The Chicest Thing a Home Can Be Is Personal
There’s something amazing about walking into a home that feels like the person who lives there. It becomes their happy expression of life, a reflection of personal style told through color, texture, and detail. Just as an outfit speaks before you’ve said a word, interiors carry their own language, shaping a space that feels chic, timeless, and completely your own.
Below are my personal golden rules for home, ideas that have helped me create a space that feels both beautiful and deeply mine.
The Golden Rules of Home
Let personality lead. Your home should feel like you. Choose pieces that reflect your story.
Choose colors you’ll love for years. Trends come and go, but shades you never tire of will always feel right.
Layer textures generously. Mix linen, wool, wood, and metal. Texture adds warmth and depth where minimalism alone can feel flat.
Collect, don’t stage. The most inviting homes grow over time. Surround yourself with objects you love instead of styling for a look.
Prioritize feeling. What matters most is how your space makes you feel, content and inspired.
Translate Your Personal Style into Décor
A home feels most inviting when it reflects the person who lives there. It should feel like an extension of you. For me, that often means a base of warm neutrals layered with texture, then punctuated by bold accents that give a room personality.
Try this:
Ivory walls paired with natural linen drapery
A red accent pillow that becomes the centerpiece in a calm space
Deep blue ceramics or artwork that bring richness to a neutral room
Choose Color Palettes That Last
Colors set the tone of a home more than anything else. A timeless palette is one you never tire of, it balances light with richness and makes every piece you add feel intentional.
My favorite combinations:
Cream, taupe, and dark brown as a soft foundation
Navy, red, orange or forest green to add depth
Brushed gold or antique silver for subtle shine
These colors combinations carry a sense of tradition with a modern twist. They create a backdrop where memories feel as at home as furniture.
Mix Textures and Materials
Texture brings a room to life. It is what makes a home feel layered and lived in rather than flat. A velvet cushion, a woven rug, a patinated metal lamp, these are the details that invite people to settle in.
Ways to layer textures:
Pair smooth stone with raw wood for balance
Add warmth with velvet, linen, or wool against clean architectural lines
Mix metals in lighting or accents for subtle contrast
The interplay of materials creates interest and dimension. It is what keeps a neutral palette from feeling quiet, and what makes a space worth lingering in.
Parting Thought
A home doesn’t have to be perfect to feel extraordinary. What matters most is that it reflects you. When the colors, textures, and pieces you choose make you feel at home, everyone who enters will feel it too.
And if you’re looking for inspiration, I’ve gathered a few of my favorite finds inside The Golden Edit, my evolving collection of pieces chosen to bring style home.
X – McLean Golden