Decorating Guides
Decorating Styles
8 Easy Ways to Give Your Home Quirk Appeal
Oddities and curiosities fascinate and tell your home's personal story — no major redesign required
Some of the most memorable homes use bold moves to showcase the inhabitants' design spirit. But not everyone readily thinks outside the box or can go big when it comes to design. If you're risk averse and have a hard time with experimentation, try these tweaks and decor additions to infuse your home with character and quirk appeal.
The Surprise Element
This farmhouse's front porch hints at what's inside with three pastel chandeliers, pulling the eye in as it ups the home's curb appeal and quirk factor.
A bright yellow kitchen and rooms filled with vintage treasures and thrift store finds await inside as the homeowners extend the quirky spirit of their porch throughout their house.
This farmhouse's front porch hints at what's inside with three pastel chandeliers, pulling the eye in as it ups the home's curb appeal and quirk factor.
A bright yellow kitchen and rooms filled with vintage treasures and thrift store finds await inside as the homeowners extend the quirky spirit of their porch throughout their house.
Interior designer Joanne Kelly upcycled a tallboy in this contemporary home in Dublin, Ireland, by stripping it down, refinishing it and adding art to the drawers.
"The custom piece adds this element of surprise and makes turning that corner that much more fun," she says.
"The custom piece adds this element of surprise and makes turning that corner that much more fun," she says.
Typography
Letters and numbers hung on a wall are nothing new, but using typography to send a message in the home still feels unconventional and fresh.
To add interest to her front entrance, designer and homeowner Araya Jensen stenciled a welcome message right on the cement.
Letters and numbers hung on a wall are nothing new, but using typography to send a message in the home still feels unconventional and fresh.
To add interest to her front entrance, designer and homeowner Araya Jensen stenciled a welcome message right on the cement.
Here, a cautionary note on uneven flooring warns guests and adds to this coastal cottage's creative character.
Preloved Stuff
Salvaged, upcycled and preloved decor and furnishings exude an inherently quirky spirit. So in many ways, Yvette Endrijautzki and Jethaniel Peterka's Nautilus Studio (here and in the previous photo) is a study in quirk appeal.
"The old times rule here in our home. Old-world curiosities with an Oriental flair, and a mad scientist's laboratory with a puff of gypsy dust make up our decorating philosophy," says Endrijautzki, who firmly supports creating a home and a life that paint a portrait of yourself.
Salvaged, upcycled and preloved decor and furnishings exude an inherently quirky spirit. So in many ways, Yvette Endrijautzki and Jethaniel Peterka's Nautilus Studio (here and in the previous photo) is a study in quirk appeal.
"The old times rule here in our home. Old-world curiosities with an Oriental flair, and a mad scientist's laboratory with a puff of gypsy dust make up our decorating philosophy," says Endrijautzki, who firmly supports creating a home and a life that paint a portrait of yourself.
Play
I'm a big fan of organizing kids' toys, but hiding every single truck, sock monkey and Thomas the Train piece robs your home of the opportunity to celebrate the silly and funny.
What I love most about this family room is how it celebrates all things kids with the climbing wall, slide, wall art, color and toys.
I'm a big fan of organizing kids' toys, but hiding every single truck, sock monkey and Thomas the Train piece robs your home of the opportunity to celebrate the silly and funny.
What I love most about this family room is how it celebrates all things kids with the climbing wall, slide, wall art, color and toys.
Likewise, this modern home does away with stairs as a transition between floors and embraces the father's childhood dream of having a fire pole in the house.
Color Explosions
I'm not talking about a pop of color. A home that explodes with color looks daring and infuses the senses with excitement, like Skittles-induced thrills. Case in point: This antique house (here and in the previous photo) doesn't just have splashes of chartreuse throughout. The homeowners painted an entire wall with the color and blanketed the rest of the house with bright citrine, cobalt blue, scarlet and tangerine.
I'm not talking about a pop of color. A home that explodes with color looks daring and infuses the senses with excitement, like Skittles-induced thrills. Case in point: This antique house (here and in the previous photo) doesn't just have splashes of chartreuse throughout. The homeowners painted an entire wall with the color and blanketed the rest of the house with bright citrine, cobalt blue, scarlet and tangerine.
Whimsy in Midair
There's so much stuff on our floors, walls and tabletops, but rarely do we suspend anything in midair. Illustrator Tracey English hung this marionette from her childhood at the threshold of her row house's dining area, causing anyone who passes by to look up and smile.
There's so much stuff on our floors, walls and tabletops, but rarely do we suspend anything in midair. Illustrator Tracey English hung this marionette from her childhood at the threshold of her row house's dining area, causing anyone who passes by to look up and smile.
A silver man parachuting from above ups the interest for this home's dining table. It makes me want an invite to the next dinner party here.
Unexpected Pairings
A large living room–turned–bathing suite has a contemporary freestanding tub paired with traditional architecture, midcentury modern furniture and a luxurious vintage Baccarat light fixture.
A large living room–turned–bathing suite has a contemporary freestanding tub paired with traditional architecture, midcentury modern furniture and a luxurious vintage Baccarat light fixture.
Architect Drew Stuart of Incorporated and his team thought way outside the box by pairing a Josef Hoffman fabric with this kitchen stove.
"We encased the fabric in glass and used it as a backsplash," says Stuart. "We had never done it before. It just makes the kitchen in this already stunning original home that much more memorable."
More:
My Houzz: Quirky and Collected Portland Apartment
12 Amazing Reuses for Quirky Vintage Items
"We encased the fabric in glass and used it as a backsplash," says Stuart. "We had never done it before. It just makes the kitchen in this already stunning original home that much more memorable."
More:
My Houzz: Quirky and Collected Portland Apartment
12 Amazing Reuses for Quirky Vintage Items
Designer Jenn Clapp spends weekend afternoons arranging and rearranging an assortment of collections, including rocks, animal bones, taxidermy and antiques from her childhood home. Her home office (here and in the previous photo) gives everyone a taste of her traditional home's eclectic spirit and puts her own self-described wacky personality on display.
"I can't tell you how happy I am making interesting compositions. It's so much fun to see a skull on top of my grandmother's sewing tin," she says.