To think a lot of homes are “soulless” and all people care about is size?

Wondering if you bought the house with the green deco bathroom in W. London that I viewed (a semi).

haha! no not green, and not London- but on the south coast. Its a lovely marbled teal blue shade 😁

It’s the implicit assumption that a house that isn’t full of objects is boring and the explicit assumption that it’s soulless, which is irritating.

There isn’t a right or wrong way. There’s what you can afford and what makes you feel happy and comfortable, whether it’s got surfaces full of things or clear spaces.

I would love to have an individual, quirky, beautiful, colourful home but I just don’t have the skill/artistry to pull off that look and, imo, it’s better (or at least more affordable!) to play it safe than be brave and risk making an expensive mistake. I suspect I’m not alone in that!

I know 3 or 4 people with stunning homes, which have been decorated bit by bit, and on a budget. They could feature in magazines and I admire them immensely but also recognise that they are all artistic creative people with a great eye for what works together.

I’ve found that filling my home with plants and flowers works a treat for making it feel cosy and lived in, yet calming. Oh, and the cat of course 😉

This is a very interesting discussion OP and it's something I think about frequently.

We live in a modestly scaled 180 year old farmhouse. It was totally derelict & without a roof or doors or windows when we bought it in our v early 30s & we've spent a long time slowly renovating it as funds allowed.

The house itself has a beautiful calm, peaceful feeling & is filled with light.

When we first moved in 20 years ago we painted it all white. We used farrow & ball matt soft white & it gave a beautiful chalky finish which we adored.

Over the years we've redone all the rooms & we've added colour to them all. Mostly soft muted shades but in some rooms stronger colours. All still f&b matt finish.

We have books in every room & many bookcases as reading is an obsession for us. And we have a lot of artwork hanging- all originals. We travel a lot & have small objects bought in different places - I bought by small ceramics in Sweden from a the design museum, made by a local artist. We have antique silver candlesticks from Italy, an antique magnifying glass from Paris etc these things have a special significance to us and when i look at them they bring joy to my heart & bring me back to the day / trip when they were bought. None of them are generic 'souvenirs' from holiday destinations (not that that matters to me if that's what anyone else loves & collects)

I, personally, could not live in a minimalist grey / white / beige modern new build. I see why they appeal but it's just not for us.

Our furniture is a mix of inherited pieces, antiques, ikea & custom made. We have things from both of our grandparents in our house - so great grandparents for our dc & a couple of things are valuable so we'd never ever sell & will pass them to our dc. I really love that continuity.

Some days I think I'd like a bigger kitchen but the rest of the house is a good size so we're mainly v content with what we've got.

Surely it's up to the individual home owners to style their own house to their individual taste...no?
Although I like a few carefully chosen pieces of art and family pics etc., I'm sure you would find my home 'soulless'. It's not because I lack imagination or haven't considered the possibility that I could fit more stuff in. It's because this is what I like! The idea of a home that 'keeps my eyes busy' really doesn't appeal to.me. to be honest, it sounds cluttered and awful. But, you know what...it's none of my business! Please don't look down your nose because people like different things to you. I don't like the shiny/crushed velvet/grey aesthetic, but I don't judge, because people should feel joyful in their homes.
Also, the UK has generally quite small homes and wet weather, so too right people often prioritise space!

Well if you think about it logically, 'minimalist' will be the default, simply because ...if you don't do anything... A space will naturally be empty.
I doubt that more people actively adopt a minimalist style as an aesthetic choice as opposed to those who CBA.
Also if you have pets, children etc a lot of these objects can be hazards.

I also think that as @Almostwelsh pointed out it takes a degree of artistic talent to decorate in a maximalist style without looking like someone just chucked a load of random stuff together cos they have nowhere to put it all.

This sounds like tasteful minimalism, the wooden frames, bold colours, art etc. I don't think it sounds soulless at all.

I'm talking about the houses on Rightmove that have grey carpets, grey walls etc, no colour anywhere.

My home has things, but not clutter.

I go between thinking that having things around me is what I like, to wondering if I'd prefer a more minimalist look?

I realised a long time ago that everyone's home is personal and not necessarily something to be understood.

Sounds gorgeous, I wish I could be minimalist.

I do have objects picked up during travels, art and little things people give me but I balance it by not having big rugs or curtains etc so the textiles are a least minimal. I love clean hardwood floors 😍

My home is not minimalist but I can appreciate that look. I like lots of different styles . But

I judge homes by how welcoming the homeowners are. Good conversation, plenty to eat & drink, that’s what gives homes a soul.
I barely notice the decor.

Firstly, a lot of houses you see online have been purposely decluttered and depersonalised in order to sell them.

Secondly, creativity is a talent not many people have. It's not a case of "try harder", some people, myself included are not arty and even if we appreciate other people's efforts we wouldn't have a clue how to make a space look good ourselves. I find arty types tend not to understand this, they are like but it's easy, just do what you love. But I genuinely don't have a creative bone in my body. I'm not repressing my creativity to fit in, I just don't have it.

