Practical Tips You Can Use To Style Your Space With The Messy Girl Aesthetic
Let’s be honest: the pressure to maintain a perfectly minimalist, pristine home can feel utterly exhausting. For many of us, life just doesn’t look like an Instagram flat lay, and the idea of ‘everything in its place’ often feels more like a threat than a goal.
But what if your natural inclination towards a lived-in, slightly undone space wasn’t a flaw to be fixed, but a style to be celebrated? Enter the “Messy Girl Aesthetic” – not an excuse for chaos, but a design philosophy that champions authentic comfort, visible personality, and an effortless chic that feels wonderfully you.
The Messy Girl Aesthetic is one option among many, the most important thing is creating a home that supports your needs and daily life.
1. Embrace Intentional Book Stacking
Forget traditional bookshelves! Create mini towers of your favorite reads on coffee tables, nightstands, and even the floor. Mix heights, colors, and sizes for that perfectly imperfect look.
Leave a book open to your current page on the arm of your couch, or stack magazines with dog-eared corners. The key is making it look like you actually read these books rather than using them as mere decorations.
2. Master The Art Of Visible Collections
Your quirky trinkets deserve the spotlight! Arrange your collection of vintage perfume bottles, concert tickets, or pottery pieces where everyone can see them. The messier the display, the better.
Try clustering similar items together but avoid perfect symmetry. That random seashell from your beach trip? Place it right next to your fancy candles. These personal touches tell your story and create conversation starters for guests.
3. Layer Textiles Like A Pro
Throw blankets should look casually tossed, not perfectly folded! Drape them over chair arms, sofa corners, and bed ends for instant coziness. Mix patterns fearlessly-plaid with floral, stripes with polka dots.
Pillows belong everywhere in various sizes, textures, and colors. Don’t fluff them too perfectly. That slight dent from where you actually rest your head? Leave it there! Rumpled sheets and uneven throws create that lived-in charm the messy girl aesthetic celebrates.
4. Create Artistic Wall Clutter
Gallery walls should grow organically! Skip the measuring tape and hang art, photos, and mementos wherever they feel right. Overlap frames, mix sizes, and leave some slightly crooked.
Add unexpected elements like vintage scarves, small mirrors, or even that weird postcard your friend sent from abroad. Washi tape works great for temporary pieces. Remember: a truly messy girl wall evolves over time-keep adding items as you find them rather than planning the perfect arrangement.
5. Display Your Getting-Ready Routine
Your beauty products aren’t meant to hide in drawers! Arrange perfume bottles, makeup brushes in cute mugs, and skincare on trays where everyone can see them. The key? Make it look like you just finished getting ready.
Leave a lipstick uncapped occasionally or your favorite jewelry draped over a dish. Hair clips scattered artfully add authentic charm. This isn’t about being truly messy-it’s curated chaos that makes your space feel alive and in-use rather than like a sterile display home.
6. Perfect The Plant Jungle Vibe
Plants should look wild and slightly untamed! Mix hanging vines with potted varieties on every available surface. Don’t worry about matching planters-mismatched containers add to the charm.
Let some vines trail down bookshelves or across window frames. A fallen leaf or two on the floor? That’s peak messy girl aesthetic! Bonus points for propagation stations with plant cuttings in random glasses or jars throughout your space. Your room should feel like it’s being gently reclaimed by nature.
7. Celebrate Visible Works-In-Progress
Half-finished creative projects aren’t clutter-they’re decor! Leave your knitting on the coffee table, sketchbook open to your latest drawing, or that DIY project visible for all to see.
A guitar leaning against the wall looks perfectly at home in a messy girl space. These touches show you’re actively living and creating in your environment. The unfinished nature of these items tells visitors your home isn’t a museum-it’s a canvas for your life, constantly evolving and beautifully imperfect.
