Walk into any thrift store in Portland or a high-end boutique in East London right now, and you’ll feel it. There is this specific, chaotic energy taking over interior design that people have started calling naughty sarah at home. It isn't about being "bad" in the way you might think. It’s actually a rebellion. For years, we were trapped in the beige-on-beige prison of "Sad Beige" aesthetics and sterile "Millennial Gray" apartments that looked more like dental offices than living spaces. Then came Sarah.
Sarah isn't one person. She's a vibe.
The term actually originated from a niche DIY blog post back in late 2024 where a creator named Sarah showcased her "unhinged" studio apartment. She had mismatched leopard print rugs, neon signs in the kitchen, and a collection of vintage ceramic cats that looked like they were plotting a heist. It was messy. It was loud. It was "naughty" because it broke every single rule of "good" taste that HGTV has been shoving down our throats for two decades.
Why naughty sarah at home is Crushing Minimalist Trends
Minimalism is exhausting. Keeping a white sofa clean while living a real life is a fool's errand. Honestly, the naughty sarah at home aesthetic is just the logical conclusion of us all being tired of pretending we don't have clutter. This style leans heavily into what designers call "Cluttercore" or "Maximalist kitsch," but with a darker, more ironic twist.
You’ve probably seen the hallmarks of this on Pinterest without realizing it had a name. Think heavy velvet drapes in colors that shouldn't work together—like mustard yellow and deep plum. Think about framed fast-food wrappers from the 90s hung next to genuine oil paintings. It’s about the high-low mix. It’s about being a bit of a brat with your floor plan.
The Psychology of "Naughty" Decor
Why does this matter? Psychologists like Dr. Rebecca Shansky have often noted how our environments reflect our internal states. If your home is a rigid, perfect box, you feel like you have to be a rigid, perfect person. The naughty sarah at home movement allows for human error. It’s okay if there’s a stack of magazines on the floor. It’s okay if your coffee table is an old tire spray-painted silver.
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It feels authentic.
We are living in an era of "de-influencing." People are tired of the curated perfection. When you see a "naughty sarah" style room, you know a person actually lives there. They probably drink wine out of mismatched glasses and definitely don't own a steamer for their curtains.
How to Get the Look Without Looking Like a Junk Yard
The line between "curated chaos" and "my house is a mess" is thinner than a strand of hair. If you want to pull off the naughty sarah at home look, you have to be intentional. You can't just stop cleaning.
First, pick a "hero" piece that is objectively ridiculous.
Maybe it’s a life-sized fiberglass swan. Maybe it’s a disco ball hanging in the bathroom. Once you have that one "naughty" element, you build the rest of the room around it using color theory that feels slightly "off." Instead of using a standard color wheel, look at old 1970s cookbooks. Those greens, oranges, and browns are the bread and butter of this aesthetic.
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- Lighting is everything. Never use the "big light" (the overhead fixture). Use lamps with red or pink bulbs.
- Texture Overlap. Put a faux-fur throw over a leather chair. Add a sequined pillow.
- The Gallery Wall. Don't align the frames. Seriously. Tilt one. It drives people crazy, and that’s the point.
Real Examples of the Trend in the Wild
In 2025, the Ace Hotel chain actually leaned into this for their "unplugged" suites. They moved away from the industrial chic look and started incorporating what they called "eclectic domesticity," which is just corporate-speak for naughty sarah at home. They added rotary phones that didn't work and shaggy rugs that felt like they belonged in a 1960s basement.
Even high-end designers like Kelly Wearstler have flirted with these "ugly-pretty" boundaries. It’s about challenging the viewer. Does this room look good, or do I just hate that I like it? That tension is where the magic happens.
The Sustainability Factor
One thing most people get wrong about this trend is thinking it’s about buying more stuff. It’s actually the opposite. This is the ultimate "anti-consumption" decor style. You aren't going to Target to buy a mass-produced "Live, Laugh, Love" sign. You are going to your grandma’s attic or a local estate sale.
Because naughty sarah at home thrives on the unique and the weird, it’s inherently sustainable.
You’re rescuing furniture that would otherwise end up in a landfill because it doesn't fit the current "trend." In this world, a scratched-up wooden table isn't "damaged"—it has "character." A chipped mug is "wabi-sabi" but with a punk rock attitude.
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Common Misconceptions
People think this is just for Gen Z. It’s not. While TikTok definitely helped the naughty sarah at home keyword blow up, the core of the movement is being embraced by 40-somethings who are finally selling their "Farmhouse Chic" decor and buying things they actually like.
It’s also not "dirty." There’s a big difference between a room full of interesting objects and a room that hasn't been vacuumed since the Obama administration. The aesthetic requires a high level of cleanliness to work; otherwise, the "irony" of the decor gets lost in actual grime.
Making the Transition in Your Own Space
So, you’re ready to let your inner Sarah out? Start small. Don't repaint your whole house neon green tomorrow.
- The "One Weird Thing" Rule. Go to a flea market this weekend. Find the weirdest, most nonsensical object you can find. A bust of Elvis? A neon beer sign? A velvet painting of a shipwreck? Put it in your living room.
- Clash Your Patterns. If you have a striped rug, get floral pillows. It will feel wrong for the first 24 hours. Then, it will feel like freedom.
- Ditch the Sets. If your bedroom furniture matches, break it up. Put one nightstand in the garage and replace it with a stack of old suitcases or a sturdy milk crate.
The naughty sarah at home vibe is about reclaiming your space from the "resale value" mindset. Stop decorating for the person who might buy your house in ten years. Decorate for the person living in it right now.
Actionable Next Steps
To truly embrace this, start by auditing your current decor. Identify three items you only own because they were "trendy" or "safe." Donate them. Replace them with something that actually makes you laugh or sparks a memory. Look for local "Buy Nothing" groups or specialized vintage resellers on platforms like Depop or Instagram. Focus on "sensory" decor—things that feel interesting to touch, not just things that look good in a flat photo. Finally, stop browsing major furniture retailer catalogs; they are the antithesis of this movement. Your home should be a collection of your life's "naughty" little detours, not a showroom for a corporation.