So you’ve realized that even though you’re grown up, you’re a fairy girl at heart.
A whimsical home aesthetic, fairy-inspired make-up– you’re here for it all, and you’re here to make a room in your space reflect how your dreams bubble up on the inside.
Interiors aren’t easy for everyone.
Sure, they look effortless on Pinterest, but in reality, you need a true system in order to understand how to bring an idea from concept to creation like you want.
But, truly, you don’t have to be an interior designer to make a room in your home the fairycore space of your dreams!
After all, when we moved to our new space, I was working with a blank slate of gray rental walls and little furniture. I used the creative energy I usually have for music and performance and put it to the test for interiors. Suddenly, once I developed a system to make it happen, everything else started falling into place.
So let’s do this together and show you my process for making a room look fairycore, from idea to execution, so you, my fellow dreamer, can make this space a true place of solace. ♀️
But First– What is Fairycore in Interior Design?
Fairycore in interior design is rooted in a mystical, whimsical, and enchanted design style.
Essentially, everything in interior design is a feeling more than a specific “put this thing here and put that thing there.”
And for fairycore, while the feelings can be a little different for everyone, it generally lives in a serene, nature-inspired, feminine essence.
The Paint and Walls
In a fairycore room, its walls are covered in…
- Beautiful muted or warm paint color
- Intricate, delicate mirrors
- Floral artwork and botanical prints or illustrations
- Vintage sconces
The Fabrics & Textiles
In a fairycore room, its fabrics and textiles are…
- Linen and/or lace sheer curtains to filter in soft sunlight
- Soft cotton pillow covers and furniture to feel warm and cozy
- Gentle table runners to add more femininity and warmth to harsh woods
The Bedding & Cushions
In a fairycore room, its bedding and cushions are…
- Floral or patchwork patterns
- Ruffled pillow edges or bed/couch skirts
- Plush, cozy blankets
- Themed decorative throw pillows
The Decor Elements
In a fairycore room, its decor elements include…
- Vintage vases
- Birdcages
- Intricate chandeliers
- Feminine sconces
- Dried florals and twigs (wildflowers, lavender, wild roses)
- Moss and live terrariums
- Faerie doors and figurines
The Furniture
In a fairycore room, the furniture features…
- Light woods and bamboos (perhaps with more destressed finishes)
- Whimsical furniture hardware made of warm metals like faded gold or bronze
- Curved pieces
- Antique pieces with feminine carvings and intricacy
The Scents
In a fairycore room, the (all natural and organic) scents fill the room with smells that are of the forest and flowers, like…
- Lavender, like through an oil diffuser with lavender essential oil
- Rose, like through this all-natural rose candle
- Natural potpourri with dried rose petals, pine cones, and other fragrant botanicals
- Rose incense stick, which is all-natural and no black smoke
Your Step-By-Step for How to Get a Fairycore Look In Your Room
Step 1: Start with a Soft, Muted Color Palette to Start the Room Off.
Many people make the mistake of charging headfirst into a design project with only a vague wall color in mind. But remember: a room isn’t defined by a single hue!
If the rest of your space doesn’t harmoniously blend with your wall color, you’re chasing a dreamy aesthetic that’ll always remain just out of reach, so create a color palette of between 3 and 5 colors that you’ll use the 60/30/10 rule with and stick to it.
It’s also important to note that your desired palette won’t come to fruition if you have visual clutter– labels everywhere out in the open, instead of tucked away. But we’ll talk about that a little later.
Step 2: Constructing Your Fairycore Dream on a Mood Board.
Now that you have your fairycore color palette, you can create your mood board.
Your color palette will be the foundation of your room, and your mood board will start showing you the patterns that you love in certain rooms.
So whip out Pinterest and start pinning– because even if you don’t know it now, you’ll soon see the patterns that come up with pictures you’re drawing inspiration from.
After that, there are 2 programs that I love for creating your fairycore mood board:
Canva– a free tool that many use for digital marketing, content creation, and, yes, mood boarding for interior design, if you need it!
Spoak– this is a paid, more designer-centric tool where you can save images directly from your browser into a mood board. This will also let you create a room layout to imagine different looks– and lets you measure pieces after you’ve purchased them to see what fits together.
Note: Your mood board might also include products you want in your space, but don’t get overwhelmed if these are out of your price range. The mood board is not about practicality– it’s about finding similarities and patterns in what you love and drawing inspiration from that. For instance, I have lots of inspirational decor pieces from Anthropologie; however, there’s no way I’m spending all that money on something I could find at a thrift store.
Let mood boarding be inventive and creative. It’s like dreaming– you can’t put a cap on it, or else you won’t get your biggest ideas out.
Step 3: Make a Budget for Your Fairycore Sanctuary.
Fairycore, meet a budget.
Sure, she might sometimes seem like a party pooper, but your budget can make the process easier on your wallet and more of a push for you to get creative.
Tip: Take the allocated money you have for thrifted items and get them in cash for estate sales, thrift stores, and Facebook Marketplace finds to more easily delegate.
Step 4: When Buying New, Look for Low-Toxic Fabrics.
While thrifting is the soul of fairycore, some items require a fresh start, like couches, rugs (although I found a rare treasure of a rug on Facebook Marketplace!) and upholstered seating often fare better when newer (for hygiene concerns, mostly).
But even still, there are high-quality purchases and low-quality purchases you can invest in, and though the high-quality is usually a bit more money, consider adding those as splurges to your budget for long-lasting, safe products. Here are some brands I love:
- The Sabai Evergreen Hemp Sofa
- Hook & Loom Flatweave Solid Natural Flatweave Eco-Conscious Rug
- The Kirnik Sofa in Natural Latex and Wool
You also might find that things like color-changing lights or copper or gold fairy lights are better found on Amazon– depending on if you score locally.
Step 5: Get Your Fairycore Thrift On.
For the remainder (and hopefully, the majority!) of your items, delve into the second-hand treasure spots around you! Here are my favorites:
- Facebook Marketplace– perfect for browsing in your jammies.
- Habitat for Humanity Restore, Goodwill, and local thrift stores– great for having a go-to place on the weekdays.
- Estate sales– great for weekend mornings with friends or on your own when you have some cash in hand and feel like bargaining.
Remember to have your mood board and color palette open on your phone or printed out when you’re thrifting. Just taking a little glance at it will help you understand if a find you love is something that’ll actually fit within the room that you’re designing.
Step 6: Create Simple Upkeep and Maintenance.
Once you’ve arranged your products together and have created the space as you like it, maintain it using KonMari methods of organizing (if you haven’t done this already).
I highly recommend both of her books, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Spark Joy to help you eliminate visual clutter and keep things organized. Because while fairycore exudes whimsy, it shouldn’t tip into chaos.
After reading the book, you’ll know how to organize without any special organizational baskets and tools, but once you have the budget and capabilities to get cute storage solutions, it’ll be even better.
Your fairycore room should feel like you’re stepping into another realm– one of gentle beauty, peaceful nature, and a little bit of magic. ✨
As you craft your sanctuary, remember that the traditional ways of seeing your home can be totally wiped away. There’s no need to limit yourself to the confines of traditional– instead, see what your imagination comes up with and let it shine.