I've done a little of both: some size and some objects to my own taste to make it my own. My home is not oversized though and I know where you are coming from. Hey, don't be envious of size. We can do any size with the budget we have, depending which area we live in. Relax. It is not a competition. Fill your tummy with good food today, go out and do what makes you happy. There always will be poorer and richer

Mine too. Lol at all the " doan judge" comments which are swiftly combined with " non minimalist homes are cluttered shit pits". Love what you love, minimalist is in so people feel they can show that off, confirmation bias is the result.

An Art Deco bathroom in a thing of beauty

I have an art deco bathroom, its beautiful, and I get lots of compliments on it, but there is zero clutter anywhere as I cant stand clutter.

Just because you have no clutter or dusty knick knacks on every available surface does not mean something lacks character or is soul-less. My house has beautiful refurbished wood floors, sky lights and many original features but that would all be ruined if it had clutter everywhere because you wouldnt actually notice the character of the house, all you would see is just "stuff" everywhere.

“I love homes that are full of personality, stuff picked up around the world in trips, fleamarket finds, family objects, homes that are not perfect but keep your eyes “busy” when looking and fully reflect the life of people that live within them and make you feel warm when you go in.”

And for your home that’s perfectly acceptable but not everyone likes that. To me what you described sounds cluttered which I hate but that’s ok because it’s your home not mine so I won’t judge. You only need to concern yourself with your home not anyone else’s. We all decorate to our own tastes

OP, let me ask you. Would you be happy to have your home critiqued for the things you have/don't have in it? I doubt it.

All you've done (which may have well been your intention) is to attract a certain type of poster to add their own moronic "I donnnn't liiiiike it" comments about things that other posters may well have and love in their ho9mes. Slow handclap for you.

Editing for the posters who don't mindlessly jump in to denigrate other people's homes - and there seem to be a few; kudos to them.

I think you're conflating two totally different things, OP. My house is pretty minimalist in style and lots of people would probably think it lacked personality. I like minimalist style and find it relaxing. What has that got to do with caring about the size of your house? It seems weird to accuse people with 'empty, soulless' houses of being materialistic compared with people who spend loads of money on 'stuff'.

I’ve spent years and years in 3 different houses having rooms that have bright vibrant colours on the walls, full of second hand crap and niknaks….eventually it drove me mad.. the clutter and shit everywhere really got me down.

now my house is a lot better, I still have a front room that has a feature wall that is a dark navy blue and yellow and orange autumn themes, book shelves but the nik marks are mostly gone. My room is lilac but the rest is grey/white and on the way to being minimalistic. It’s heaven and so calming. My carpets upstairs are grey and I have subtle colours as as accents.

everyone’s different

The thing is, it's only bland depending on how you decorate.

I have white walls, furniture, wooden, uniform picture frames in neat gallery blocks. All my colour comes from bold furniture, cutrtains, cushions and throws, and the actual art in the frames. I just have very little of it to maintain space. I also have some wild wallpaper but in muted, tasteful colours and in purposefully deigned nooks e.g. built in shelves with candles that light the space up beautifully. I also have discreet diffusers so it smells wonderful.

But if you looked at it on rightmove, a lot of people would consider it a soulless, minimal white box. But when the lights are down, the scents are on and world is shut out, it's a cosy, clutter free haven.

The trouble is, people that hate the minimalist thing don't often appreciate how cosy and comfortable a home can be and how thoughtfully designed some homes are. Depending on where you sit in my lounge, your gaze may fall on the tv(!), art, plants, a small collection of books I want to read etc, all with beautiful bookmarks ready to use. There is also always somewhere to put a mug (on a coaster that I've carefully chosen), a blanket in reach. You just don't see it all when you walk in the door.

Oooh great! I'm ahead of the game for once!

Not sure where I sit in this assessment.
I'm in the middle of purchasing a lovely big soulless new build and what I'm looking forward to most (apart from the luxury of finally having enough space for our family to function harmoniously, hopefully) is being able to bring out the family treasure.
I'm talking my late grandfathers bits he brought back from all over when he was a marine engineer in the 1940s and 50s, my grandmother's old display cabinet which was her pride and joy, my other grandfather's model warships he handmade to scale and I used to play with at the pond in the local park - pretty sure my uncle will let me have one if I put up a shelf big enough, other grandmothers grandfather clock that I've had in my loft for years...
DH has quite a bit of football memorabilia related to his late father, grandfather and even great grandfather that I know means a lot to him that will finally see the light of day.
None of this can be out in our current much older/smaller home as we just couldn't function around it and the walls would be coming in on us. I hate feeling cluttered and closed in. I'd also not ever be buying other people's stuff from flea markets just too have it there to look and have to dust..that means nothing to me, why would I bother?
I'll be buying some of my own stuff brand new just because I like it for whatever reason and maybe one day my own grandchild will have it in their home because it makes them think of me and smile. Nothing is manufactured with "soul". That comes with time and love.

I hate clutter. My house is somewhere in the middle - minimally decorated with a variety of things acquired anywhere form Africa to Ikea. But we're not very old, so we haven't acquired masses of stuff yet, we might be less minimalist after a lifetime of acquiring stuff. I don't see the point in shopping for meaningless decor whether it be diamantes from B&M or car boot "antiques".