We scroll through flawless faces, curated skincare shelves, and minimal beauty vanities on social media—but behind those feeds, something messier and more real is pushing back. There’s a growing love for what some might call “ugly homes”. And while the idea might seem rooted in interior design, it actually reveals something much deeper: how we think about beauty, perfection, and authenticity, both in our spaces and in ourselves.
What Is an “Ugly” Home, Really?
Calling a home “ugly” isn’t about bad taste. It’s about homes that don’t cater to the internet’s obsession with aesthetics. These spaces clash, mix eras, feel lived-in. There’s furniture passed down from relatives, walls covered in photo memories, fridges plastered with magnets—not designed for likes or compliments, but built for real life.
In a world where the perfect bathroom selfie gets more love than an honest moment, the ugly home becomes a mirror: it says, “This is me. Take it or leave it.”
Why Beauty Standards Follow Us Into Our Homes (and Beyond)
The pressure to look perfect doesn’t stop at your reflection. Pinterest-worthy vanities, colour-coded skincare fridges, marble countertops—interiors have become extensions of beauty culture. These spaces are designed not just to be lived in, but to be photographed. And much like contouring or filters, they blur the line between aspiration and exhaustion.
The home-as-aesthetic becomes a performance. And suddenly, your skincare routine feels like a show, your messy bun isn’t cute enough, and your bathroom shelf isn’t worthy unless it’s minimalist and beige.
Designing for the Camera vs. Designing for You
Just like many of us fall into the trap of doing our makeup for the algorithm instead of ourselves, we often design our homes the same way. Spaces become sets—sofas too fragile to sit on, layouts that make sense for photos but not for real people. It’s the interior version of wearing heels that hurt just because they look good in pictures.
But what if you stopped doing that?
The “Ugly” Home as a Metaphor for Real Beauty
So-called ugly homes are beautiful in the way that unfiltered skin, messy eyeliner, and a laugh in a blurry photo are. They’re not chasing applause. They’re deeply personal, sometimes chaotic, but always honest.
They’re also freeing. You can exist in them without pressure—to style, to stage, to match some imagined ideal. Just like choosing to wear what makes you feel good rather than what’s trending, designing your space (and your look) around comfort and joy instead of rules is an act of rebellion—and of self-love.
How to Let That Energy Into Your Beauty Space
If your home reflects your identity, then your beauty space should too. Here’s how to bring that raw, real energy into your routines:
Decorate for how you feel, not what it looks like online.
Skip the all-beige. Fill your vanity with colours that make you happy, textures that feel good, and lighting that soothes you—even if it doesn’t photograph well.
Keep things that mean something, even if they don’t match.
Your grandma’s mirror, that chipped mug holding your brushes, the thrifted tray with character? They belong. Beauty doesn’t need symmetry to feel beautiful.
Use Flooring as a Foundation.
While trendy flooring options, like statement carpets or checkerboard tiles, can be fun and tempting, they’re not always practical. A wooden parquet floor can be beautiful, durable, and practical, but so can a budget-friendly, fuss-free waterproof LVT.
Accept the temporary.
Whether you’re reworking your skincare routine, living with roommates, or in a rental with bad lighting—let your beauty space reflect your now, not your ideal later.
Letting Go of “Pretty” to Feel More Beautiful
When you stop chasing perfect, everything starts to feel better. Your space, your face, your energy. And that includes the so-called “ugly” bits—the clutter, the mismatched colours, the out-of-season lipstick you still love. It all tells your story. And it’s way more interesting than anything a trend could offer.