Help me to love my house

[BabblingWreckSimianBrain]

I've lived in it for 4 years and I feel blah about it. And my blah feelings about it reflect the state of the place too.
Moving isn't an option - I've lost about £50k on it and definitely can't sell it for the foreseeable future.
f all the houses I've lived in. there have been two houses previously that I absolutely loved, felt almost an emotional bond with them, and loved coming home. This one is just soulless..it's almost like a house that's never been loved IYSWIM.
I haven't got a big budget to do it up and very little sense of interior design, but I could spend £750-ish.
Its a 1970's built detached, so good points are big windows and nice and light, bad points boxy and characterless.
I just want to love it or at least feel something better than blah...

[AdoraBell]

I'd say start with adding something like a nice picture. Whatever you like. Have a look around to find something that pleases you. We have a cheapo print OH bought somewhere like Homebase, white background with a fuchsia orchid. Doesn't even need a frame. Once you have something you like use that as a spring board for changing other things. Could you paint the walls, change curtains, brighten up the kitchen somehow? Rearrange and declutter. I can sympathise, I'm desperate to move and we need to sell. I want to move out today! Try to make one room at a time feel better, if that makes sense.

I also have no idea about interior design, but I decided to start by changing the bed linen from bloody boring twee little flowers to purple with no bleedin' flowers.

Have you looked in any magazines for ideas?

[Edofthe13prams]

I don't think you can love a house if you don't have that vibe.

We grew up in a succession of modern houses and I hated all of them.

As soon as I left home I lived in old rented houses and still do. There is something about the light I think, modern houses are generally so ugly.

But what you can do, is try to ignore it and fill it with things you like...you can't make yourself love the house but try and get things you can take with you when you do finally move.

[knittedslippersx3]

Rearrange furniture, try swapping furniture and accessories between rooms. Paint or paper a couple of Walls in different rooms. Add rugs, throws and cushions to change the look and make it feel more cosy and homely. Rearrange work surfaces in kitchen, kettle, toaster etc.

[ATourchOfInsanity]

I find houses generally look best with furniture in made for the era they were built - they seem to fit, IYSWIM. Not saying you should run out and go all flower power, but maybe get a bit funky. Imagining something like a white big bulbed floor lamp with a retro coffee table by the sofa? Maybe something like this?:newpaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/retro-interior-designs-vg4g.jpg
If not then, perhaps de cluttering would help? It's hard to tell what you don't like other than the boxiness. I tend to think putting older features in just looks a bit crap, but perhaps some home made crafty things would make it feel more like your own? Something like this could give you something to do on the weekend and would be cheap too:
www.designsponge.com/2011/04/before-after-door-headboord-suitcase-picnic-set.html

[Mum2Fergus]

What was it that you loved about the other 2 you mention? Can you replicate any of your favourite features?

[BabblingWreckSimianBrain]

Thanks very much everyone some very helpful suggestions here.

I'm not very articulate and this is hard to explain but the problem with the house is that it just doesn't have a warm feeling to it. You know how people say a house feels cold or even spooky, well mine doesn't feel like that but it just feels like bricks and mortar. I don't mind modern houses at all so it's not that. I guess I'm trying to say that I've had emotional responses to houses previously they have just 'felt right' and this one doesn't....it felt ok when I bought it and I thought I'd learn to love it over time but I just don't.


Anyway, I'm going to start with a big declutter and clean up. Then I'll look at the space I have, the furniture and soft furnishings already in and try to get some stuff to brighten it up a lot.

[ethelb]

Mybe start a pinterst mood board to see what takes your fancy?

[HoopDePoop]

Lighting makes a massive difference, spotlights are a pita as they need changing so often but really give a warm glow to a house. If you can't feasibly add spotlights, look at 2-3 nice lamps for your living room.

[Mum2Fergus]

Im addicted to the Houzz app (there is a .com site too) it has literally hundreds if thousands of ideas for the house

[Gusthetheatrecat]

I feel very differently about rooms when I have stuff up on the wall. I love the idea of something like this:
www.younghouselove.com/2011/04/its-done-and-we-heart-it/

There are a few other entries about the 'wall of frames' they've done, but they basically frame anything at all that takes their fancy: keys, bits of material, pieces of pretty paper, anything. And they keep swapping it around. (If our hall was wider, I would be ALL OVER THIS....)

I think de-cluttering may well help as a start. Then surrounding yourself with things you love, and that remind you of people and places you love.