My husband and I designed our home and picked out all the soft furnishings ourselves—though we definitely leaned on friends who’d already decorated their places to avoid as many pitfalls as possible. So our home renovation was basically “witnessed” by our friends, and they love coming over. They say it has a special, personal vibe that feels different from other houses.
🔸 When friends visit, opinions on our living room are split right down the middle. The ones who love it gush about the spotlights—they cast little “hillock” shapes of light, especially striking against our gray walls, and create such a cozy atmosphere. But the ones who aren’t fans? It’s because of that gray wall. Our building has 25 floors, and we’re on the 9th—so natural light is pretty dim, especially in winter. We practically have to turn on the lights as soon as we wake up. Seriously, a word of warning: think twice before picking gray paint. If it weren’t for those spotlights, this choice would’ve been a total flop.
🔸 No matter who comes over, they all end up plopping down on the rug to watch TV—our sofa’s practically become a decoration! I picked a rug in a shade similar to the accent wall, and it’s the trendy wool “pineapple loop” style. Stepping on it feels soft and springy, and even with the underfloor heating in winter, it doesn’t give off any weird smells. Since we’re in the north, winter here means cranking up the floor heat and sitting on that rug. Warm and toasty—so, so comfy! 😌
🔸 The second my husband gets home and takes off his shoes, that foot odor hits hard. Plus, when friends come over, shoes get scattered everywhere—it’s enough to drive the person loving clean like me crazy. That’s why I didn’t hesitate to get this smart shoe cabinet. It’s split into upper and lower layers: we toss our daily shoes into the lower layer to deodorize and sterilize them. Wet shoes or freshly washed ones go on top to dry. And when I’m too busy with work, I can use my phone to set a week-long care schedule in advance—super convenient.
🔸 A lot of the decor and wall art here was gifted by friends—some of their picks are even better than what I would’ve chosen! I genuinely love having them over. Most of us are only children, and let’s be real: there are so many things you can’t do alone, whether it’s about money or energy. All I can say is, friends are so important in life. At 30, it’s time to hustle—and I’m already looking forward to the next house we get to decorate together. ✌️