Carmeon Hamilton’s House Rules & Why You Should Always Hang Your TP Under

Every home has a “vibe.” Some are candlelit-and-whispery. Some are shoes-off-and-serious. And some are delightfully specificlike “Yes, you may enter, but if you put the toilet paper on the roll the wrong way, the house will immediately reject you like a mismatched throw pillow.”

That’s what makes house rules so fun: they’re part etiquette, part design philosophy, and part “I have lived through enough chaos to know what I can’t unsee.” Interior designer and TV personality Carmeon Hamilton has a set of rules that feel equal parts practical and personality-drivenplus one opinion that tends to start polite arguments in bathrooms everywhere: hang your toilet paper under.

Before you clutch your pearls (or your spare roll), hear her out. This isn’t just about preference. It’s about how a home functions, how guests feel, how routines get easier, and how tiny habitslike which way the paper hangscan change waste, mess, and sanity. Let’s break down Carmeon’s “house rules” approach and the surprisingly logical case for Team Under.

Who Is Carmeon Hamilton (and Why Do People Listen to Her House Rules)?

Carmeon Hamilton is a Memphis-based interior designer and content creator known for blending bold style with real-life livability. Her work and voice sit at the intersection of design, lifestyle, and “let’s make everyday life feel special,” which is exactly why her house rules resonate. They’re not precious rules that only work in a museum-like house. They’re rules that support the way people actually live: eating, hosting, relaxing, and yesusing the bathroom like humans.

Think of her rules like a design plan for daily life: you don’t just decorate a room; you design a system. The system includes how people move through a space, what they touch, what gets dirty, and what helps everyone feel comfortable without needing a 20-minute orientation upon arrival.

Carmeon Hamilton’s House Rules, Decoded

Carmeon’s rules aren’t random. They’re built around a simple idea: elevate the everyday. That means creating a home that feels cared forwithout turning you into an unpaid, full-time museum guard.

Rule 1: “Make the home feel alive” (Plants are not optional)

One of Carmeon’s signature beliefs is that plants instantly make a space feel like home. They add life, softness, and a sense that someone actually lives here on purpose. Even a small pothos or snake plant can do the jobespecially if you place it where the eye naturally lands (entryway, dining table, or that corner you keep ignoring like it’s going to start paying rent).

Bonus: plants subtly encourage care. When you water something regularly, you’re practicing a tiny routine of attentionexactly the kind of habit that makes a home feel “kept” without feeling uptight.

Rule 2: “No paper plates” (Yes, even on busy nights)

This one is about mindset. Paper plates say “temporary,” “rushed,” “we’re barely holding it together.” Real plates say “you’re worth the extra 30 seconds.” Carmeon’s rule isn’t about being fancyit’s about treating everyday meals like they matter. If you want the shortcut without the sad trombone, keep cleanup easy with:

• Dishwasher-safe plates you actually like
• A designated “quick wash” routine (wash while cookingfuture you will weep tears of gratitude)
• A small rotation so you’re not drowning in dishes

Rule 3: “Linen sheets for everyone” (Comfort is a hosting flex)

Some people host with a charcuterie board. Carmeon hosts with comfort. The goal is to create a home that feels good to live in and good to visitright down to what touches your skin. Whether you pick linen or another breathable fabric, the bigger idea is: don’t make comfort a special-occasion thing.

Rule 4: “Make the bed when you’re a guest” (Respect the space)

This is less about perfection and more about courtesy. A made bed is a quiet signal: “I’m taking care of your home while I’m in it.” It’s the guest equivalent of returning your shopping cart. You don’t have to do it, but the kind of person who does it is usually the kind of person you’d invite back.

Rule 5: “Clean while you cook” (Because the after-party shouldn’t be a sink full of regret)

If your kitchen looks like a raccoon hosted a cooking show by the time dinner is served, you’re not alone. Carmeon’s rule is simply a strategy for enjoying your own life: tidy as you go. Fill the sink with soapy water, toss utensils in immediately, wipe counters during simmer time. This is how you end up with a kitchen that feels like a place to gathernot a punishment.

