Let’s talk about the Benjamin Button–ization of our style. Maybe it was a comment from one of you or a quiet moment looking around our house, but lately we’ve noticed our aesthetic getting younger. Call it a mid-life design crisis or the next step in our ever-evolving tastes (read: indecision), but we wanted to share this observation to see if anyone else has noticed the same shift here—or in your own home.
STAGE 1: “Wait, you mean I can paint these walls whatever color I want???”
That discovery likely happened soon after we went from renters to homeowners. After years of white walls and temporary furnishings, all that restrained creativity spilled out within hours of closing on this house back in 2006. The result was a kaleidoscope of color throughout the rooms and a patchwork of small, apartment-era pieces trying to fill a full house. The look was exuberant, experimental, and occasionally mismatched.
STAGE 2: “Okay, let’s be serious now. We’re homeowners. That means we’re, like, adults.”
Our shift into a more mature aesthetic coincided with our blogging journey. Over time we wanted the house to look refined and purposeful—rooms that felt finished and thoughtfully furnished. This phase was about bringing sophistication into our design choices: investing in real furniture, tackling meaningful renovations, and shaping spaces that functioned well for daily life. Those more polished rooms are probably the ones you recognize most from our posts.
STAGE 3: “Wait a second—why are we in a rush to turn into stodgy neutral-loving ‘grown ups’?”
That’s where the Benjamin Button concept—designing in reverse—comes into play. With the arrival of Clara, we realized, almost subconsciously at first, that we could have more fun with our home. We didn’t need to prove our adulthood through a beige palette. Instead, we began embracing color, playfulness, and whimsy. Clara’s nursery was the spark for this change, and playful holiday decorations the year before hinted at the shift as well.
We always intended the nursery to be a joyful kids’ room, but it turned out that whimsy bled into other areas of the house. Realizing we wanted Clara to enjoy her surroundings as much as we did—and that having a baby already proves we’re adults—freed us to introduce more color and pattern throughout the home. Little details, like pig hooks in the office, made the transition feel natural and fun rather than forced.
We also made a cheerful banner for a BabyCenter post that ended up brightening the fireplace in our living room.
Even the bold pattern of the rug in our den feels like a deliberate step toward a livelier, more expressive home.
This doesn’t mean we’ll convert the master bedroom into a bounce house or paint the kitchen ceiling hot pink, but we’re enjoying the freedom to loosen up. We intend to sprinkle more color, pattern, and playful touches into our next home—because who says getting older means you can’t have fun with design?
Have you noticed your decorating style shift through different life stages? Did moving into your own place, getting married, having a child, changing jobs, or any other life event flip your design preferences? We’d love to hear if your home has gone through a similar Benjamin Button moment.