How Your Lifestyle Is Dragging Down Your Home's Aesthetic

Everyone strives to make their homes feel well-designed, elevated, and like a reflection of their personal style. However, as a professional interior designer, there is an unfortunate reality that I'm seeing, over and over. Today's homes, especially those of younger generations, are forgetting the most important design rule that makes a space unforgettable: unique personality. And the problem is that while the secret to memorable home design is storytelling and personal touches, it's harder and harder for many people to accomplish that when they have no time to live a full live outside of work and social media.

Let's put it bluntly: If you want great home design, you should have hobbies. Our homes reflect the stories of our lives, and there's no story to be found in scrolling apps after an exhausting day of work. 

Think of the most spectacular interiors you have seen in your life. Odds are that they have one common denominator that has allowed them to stick with you over time, which is that they flawlessly communicated a special narrative that sets them apart. These incredible designs weren't worried about resale value, social media likes, or mass-appeal: They were focused on a personal exploration of their inhabitants. And going forward, that should be your goal.

There are a million reasons why personal hobbies have fallen by the wayside in recent years, but with rental costs significantly outpacing income increases and lots of families working around the clock to afford their basic bills and household necessities, the economy is in a place where many people don't have the time or disposable income to take on new activities and interests. 

On top of that, many young people have had to get creative with a secondary source of income, with a 2024 LendingTree consumer survey showing that 55% young people in the Gen Z and Millennial generations have developed side hustles, with 80% of those individuals being reliant on the additional income due to the current economy. It wouldn't be a surprise to anyone that a good chunk of these side-hustlers have likely monetized hobbies that once brought them joy (and now, thanks to burnout, won't do during their free time).

To add insult to injury, a 2025 report compiled by Data Reportal found that the average 16+ person spends two hours and twenty-one minutes scrolling social media on their phones every day. It's not hard to see why, even when we have a break, there's seemingly no time left to develop hobbies — not with everyone hunched over their phones. Thanks to a lack of time, money, and energy, many people have ditched personal interests. As a result, our homes have become as cookie-cutter and uninspiring as the social media influencer's photo they were based on. In any case, now that we've broken down the causes, let's look at why the alternative is so much more rewarding — even if it takes more effort. 

Whether it is the curated objects of a devoted collector, incredible photographs of talented photographer, impressive floor-to-ceiling bookshelves of a loyal bookworm, rare memorabilia from a die-hard sports historian, a well-loved display of copper pots from an aspiring chef, gallery walls of a knowledgeable art aficionado, vintage treasures of an expert thrifter, happy houseplants of an epic green thumb, handcrafted masterpieces of a meticulous woodworker, the rad record collection of a music nut, gracefully curved pieces of an intermediate ceramicist ... or one of so many other unique interests, filling a home with the things you love tells your individual story through the space you create. 

Your personal touches are the heart and soul of the room, differentiating it from the masses. Bland is boring. Your story and unique interests, on the other hand, are exciting. Why not create a space with a beautiful and purposeful perspective? That's what makes people love to enter your home, far more than stylish furniture or matching colors ever could.

What makes these hobby-related home decorating decisions so impactful is that they aren't just for show. It's the opposite of highlighting generic objects bought from Home Goods for the sake of filling space. Hobby or interest-related items are intentional and special to the family that inhabits the space, giving guests a glimpse into what makes their souls sing. Talk about powerful! So, if you really want your home's design to stand out, stop retreating into safe choices, and instead find haven in something that brings you joy — and bring that into the home's design.  This way, there will be no mistake that the space is meant to tell your unique story to everyone lucky enough to experience it.