Rule 6: “Shoes on… but read the room”

Some households are strict shoes-off households. Others are more relaxed. Carmeon’s approach is refreshingly human: have your preferences, but respect other people’s spaces when you visit them. Translation: do what works at home, but don’t bring your “I’m a shoes-on person” identity into someone else’s cream rug era.

The Bathroom Rule That Starts Debates: Why Carmeon Says Hang Your TP Under

Here we go. The toilet paper under rule is the one people love to argue about because it’s small, visible, and deeply symbolic. (“If you hang it over, what else are you capable of?”) Carmeon’s reason is surprisingly practical: she’s said she prefers TP under because it can mean less waste.

The logic is simple: when the loose end hangs under, it’s slightly harder to unspool quickly. That tiny resistance can reduce the “oops I pulled eight feet” momentespecially in households with kids, distracted guests, or anyone who treats toilet paper like a party streamer.

But waitdoesn’t everyone say “over” is the correct way?

“Correct” depends on what you’re optimizing for:

• Ease and visibility: Over makes the end easier to find and grab.
• Control and waste reduction: Under can slow the unrolling and reduce overuse.
• Pet and kid interference: Under can make it harder for tiny hands (or curious paws) to spin the roll into chaos.
• Personal preference: The strongest force in the universestronger than gravity, apparently.

The Great Toilet Paper Debate: A Practical, Not Precious, Breakdown

Team Over: The case for convenience

The biggest argument for hanging toilet paper over is that it’s easier to see, grab, and tear cleanly. If the end is accessible, people tend to fumble less, touch fewer nearby surfaces, and move on with their day. In guest bathroomswhere nobody wants to play “find the end” while pretending they’re fineover can be the calmer option.

Team Under: The case for less waste and less mayhem

The strongest “under” arguments usually fall into two buckets:

1. Waste control: Slightly more resistance can mean fewer accidental mega-pulls and a more measured tear. That’s especially helpful if your household includes kids, anxious speed-wipers, or the kind of person who prepares for bathroom situations like they’re packing for a weeklong hike.
2. Chaos prevention: If you’ve ever walked into a bathroom and found the roll unraveling across the floor like a dramatic veil, you already understand. Under can make it harder for the roll to “free-spin.”

So…which one should YOU do?

Consider your bathroom’s “risk factors”:

• Small kids? Under may reduce enthusiastic spinning.
• Cats who believe gravity is optional? Under can help, though no system can fully outsmart a committed cat.
• Guest bathroom where speed matters? Over might feel friendlier.
• Trying to cut paper usage? Under can be a low-effort nudge.

Carmeon’s point isn’t that “over” people are wrong. It’s that your home can be designed to support better habits. And yes, sometimes that means using mild inconvenience for the greater goodlike putting healthy snacks at eye level or storing the junk drawer out of arm’s reach.

What Carmeon’s Rules Really Teach: Design Is a Behavior System

Here’s the sneaky genius of house rules: they’re not just about taste. They’re about behavior.

1) “Elevate the everyday” is a system, not a slogan

When you use real plates, keep the kitchen manageable, and make the bed as a guest, you’re building a rhythm. The home feels calmer because you removed friction points that cause stress: clutter, mess, and little “ugh” moments.

2) Hospitality is about removing uncertainty

Guests feel comfortable when they don’t have to guess. They shouldn’t have to wonder: “Is it okay to use this towel?” “Where’s the trash can?” “Am I allowed to sit here?” Good house rules quietly answer those questions.

3) Small rules are often the most powerful

Big renovations are expensive. Small rules are free. If a tiny change reduces waste, makes mornings smoother, and lowers your mess by 10%, that’s a huge return on effort. Hanging TP under is exactly that kind of micro-upgrade.

