To be incredibly jealous of friends home?

Honestly, posts like this were made for bingo cards!

My house is a mish mash (ahem, eclectic) and I envy people who have a vision, even if it’s not my taste.

Can you add elements to your house that will give it a bit of personality without being in your face?

When my kids (uni) have properly left home and I downsize (as a single), I dream of a pretty, pinks and pastels, bungalow/cottage, sigh.

So change yours then

I once moved to an old but pretty featureless house. My DBro (who has excellent if minimalist taste) said " Never mind Sis, you'll soon turn it into a twee Victorian hellhole" (and I did, although I disagee with the twee and hellhole aspects TBF, prefer "Arts and Crafts influenced" 😂)

Good advice above about Pinterest etc. Start small, couple of cushions in colours/fabrics you love. Places evolve, you don't need an interior designer and although you're not certain what your taste is now, you'll find out.

Hi!! I get what you mean , chat gpt is great for this - take a photo of your room and ask it for decor ideas in a style you like, browse a few instagram pages for ideas of thing you can do cheaply. I’m the queen of doing this myself/ for cheap so you’d be surprised how little you need to spend to spruce up an area. Alternatively feel free to send me some photos and il give you cheap suggestions of things you can do, shelves, photo frames, photo wall, accent colour or paint feature on a wall makes all the difference without changing anything big. Repainting furniture or even picture frames you have also super cheap. Mirrors , rugs etc all spruce up an area!

Have you looked at Instagram? There are lots of posters that inject amazing colour and personal style into their homes. Just because wall-to-wall pink or funky shaped vases aren't your style, doesn't mean that you won't see one element that piques your interest, or an approach that may work in your home.

Maybe start with colour? It can be absolutely transformative.

This isn’t my house, and I think the chandelier is hideous and the painting isn’t to my taste, but the strong colours are similar to what we have in the living room. With bare floorboards and kilims and one wall of bookshelves. Open fire. It’s quite scruffy in many ways, but it works as a room, and is pleasant to be in.

Have you got a special area to you like a reading corner or something? Start with finding a really cool wallpaper you like in a small area like that or a downstairs loo and get some house plants in, I always think they make an area look lovely! Then maybe slowly extend from there with the odd print/painting/photos of yourselves but in cool frames etc.

I know what you mean, our house does have a bit of colour and personality but my husbands school friend is AMAZING at interior decor and cool antique pieces. I always come away from her house inspired to do more 😅

You can decorate for far less than this. You need to know what you want though. You probably have quite a blank canvas to start with and you can, and maybe should, let some of your home evolve.
Think about what colours and combinations appeal to you, check what would work for the light direction in each room.
What feel of a house works for you? Mid century, Victorian, blingy, stately home?
Go and wander round something like John Lewis, not just at decor but at how colours are used together in fashion too. If you see something that appeals try to analyse what it is you like, shape, colour, texture. Take photos where appropriate.
Create some mood boards, either on something like Pinterest or actual on a board.
Get lots of samples especially if free.
For me things which always add to feeling like a welcoming home are plenty of plants, cushions where appropriate and the ability to vary the lighting.
TK Maxx is excellent for cushions and plant pots. Don’t forget the resources you have, move round pictures and things to see if they sing more in another space.
Enjoy the process.

Meanwhile I’m sat in my rented property that costs me £1550 a month and I can’t decorate or alter it whatsoever.
you have nothing to be jealous about.

This, and I don't care if it's pedantic. Envy and jealousy are not synonymous and they are different emotions.

I don't think you need to spend a fortune or do anything whacky to personalise your house. You just need to work out what you like. That's not as easy as it sounds (I have this trouble as I dont have much imagination for visualising things, I have to see it first to know I like it iyswim.)

Try having a look at Rightmove photos to get some inspiration about what feels like "you" and would work in your rooms. Keep your eyes open when you're out and about. My dining room was inspired by a local cocktail bar which has long since been closed but I loved the paint colour and type of light fittings and that set me off researching where to find similar things that gave the same vibe. Sometimes it works to have one "statement" piece in each room to transform the whole look of an otherwise neutral room. In my living room I've got a big freestanding Tiffany lamp and in my bedroom I've got a huge mirror with an ornate frame (I'm not saying get those things but start having a think about what focal pieces feel like you.)

You might be surprised how much you enjoy it. Go bit by bit and don't rush or you could end up deluged with stuff that feels too much or clashes. we used to have a neighbour who had tiffany lamps, William Morris prints and Chinese wind charms everywhere, several of each in every room. Individually I liked the stuff but altogether it made my senses dizzy!

It sounds like you lack confidence in your choices, OP. If you buy something and it doesn't work - give it away! Car boot it! If you paint and it turns out to be the wrong choice, paint over it!

Make yourself a Pinterest board or similar of things you like and introduce a few small changes at first. Unless you are knocking down walls, everything is reversible, everything can be put back the way it was if you hate what you do. But take your courage in both hands and make some changes - it's not forever and you can have some fun experimenting.

Do you dress safe as well or do you wear anything colourful or stylish?

Get yourself on Pintrest and see what takes your fancy and use that as a bit of inspiration to change things in your home - but also consider that your home is suited to your needs and already perfectly nice.

I think it just takes a lot of time to get a house like that. You need to dedicate your weekends to mooching around city's and looking in the unusual shops for inspiration, it's not easily found on the Internet or in magazines. Start picking up fun little bits and adding them to your home.

Hugs. It's so hard when you feel like that and I know being in the depths is parenting doesn't help.

I definitely second asking your friend to help, I bet she has some ideas of what you might like and what might work for you.

Why dont you buy some original pieces if art ghat you love in bold colours. You still gave your sensible background volume but will put some personality in your home.

I think you are envious, rather than jealous. Envious means you want what she has, and want similar, but jealous means you want to have it and her not to.

Go to somewhere like Dunelm and pick up a few colourful cushions, an unusual lamp, an ornament (non breakable!) or two. You don't need to spend much but you can jazz up a room cheaply, and maybe that will do for now.

Move

Lets start with living room, have a look round some shops with home stuff such as Homesense/Tk maxx, Dunelm, Next, B&m etc.

Look for one item that inspires you and is a bit out of your comfort zone such as a cushion, ornament, lamp, rug or artwork etc. Something with a bold or bright colour. Bring it back to your home and live with it for a while. The next time you go out or are browsing online, have that one item in mind and find other items to complement. Don’t think everything has to be the same colour as that will look too matchy. For example if you had a navy blue vase, you could choose a mustard or hot pink cushion. Once you have built up a few items you can then be brave and pick one of more of the colours to paint or wallpaper one wall.

Add some artwork, prints by artists you like or do some original diy designs. Layer your lighting and add cushions that elevate. Use some wallpaper, if you are able to, especially in the smallest room. Make a mood board with some samples. Just some suggestions that might inspire.

As PP have said use copilot or chatGpT (just as a start before I get shut down). Put some photos of your living room with dimensions or a floor plan. Tell it what colours you like, or style that you’re interested in and ask it for suggestions of how to arrange / style the room. You can ask it for lots of different ideas, do maximalist, scandi etc. and see which appeals.
You could then look at Vinted/eBay as PP have suggested to see if you can find some bargains. Have fun!
edited for unfortunate typo!

Why don’t you ask her to help you? I’m a creative person and I really enjoy helping others out.