There were many years when I didn’t understand my sun sign at all. In the early days of the internet, I would read Virgo horoscopes and descriptions and feel like something couldn’t be right. According to my research, Virgos were overachieving perfectionists who had perfectly clean rooms. I was the polar opposite—a lazy procrastinator who was constantly getting in trouble for making a mess. When I started getting into astrology in my late 20s, I learned there was more to being a Virgo than just being a neat freak. But what I learned didn’t make me feel any better. I discovered that being a Virgo meant you were riddled with anxiety, had constant tummy troubles, and were constantly criticizing yourself and others. I felt slighted. This wasn’t fair! If I had been born one day earlier, I could’ve been a showstopping Leo! Instead, I was destined to be an anxious freak with an IBS diagnosis.
Sometimes it still feels like I was given an unfair hand, but I’ve come to find plenty of admirable qualities about being a Virgo. Virgo might not be the most alluring zodiac sign, but Virgos are the ones running the show from behind the scenes. Virgo is best exemplified by the time of year it falls in—it’s the end of summer and we’re getting ready to go back to school. We bought all of our shiny new supplies and we’re looking forward to being back on a consistent schedule. Without Virgo’s love of order and practicality, we would all be living in overwhelming chaos.
Virgos are especially skilled at organizing and decorating a home, with their keen eye for details and natural elegant taste. Not to mention that they were likely already practicing sustainability before it became trendy, due to their aversion to waste. This Virgo season, we’re also getting a Mercury retrograde in Virgo, so it’s the perfect time to do all of the “re’s” in your home, such as redecorating and reorganizing. If you need some help getting started, let these 12 Virgo celebrities lead the way.
Optimize your space for efficiency
Clocking in at 300 acres, Tyler Perry’s Atlanta studio compound has no lack of space to create or shoot whatever his heart desires. But being a Virgo, the filmmaker’s going to make the most of the sprawling campus so that nothing goes to waste. For example, he built a house that has four different façades so that it could be used for filming multiple projects. Virgos are masters at finding creative ways to optimize whatever they’re working with. If you’re living somewhere smaller, this is the best time to figure out the most efficient use of your space.
Next level organization
No zodiac sign likes to organize like a Virgo does, which is why Troian Bellasario, a Scorpio, tasks her Virgo husband Patrick Adams with all of their home organization projects. He goes above and beyond simply rearranging a drawer or closet—he compartmentalized and labeled all of their daughters’ art supplies. This Virgo season, get your own label maker or do a big Container Store haul to really impress your guests with your organizational skills.
Lead with elegance
The transition from exciting Leo season to practical Virgo season can feel like a jarring comedown. But Leos don’t deserve credit for all of the glitz and glamour—Virgos also have a highly refined style that’s simply more subdued than the gaudier Leo (Sofia Richie, the current patron saint of “stealth wealth,” is a Virgo). Look no further than ballerina Misty Copeland’s New York City apartment for a lesson on esteemed Virgo elegance. Misty uses crystal chandeliers, antique mirrors, and textured wallpapers to create a home that’s the epitome of classic sophistication.
Quiet your inner critic
Interior designers Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent know how to make home design magic, but since Nate’s a buttoned-up Virgo and Jeremiah’s a free-spirited Sagittarius, I wouldn’t be surprised if things get spicy behind closed doors. We get a glimpse of their dynamic during their multiple home tours when Nate gives Jeremiah grief for his extensive—and usually messy—clothing collection. Virgos have a reputation for being critical, likely because their standards are impossibly high. If you catch yourself getting nitpicky while moving in or redecorating with a roommate or partner, take a step back—no one, including a dear Virgo, can be perfect!
Be the boss of organized chaos
While there are plenty of Virgos that fit in with the neat-freak stereotype, there are also many of us that might look like total messes to the outside world. When Wiz Khalifa takes us on a tour of his son’s playroom in his LA pad, it first appears to be cluttered with toys, games, and Legos. The rapper continues to break down each corner of the room with different specified themes, such as the Imagination Station and Learning Area. There’s no right way to organize your space—do whatever calls to you, no matter how it looks!
