Dakota Johnson’s Green Kitchen

The hero of our time is inarguably Dakota Johnson. After going viral for single handedly putting The Ellen Show on the path which would eventually lead to its cancellation, she went viral again for the most charming Architectural Digest tour of all time (and then viral again for revealing that one of the fan favorite elements — the giant ball of limes — had all been a lie, as she is in fact allergic).

So it makes sense that the internet and its endless sea of imitation would take inspiration from Dakota’s home in the small ways they could while not being millionaire residents of Hollywood Hills. A standout feature: her olive green kitchen. Now, green accent rooms are everywhere on the internet, and Dakota is for sure a major inspiration

Accent Wall Murals

One of the quickest, low-budget ways to give personality to your space is paint. Though some renters might get nervous to paint over their walls, replacing the all-white canvas of your space makes a massive difference. A less intimidating — and less tedious — idea than repainting a whole room, or even a whole wall, is getting creative with shapes to create mural walls and define blank space.

Instead of painting full walls, TikTokers are using masking tape and bold colors to paint simple but intricate curved lines, circles, and shapes onto their walls to give personality to blank walls and emphasize furniture.

Plantcore

Everyone’s a plant parent these days, and we love to see it. Plant love boomed over lockdown, when we were all fiending for the outdoors: the joyous sight of greenery! The self-soothing ritual of watering a plant in between your silly little tasks to give your life structure and meaning!

And inevitably, as fledgling plant lovers graduate from succulents to small potted plants to bigger, more extensive setups, plant TikTok is a great resource for inspiration on elaborate plant decor setups. The plantcore aesthetic is defined by, you guessed it, plants — but it’s not for the faint of heart. Plant consultants have even emerged to help people figure out which plants they should get, how to take care of them, and how to best display them.

So whether you’re going for the secret garden look, attempting a blooming table, or just want a few plant friends to talk to, incorporating a little plantcore is something anyone can do. And blame it on the cabin fever escape fantasies, but living in an apartment full of hanging plants and giant leaves is kind of sounding really good right now.

DIY Tiling

In ye olde days of having people in our homes, task rabbits or contractors would be the ones to call if ever you had a hankering to live amongst more subway tiles. Limiting covid exposure, however, has spurred people to take on more tasks like tiling all by themselves.

For some, this means the illusion of tiling, and contact paper has emerged as one of the real heroes of quarantine home makeovers. From faux marble countertops to checkered vinyl floors to covering up grungy bathrooms, contact paper can do it all. The peel and stick vinyl also makes for great tiling dupes for an elevated backsplash — a great hack for renters.

The even more daring are trying their hand at actual tiles with grout and all. TikTokers make it seem easy, getting clean lines and smooth finishes every time. And though in real life, it takes longer than a sped up TikTok video to lay each individual tile, it does seem like a satisfying process that’s not as complex as you might imagine.

Some super creative users are even tiling non-traditional furniture pieces to turn plain tables and desks into unique, personal pieces.

Crown Moulding

Live in a basic space which is not much more than four white walls? Find yourself dreaming of charming old Parisian or New York apartments with detailed moulding and hand carved accents? Turns out, you can recreate that look, and it’s easier than you’d think.

Using self-adhesive moulding and caulking tools, you can create the classy trim of your dreams. Panelling is also another way to fake structural charm for a sophisticated but minimal look. Though it takes a lot of patience, all you need is some wood panels to cut out and install, and there you have it — the bougie “charm” people pay a premium for.

Hammocks, Swings, Disco Balls galore

So many people describe their decor style as a vague “mid-century modern” without really meaning anything by it. The aesthetic is a reference to the mid ’60s-’70s style emphasis on round shapes and natural material, hence the woods and modular furniture you see taking over Instagram and TikTok.

And while this is a fairly accessible aesthetic to get inspiration from, it can sometimes be a little boring. So, to spice it up, TikTokers are bringing back some of the most whimsical features of ’70s decor with an emphasis on comfort and coziness.

Hammocks and swings are finding their way into apartments as we search for ways to feel something, and disco balls are becoming focal points of rooms to add personality and reflect light in cool, comforting ways. These little fixtures don’t take much time or space, but they can change the mood and the dynamic of a room, all while catering to your inner child — because isn’t that what TikTok is for?

Closet WFH Set Ups

The true winners of quarantine were those who have home offices, with second place to anyone who had an actual desk and wasn’t reduced to working from bed.

A TikTok hack emerged for people with a little spare space but not a whole room to work from: putting a desk in your closet. By moving around your clothes and all the things you shoved into the closet to avoid dealing with (Marie Kondo is shaking her head), turns out, you can have a liveable, workable office.

Plus, decorating it with cork boards, vision boards, and everything from your Pinterest dreams might actually give you something to look forward to instead of propping yourself up on your pillows and calling it a day.