11 Creatives On Why They Love Living Alone

Who says living alone has to feel isolating or lonely? “I absolutely love living alone,” Grace Atwood, founder of The Stripe, told MyDomaine. “My life is pretty social, but it's so nice to have a quiet place to come home to at the end of the day to read, have a dance party for one, or just sit quietly.” 

Atwood’s comments encompass many of the sentiments echoed by her fellow solo dwellers who greatly appreciate the freedom that comes with having their own space. Read on to hear why top bloggers, photographers, and other creatives can’t get enough of their setups, which allow them to kick back, decorate, and celebrate however and whenever their hearts desire.      

Opportunity for Reflection and Growth

“While I'm technically an extrovert, I recharge my batteries by spending time alone. Coming home to an empty house is actually one of the best feelings for me. I need a quiet environment to be able to concentrate, and I do my best work when I'm holed up solo. While I try to operate on a traditional workday schedule, you can't always predict when the creative juices will start to flow. Sometimes that's late at night, and it's great to not worry about keeping someone else up. I've found that spending time by myself allows me to ground myself and check in internally, too.” —Jessica Sturdy, stylist, consultant, and blogger at Bows & Sequins 

“An independent person by nature, I thrive when living alone. I enjoy taking the time to create a space around me that serves as my own little sanctuary; a place to escape the rest of the world and find peace, comfort, and stillness. By living on my own, I have grown to know myself in a deep, meaningful way through lessons of self-reliance, solitude, and reflection.” —Molly Ledwith, blogger at The DC Darlings 

“Many people think being alone means loneliness, but that’s far from the case. Living alone in a home you’re proud of is empowering, and allows you to grow in ways that would be more difficult living with someone else. I’ve had the opportunity to grow a successful business from scratch, and part of that had to do with the freedom of living on my own without having to conform to someone else’s living expectations or limitations.” —Chelsey Brown, author and blogger at City Chic Decor 

The Ability to “Live Out Loud” 

“Living alone presents an opportunity to live 'la vida loca' or, more accurately, to live out loud. As a wardrobe stylist and personal branding voice, I get to curate a house around the various aspects of my style persona (zesty, feminine, chic) and, frankly, my lifestyle. Living alone means I can wheel my clothing rack around wherever, all of my rules are always followed—including no shoes in the house— and ripped-out magazine pages can be taped all over the walls without reprimand. I can walk around the house testing out atypical color combinations in outfits, jump up and down testing the limits of comfort and stretch on items before I recommend them, and use the various vignettes I have set up throughout the house to experiment with situational dressing.” —Monica Barnett, principal curator at Blueprint for Style 

"Not going to lie, I'm putting a lot of pressure on myself to come up with some quippy, Nora Ephron-y reasons to explain what I like about living alone. Sadly for me, I'm no Nora Ephron. But I do know that living alone gives me the freedom to host a living room dance party whenever the mood strikes, to cook pasta with obscene amounts of garlic multiple nights a week without judgment, and to deck out my space in brass, marble, velvet, moody florals, and leopard print to my heart's content.” —Abigail Brennan, copywriter at CB2 

“This is my first year living alone, and I can’t believe I waited this long to do it. There is nothing I love more than having my plants everywhere—and I mean everywhere. Also, running my own disco ball shop has meant discos in every corner of my place. I love having my glassware and records on display and lighting a fire at whatever hour I please. I am also one to listen to music every minute of the day, so playing the same song on repeat is for me and me only. Finally, having the entire refrigerator to myself is something I never thought I would love this much.” —Libby Rasmussen, social media director and blogger at Libby Living Colorfully

Full Decorative Reign

“I think for me the best thing is being free to decorate exactly as I want to. I’m not sure how many people I could get on board with my pink walls and profusion of chintz. I love not having to compromise on my vision for my space and what makes me happy visually in my home.” —Jacqueline Clair, photographer, and blogger at York Avenue 

“Living alone allows my home to be my interior design laboratory. I’m constantly—and often impulsively at odd hours of the night—moving things around, shopping, crafting, and switching things out. I don’t need to get anyone’s approval of these changes or the periodic chaos by living alone. My home is also my showroom for my online store, which also shakes things up constantly.” —Adnan Anwar, interior designer at Adnan Anwar Design 

“I love living alone because it’s a space all my own: I am able to decorate and design how I want, even if that means a wall of shoes in my living room. Because I work for myself, having a space with no distractions that is simultaneously inspiring is a necessity for me. I love having a place to relax and unwind when I get home from a hectic day.” —Allie Provost, photographer, and blogger at prêt-à-provost 

“There are obviously some drawbacks to living alone, especially when we've been self-quarantining all year, but I've done it now for so long, I think I'm quite spoiled by it. Essentially, I can do whatever I like, whenever I want to. I eat when I feel like it, and I can take up the whole sofa with a cozy blanket and watch whatever shows I like without compromise. But mostly, I love that I am able to decorate any way I like since I'm rather particular about what I want my home to look like. Would I trade that for a decent partner? Probably, but he'd better have really good taste and enjoy a good flea market.” —Victoria Smith, blogger at SF Girl By Bay