How to Create Your Own House Rules (Without Becoming That House)

Step 1: Pick rules that solve recurring annoyances

The best house rules aren’t moral judgments. They’re solutions. Start by noticing what repeatedly frustrates you:

• The sink is always full after meals
• Guests never know where to put things
• The bathroom runs out of supplies at the worst time
• Clutter collects like it’s auditioning for a reality show

Step 2: Make the rules easy to follow

If you want people to clean while cooking, keep a spray and cloth accessible. If you want less TP waste, store extra rolls where people can see them (so they don’t panic-unroll the last roll like it’s the end of civilization).

Step 3: Communicate softly (systems > speeches)

Instead of announcing rules like you’re reading a courtroom verdict, set up the space so it guides behavior:

• Basket for guest towels
• Labeled bin for “extra TP”
• Small trash can where it’s obvious
• Hand soap that’s easy to use

Bathroom Setup Tips That Make the TP Rule Work Even Better

If you’re going Team Under, support it with a bathroom that’s guest-proof:

• Start the roll cleanly so the end is easy to find.
• Keep a backup roll visible (basket, shelf, or cabinet that’s clearly not a mystery door).
• Use a holder that doesn’t “free spin” if waste is your concern.
• Choose the right paper: super-thin paper shreds; super-thick paper encourages overuse. Aim for “pleasant, not plushy-to-a-fault.”

Conclusion: The Real Rule Is Intentional Living

Carmeon Hamilton’s house rules are memorable because they’re specificplants, real plates, linen sheets, tidy-as-you-go, make-the-bed energy, and yes, toilet paper under. But the bigger takeaway is this: your home should support the life you actually want to live.

If hanging TP under helps your household waste less and keep the bathroom calmer, try it. If “over” makes your guest bathroom feel easier, do that. The best “correct” choice is the one that makes your home function betterwhile still feeling like you.

of Real-Life Moments: House Rules in the Wild

Imagine you’re hosting friends for the weekend. You did the classic pre-guest sprint: vacuumed in places you don’t normally acknowledge, hid the doom pile in a closet, and arranged throw pillows like they’re about to be judged by an international panel. Everyone arrives, you’re laughing, the snacks are out, and the vibe is immaculateuntil someone disappears into the bathroom.

Two minutes later, they reemerge with the polite-but-haunted look of a person who just discovered a household runs on different operating rules. They didn’t say anything. They won’t say anything. But you can feel the question in the air: “Which towel am I allowed to use? Why is there no trash can? Is this soap decorative? Am I supposed to…sign something?”

This is where house rules quietly save relationships. Not the bossy kindmore like the “we set you up to succeed” kind. A little basket that says “extra toilet paper” removes panic. A visible hand towel says, “Yes, this is for hands, not for admiring.” A stocked bathroom says, “We planned for humans to be human here.” It’s hospitality without a speech.

And then there’s the toilet paper roll itselfpossibly the smallest object that can start the biggest debate. Everyone has a story: the roommate who insisted “over” was the only civilized option, the aunt who switched it to “under” every time she visited as a silent protest, the toddler who unrolled an entire mega roll like they were opening a scroll of ancient wisdom.

In those real-life moments, Carmeon’s “TP under” argument starts to feel less like a hot take and more like a practical tool. Under slows the roll down. It’s not a force field, but it can reduce the accidental over-pull and the mindless “let me just yank until I feel safe” behavior. If you’ve ever had a guest use half a roll because the end slipped and the roll spun freely, you know exactly what “waste” looks like in the wild.

House rules also have a weird way of revealing what we value. Real plates? That’s a “we care about the everyday” statement. Clean while cooking? That’s a “future me deserves joy” statement. Plants everywhere? That’s a “life belongs here” statement. Even the TP direction becomes a tiny philosophy: are you optimizing for speed, control, guest ease, or pet-proofing? There’s no single answerjust the one that fits your home’s personality.

The best part is that none of this requires a renovation budget. You can redesign your routines the same way you redesign a room: notice what’s not working, make one small change, and see how it feels. Try TP under for a week. If it reduces chaos, keep it. If it starts a household rebellion, compromise with a well-placed backup roll and a strong sense of humor. Because at the end of the day, the most important house rule is the one that keeps everyone feeling comfortablewithout you needing to referee the bathroom like it’s a competitive sport.