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What do an Akari lamp, Eames lounge chair, and Eros side table all have in common? Other than being iconic pieces of furniture, TikTok would tell you that they’re all very demure. The viral trend that creator Jools Lebron started when she talked about being “demure” and “mindful” at work has captured the attention of designers and DIYers.
While the concept sounds sort of vague, they have been laying out some clear-cut rules for what makes a home demure or not demure. Some of their suggestions? Clean in moderation, swap harsh overhead lighting for table lamps, and don’t overwhelm your space with too many scents—one candle will do. But the top tip they all share has everything to do with where you shop: A demure home has to have vintage.
“Shopping secondhand, very demure, very cutesy. Doesn’t matter if you found it in the trash, very mindful,” says Denver-based TikToker @kaitlinathome, who has showcased some of her favorite thrifted treasures—a rattan bench, a floral mirror—in previous videos.
We weren’t surprised to learn that home content creator and Rugs USA collaborator Arvin Olano scoops up vintage to be mindful of the environment. After all, he once told us he considers his aesthetic to be “soft minimalism with eclectic tendencies.” In his TikTok contribution, he says his limited use of color is in fact “cutesy. I don’t want my house to look like a Crayola box.”
While Lebron’s advice has gone viral fast, a demure home doesn’t come together just like that. “We don’t buy everything new or at once,” says L.A.-based influencer Ethan Gaskill. “Rushing is never demure.”