palette. And don’t worry — things don’t have to be exact. If it feels good together, that’s what matters.
- Don’t forget a neutral! Having a calm base will make all your joyful colors feel grounded instead of overwhelming. In our home, I repeat soft off-whites because they create this cozy backdrop that lets the brighter colors shine without fighting each other.
I really do think a curated color palette is like giving your home a roadmap. It doesn’t box you in. It just keeps everything feeling connected, intentional, and, well… charming. Once you have your colors, the rest of the whimsy becomes so much easier to layer in.
2. fill your home with art
Now let’s talk about one of my favorite parts of Whimsical Charm: ART! And lots of it!
Art is what makes your home feel personal, layered, and full of stories (even if the story is simply that you loved the piece the moment you saw it!)
And before we get too far, I want to point one thing out: you don’t need an art degree to know what you like. Please don’t feel like your art needs to impress or needs to be deep. It really doesn’t.
And I can’t say this enough: don’t take yourself too seriously.
Whimsical Charm welcomes it all: thrifted paintings, original pieces, kids’ drawings, Etsy prints, postcards, doodles, flea-market finds, your grandmother’s embroidery, everything! It doesn’t need to be fancy, expensive or ‘perfect’ to live on your walls. It just needs to make you smile!
Where to Hunt for the Perfect Art Pieces (Online + In Person!)
This article is all about WHERE to find art, specifically prints. These are my tried & true places when I want a new piece. You’ll find that most of my recommendations result in you shopping for pieces by independent artists. That’s by design, my friend!
Read More >A few things I’ve learned about adding art in a whimsical-charm way:
- More is more. Gallery walls, clusters of frames, art leaning on mantels — it all adds warmth.
- Mix styles and sizes. Play with it! Somehow a mix of styles always comes together in a delightful way.
- Put art everywhere. Kitchens, hallways, bathrooms, staircases. There’s no wrong spot.
- Don’t worry about everything “matching.” What matters is that it feels like you.
What makes Whimsical Charm so… charming (sorry, couldn’t resist!) is that every piece of art feels like a little window into your world. You’re not decorating a museum. You’re creating a home where every wall has something interesting to say.
3. add Quirky & charming Details
Okay, this is the part where Whimsical Charm really starts to shine. It’s the little quirky moments that make your home feel alive and where so much of the fun happens!
Think of the quirky details as the charm in Whimsical Charm. They’re the pieces that make someone smile and ask “Wait, where did you get that?” when they walk into your home.
And the best part? They don’t have to be expensive or fancy. They just have to feel like you.
So what counts as a quirky detail?
Honestly, any piece that makes you pause and think: “This is weird, I love it.” These are the items that don’t take over the whole room– they just sprinkle joy throughout it. Here are a few examples!
- A wavy light switch cover
- A cement banana on top of a stack of books
- Crewel embroidery (trust me, look it up!)
- A piece of art drawn by your favorite kid
- Legos in unexpected places, like a lego ice cream truck on top of books
- Tiger towel hook— honestly, anything shaped like an animal
- A candle holder shaped like an olive
Here’s A Few Tips
Start small: You don’t need a giant statement piece to bring in whimsy. Sometimes it’s the smallest trinket on a shelf that does all the heavy lifting.
Mix old and new: A thrifted oddball adds instant character. Whimsical Charm loves contrast, after all. Think: playful next to the practical.
Place them where you actually see them: Nightstands, entry tables, shelves, kitchen counters– anywhere you need a moment of delight.
Let them be a little unexpected: A cute ceramic bird sitting on a stack of books. A bright green tray by the bed. A painted frame in a room with mostly neutrals. These are the things that make your space feel lived-in and loved.
choose things that make you smile
Whimsical Charm doesn’t require perfect styling or having the ‘right’ trendy objects. It’s about surrounding yourself with pieces that feel fun and full of personality. Your personality.
When you follow that instinct, even just a little bit, your home starts to feel warmer, happier, and more like you.
4. mix and match furniture styles
Last one! Let’s bring it all together by chatting a bit about mixing furniture styles. I think the eclectic feel that results from embracing different styles of furniture and decor is one of the best parts of Whimsical Charm.
Not only does this make decorating a bit easier, but it also gives a feeling that your home was built slowly and lovingly, one meaningful piece at a time. And that’s part of the charm!
New, old, thrifted, inherited, painted, handmade… come one, come all!
Trust me when I say that none of the furniture matches perfectly. I think that’s why it feels warm and lived-in instead of staged or stiff. It’s not overly coordinated and not overly colorful.
We have colorful painted pieces living next to simple stained wood furniture. A table with scalloped edges beside a more traditional sofa. Somehow the mix just… works. It feels collected, not curated.
And here’s a bonus! Removing the fear around mixing styles will make decorating WAY EASIER. Lean into letting yourself have fun with it instead of worrying about breaking design rules. Anything goes!
Whimsical Charm Is Not Dopamine Decor
This is a good time to point out that even though both styles celebrate color and personality, Whimsical Charm is NOT Dopamine Decor.
Dopamine Decor leans into color everywhere, but Whimsical Charm holds back just a little. It lets certain pieces shine while others play a supporting role.
That’s why the mix of styles matters so much: sometimes you need that quiet wooden table next to the cheerful red stool to give your eyes a moment to rest. The goal is a playful balance and a contrast of styles to bring out the magic in the room.