Lean into raw and earthy materials
Many miles away from Hollywood, actor Aaron Paul can be found at his rustic dream home on the banks of an Idaho river. The mansion was built from scratch using pieces of 100-year-old Amish barns and plenty of Montana moss stone. As one of three Earth signs, Virgos like to feel a connection to the natural world in their homes. If you can’t get a crane to bring a massive stone hearth into your place like Aaron did, you can opt for an antique wooden piece or some piñon-scented incense to give your home a woodsy feel.
Look for a nook
Deceptively masked by their grounded Earth sign vibe, Virgos are actually pretty mentally high-strung. Virgo’s ruled by Mercury, the planet of communication, so they’re blessed (or cursed) with hyperactive minds that have trouble settling down. It’s essential that Virgos (or anyone with an anxious disposition) have the necessary tools in their home to quiet all of the extra mental chatter. You could create a reading nook with retro hanging chairs like actor Emmy Raver-Lampman, or reorganize your office to support a journaling practice like basketball player Kevin Love.
Spread your wealth of information
Virgo might be an Earth sign, but being ruled by buzzy planet Mercury, it can take on the qualities of an air sign. Therefore, Virgos love data and facts, especially all of the little details that might go unnoticed by an untrained ear or eye. Kevin Love is a perfect example of this quality—while showing us around his Tribeca waterfront apartment, he exhibits an incredible wealth of information about his various pieces by artists such as Rashid Johnson and Gordon Parks. If you’re looking for something new for your home, try and find something that you’ll have fun learning about.
Incorporate cheeky humor
It might seem like Virgos are too uptight to have a sense of humor, but as your honorary Virgo spokesperson, I can guarantee that we also love to LOL. Virgo Mark Ronson initially comes off gravely serious in his home tour, but as he moves through the historic Los Feliz house, he cracks plenty of deadpan jokes that make for one of the more entertaining tours. The producer’s cheeky sense of humor is reflected in his design choices with a self-playing grand piano, a vintage Campbell’s soup dress on a mannequin, and 1980s tape deck in the kitchen. Find your own items that will give your visitors a double take and even make them crack a giggle.
Go all out in your bathroom
Celebrities love to show off the finer features of their bathrooms, from massive bathtubs to steam showers to custom marble counters. What was Lance Armstrong the most thrilled about in his bathroom? His new-to-him Squatty Potty. Virgos are known for their sensitive stomachs, so they’re always searching for the latest thing to improve their digestive health. You can do all of the bathroom renovations you want, but if it doesn’t actually help you go to the bathroom, is it even worth it? Maybe it’s time to purchase your own Squatty Potty, or if you’re feeling really crazy, get a bidet attachment.
Design a functional kitchen
One of the often overlooked Virgo traits is their alchemical abilities. In the old days, this meant their ability to concoct healing potions, but in 2023 this translates to good cooking. Therefore, Virgos need kitchens that go beyond just looking nice—they also need to be functional. When Andrew Rea of Binging With Babish was designing his Brooklyn home, he made sure to craft a kitchen that was laid out for someone who actually cooked a lot. You could follow in his footsteps by adding in a pot-filling spout or installing an industrial-strength rack for all of your most durable pots and pans.
Second time’s the charm
By now, we’re all too familiar with pesky Mercury retrogrades that send our plans into disarray. But retrogrades aren’t all bad—they’re a great time to review what we might’ve missed or forgotten about. Not only is Virgo ruled by Mercury, but this Virgo season coincides with a Mercury retrograde in Virgo. This is a great time to look over home ideas you might not have had time to implement in the past. Or if you’re planning on moving, you could be like Nate Berkus and move back into your old apartment almost a decade after leaving it in the first place!
Stock up on the essentials
If you followed the Leo season suggestions, your wallet might be hurting from expensive impulse purchases. Virgo season is our time to recover from buying everything we wanted and focusing on only what we actually need. Zedd unintentionally followed this advice by creating his own “Costco closet” that’s filled with paper towels, toilet paper, and other essential goods so he never runs out. It might be disappointing to buy a new bathroom cleaner instead of a new fancy candle, but you’ll thank yourself for it later.
Get obsessed with the ordinary
Virgos are kind of odd when it comes to what they get excited about. Other signs might get hyped about their tricked-out cars or their highbrow art collection. Virgos, such as Zedd, are obsessed with their blackout curtains or, like Lance Armstrong, their ice maker. Is there a household appliance that truly delights you that others would find incredibly boring? Now’s the time to invest in it.
