Solo style Profile

The Domestic Sovereign

The art of having it your way.

You know the pleasure of a space that reflects your own tastes, habits, and rather particular standards. Your favorite things don’t necessarily have to be expensive, but they do have to feel right. You appreciate the everyday rituals that make a home distinctly yours.

Your Solo Superpower
Making ordinary life feel like an occasion.
Possible weakness
You have spent an unreasonable amount of time choosing a lamp. You were probably right to.
A woman arranges flowers beside a breakfast tray in her thoughtfully arranged apartment.

From the archive ·

An illustrated 1930s sitting room with an armchair, tea setting, writing desk, and unlettered book.
Representative illustration, not a documentary reconstruction or a historical likeness.

A Little Solo History

Marjorie Hillis had thoughts about this

In 1936, Marjorie Hillis published Live Alone and Like It: A Guide for the Extra Woman, a lively guide for women living independently. Her advice embraced the pleasures of a home arranged around one’s own preferences: comfortable surroundings, satisfying routines, entertaining, and looking after oneself. The book treated independent living as an opportunity to cultivate personal tastes and pleasures. Nearly a century later, that remains a very Domestic Sovereign philosophy.

Editorial sources

The guide

The Art of Having the Place to Yourself

A home doesn’t have to be large or lavish to feel wonderfully, unmistakably yours.

  1. Establish one daily ritual worth looking forward to

    A well-made breakfast, flowers on Friday, or a proper evening tea.

  2. Invest in the place you notice most

    Excellent bedding, a reading chair, or one beautiful lamp worth looking at.

  3. Make one everyday object a pleasure to use

    Coffee setup, tableware, or another daily essential.

  4. Create a space that’s ready for your own company

    Attractive but functional furniture and a well-considered arrangement.

  5. Choose one enduring upgrade over several decorative purchases

    Better materials, workmanship, and longevity.

You’ve got the place to yourself. You might as well make it marvelous.

Further reading