I found my home during the pandemic, and since I’m a first-time homeowner, I was very naive to the process. Since it was still mid-lockdown when I bought the place, I had a LOT of time in this new and empty space. I had a traumatic experience plus a lot of health issues soon after moving in, and I felt terrified existing, more like a prisoner in my home rather than a place I was proud of owning,” begins TikTok star, wallpaper designer, and self-proclaimed DIY Queen, Tay.

“Since I was financially bound to the place, I dedicated all of my free time to changing my surroundings and turning it into my happy space. The first step in that process was… buying five gallons of paint in a rainbow of colors. I had no idea how much paint a gallon really was. I was stuck with SO MUCH PAINT, so I thought of a bunch of colorful ways to use it,” she continues.

Since first touring her home on AT in January of 2022, she’s added even MORE colorful paint, DIY projects, and cool art. She even designed a capsule collection of wallpaper in partnership with Otto Studio, updating many of the rooms with patterns. It’s an impressive amount of work accomplished in less than a year.

“My place is a gorgeous Victorian home and I love and appreciate the historic aesthetic and charm, and I never want to change the features or remove the history,” Tay admits. “I just want to inject fun and levity into the space.”

My Style: I’ve never been able to describe my style, as I think it’s a combination of a lot of aspects. But I think the best way to describe it is Dopamine Design.  I’ve seen others call it “mid century eccentric” and “whimsical maximalism,” and those are nice. I think I’m actually a very minimalist maximalist, because I HATE clutter and knickknacks. I want very few things, but I want the things that I have to all to be loud statements.

Inspiration: In terms of my DIY projects, I don’t tend to go out in search of inspiration online because I don’t want to do what’s already been done; that doesn’t flex my creative muscles. I get inspired by things I see out in the world, so when I go on walks around the city, a smoothie shop, a movie, or a hike, these are places that might spark an idea. I’ll usually take a picture then put it in a folder on my phone.

Favorite Element: Right now, I’m really loving my bedroom. I made a lot of changes over the last year! I moved my bedroom to a different room, so I started with a blank canvas and worked on the design for months. It’s the exact comfy-yet-elevated space I dreamed of.

Biggest Challenge: The biggest challenge is the fact this is a 120-year-old building. I can’t get heating or cooling installed because of one issue or another: If I use a hair dryer and a space heater on the right side of the house at the same time the fuse will blow, there’s still original wood floors in some places and it’s incredibly squeaky, and none of the door knobs work. The list goes on! But I still love the place and I really do love the fact it’s a Victorian. I’d rather live with these issues than damage the history of the space.

Proudest DIY: The DIY I’m happiest about aesthetically would be customizing my closet. It’s something I couldn’t have dreamed of as a child. I wallpapered the entire thing, including the ceiling, and added a pink locker. I also took down the door so I can see all my clothes. My clothes are art to me — things I want to see, not hide away.

The DIY I’m most proud of because I know how much WORK went into it, and how well it was executed, would be refinishing the original Victorian stairway. It had been covered up with disgusting dirty, stained, smelly carpet for decades. My partner helped me rip it all up, pull out hundreds of staples, sand it all down, stain, seal, and paint the treds.

Biggest Indulgence: The most expensive thing in my house right now is the $5,000 water heater I just had to get replaced. Aside from that, the biggest luxury indulgence would be my Mario Bellini couch I got secondhand. I would say it’s worth it if you think of it like a work of art, but functionally I don’t love it and never sit on it.

Is there something unique about your home or the way you use it? The most unique thing about my home is the way I’ve styled it. I want every room to be different, to be a surprise you couldn’t have predicted. I have always said that I want my home to be an ever-evolving art gallery, so if you come back a year from now it might look drastically different.

What are your favorite products you have bought for your home and why? I recently purchased the Samsung Frame TV; I could never have afforded it before, or at least I never would have spent so much money on something before. I put a custom frame around it so it truly looks like a giant piece of hanging art. I created an ornate gallery wall around it so that it really blends in and it’s a full wall of gorgeous and colorful art.

Finally, what’s your absolute best home secret or decorating advice? People always tell me they just don’t know where to start. The task of decorating a space feels so daunting and they don’t know how to set the tone so they just never begin. I say start anywhere, just go for it, even if you hate it after. Starting that momentum is everything, and if you hate it it’s okay because everything can be undone. You could just haphazardly paint blobs on your wall and that’s a start. To be honest that is exactly how I started my entire journey with this home.

• Monster heads — Andrew Stewart

• Kartell chandelier — West Elm
• Rugs — Rugs Done Right
• Color — Benjamin Moore. I hand mixed left over blue & white paint I had

• Orange Mario Bellini couch — Craigslist
• Orange shag rug — Pier 1 Imports
• Wallpaper — Otto Studio
• Peel & stick wall trim molding — Luxe Architect
• Black Eames chair — Finnish Design Shop
• Wall mural — Wallblush
• Brown chair — Wayfair

• Dining set — Rose Bowl Flea Market, then reupholstered by Tay
• Wallpaper — Otto Studio
• Rug — Jonathan Adler Ruggable
• Frames art — Tay BeepBoop DIY
• Dillingham Esprit hutch — Facebook Marketplace
• Monster head — Andrew Stewart
• Skeleton aged & painted by Tay — Home Depot

• Pink pots and pans — Caraway
• Egg art — Artsake
• Pink squiggle decal — Otto Studio
• Pink and white painting — Tay BeepBoop DIY

• Wallpaper — Otto Studio
• Mid Century 9 drawer dresser — Rose Bowl Flea Market
• Corn tables — Meow Wolf
• TV — Samsung
• Bedding — Ettitude
• Bedframe — Softframe
• Peel & stick wall trim molding — Luxe Architect

• Zebra painted hide rug — thrifted
• Green headboard — Tay BeepBoop DIY
• MCM couch — Facebook marketplace
• Framed art — Otto Studio
• Bubble stick light — Blue print lighting

• Color — Sherwin Williams “Shamrock”
• Wallpaper — Otto Studio
• Curved Mirror — HomeGoods
• Green table — Tay BeeBoop DIY
• Greenery wall — Tay BeepBoop DIY
• Rug — HomeGoods
• Couch — Mario Bellini
• Lockers — Mustard Made

Thanks Tay!

This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
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