A Lesson In (Very) Colorful Home Decor With Kalianna Carpenter

Within 0.5 seconds of setting foot into Kalianna Carpenter’s home, one thing is immediately clear: The girl has a major color crush on, well, color. "I would describe my personal home style as colorful, playful, and eclectic. I don't take myself too seriously and I reflect that with my home as well,” the Houston-based digital creator tells us in our latest episode of Sweet Digs. “Basically, if something brings me joy, then I’m bringing it into my house." In so many words, if a bag of Skittles were a place, that place would be Carpenter's house.

A similar joie de vivre is peppered throughout Carpenter’s TikTok and Instagram feeds, where followers routinely double-tap and comment on everything from Carpenter’s favorite Amazon-sourced home finds to H2T 'fit checks that make My Little Pony seem goth.

We recently took a tour of Carpenter’s rainbow house, a $3,300 rental that includes multiple bedrooms, a game room, a home office, a creative space (Carpenter also runs an online boutique for fellow colorphiles), a kitchen, dining area, and a pet pig haven (yes, you read that correctly) all under one roof. Virtually every surface has Carpenter’s vibrant personality all over it; “When we first moved in, [the walls] were completely white, so it was like I had an empty canvas to create,” she explains. “It’s been a dream of mine to live in a colorful house filled with DIY projects.” (Consider that dream very much realized.) Keep scrolling to shop unique home decor finds and furniture pieces inspired by Carpenter’s charming home and tune into her full Sweet Digs episode.

With a particular penchant for checkerboard print and marigold hues, Carpenter's space includes gems like a “fun locker” (similar ones available on Amazon); a quirky, ultra-modern chandelier; and other sunny pieces like plush armchairs in the living area and an Ikea Malm dresser repainted in a brilliant yellow hue.

However, Carpenter largely relies on her own imagination and DIY skills to bring her creative vision to life. “About 90% of my furniture is thrifted — I actually can't think of the last time I spent more than $100 on a piece of furniture,” she says. “For example, my wavy table in my studio is a table that I got for about $80. And it's been repainted and refinished more times than I can count, which ends up saving me so much money to just be able to repaint and redesign my furniture to match whatever I'm in the mood for at the time."