MidLife Homework, Part 2: Style upgrades

This is the second in a three-part series that looks at how your home can better support you as your "MidLife" chapter takes shape.

Shifting circumstances—like an empty nest, retirement, divorce, or downsizing—often accompany middle life. You might find yourself re-evaluating everything: your priorities, your roles, and your responsibilities. I encourage you to also take a look at your home with fresh eyes. Does it still represent who you are? What you love?

Last week we talked about how you can repurpose a former kid's room and turn it into a space that works for you now. But chances are other areas of your place could use upgrades too.

Your walls

Are you still living with the paint color you chose back when your kid was in elementary school? Or maybe the shade in your bedroom reminds you of your ex-husband! There's no better way to upgrade your place than with a new coat of paint. Rich and moody colors are all the rage right now, as is color-drenching (which means painting all four walls, the ceiling, and the trim all in the same color).

Left to right: BenjaminMooreUKinstagram shows a bedroom color drenched in a periwinkle; a deep brownish-plum called Cinnamon Slate is Benjamin Moore's 2025 Color of the Year; and Behr has announced a dark ruby red called Rumors for their top 2025 choice.

You can also make a huge change to your rooms with wallpaper. There are so many great choices in peel-and-stick paper now that you can even tackle this project yourself! Read more about my love for wallpaper here.

Artwork

It might be time to take down the gallery wall of framed family photos, and remove the precious 4th-grade self portraits your kids so lovingly made for you. Similarly, you can say goodbye to the generic prints you bought at HomeGoods years ago. If you've never indulged in art that is personal and meaningful to you, I'm here to give you permission! You have earned the right to find, purchase, and put up art that you love. Read these past posts to learn more about choosing and hanging artwork.

Decor: vases, pillows, plants

Give your place an immediate style boost by splurging on some new accessories. Buy a colorful ceramic pot and plop in a pothos—the plant that is impossible to kill! Check estate sales, Etsy, and local vintage shops for great deals on small decor pieces that speak to you now, at this point in your life. On my rattan bookshelf at left, I constantly rotate a collection of books, vintage ceramics, small plants, and vases from Anthropologie (always check their sale section!).

If your sofa pillows look as tired and worn as you sometimes feel, replace them pronto! Here are three very different options that I like:

Classic Velvet Round Pillows from West Elm, $54; Block Print Pillows, Amazon, $40 for 2; Woven Fleece Throw Pillows, Etsy, $34 (on sale)

Some other style upgrades you might want to make include:

• Window treatments: If you've been living with heavy drapes, try some bamboo blinds or linen sheers instead!

• Rugs: If kids (and the spills and messes that go along with them) are out of the house, now might be the time to invest in a new rug.

• Lighting: When's the last time you looked up and really noticed your dining room light fixture? If you're still living with 1990's bronze chandeliers and bedroom boob lights, it's time to upgrade!

How will you upgrade your home to help you make the most of this new chapter of your life?