Is there anyone left who lives in a house that doesn't have a colour scheme, style, aesthetic or what have you?

[MrsToadofToadHall]

Just musing as I scroll through social media...

Most people I know seem to have houses where there's a distinct theme - one colour/style of furniture per room, curtains that match sofas, some of it is to my taste and some isn't, but either way you can tell at a glance what they are trying to do, be it grey chrome or white minimalism or rainbow or whatever.

When I was a kid, I don't remember people's houses running along one particular theme the way they do now, obviously you'd have a few trends pop up, but I don't remember things being so matchy matchy, except perhaps for my aunt's house, where she had a "special" sitting room for the adults, all done in terracotta and pine. Mostly though it seemed to be a case of, I like this picture, I'll put it on the wall. MIL has given me a pot plant, I'll shove in that corner. Those curtains would do for the bedroom. That's a nice colourful hard-wearing rug, it'll go in the hall. I don't think there was quite as much emphasis on everything tying in so exactly to everything else. My house is a bit like this now - all the walls are white, because we had to redecorate when we bought it and I was sick of rental magnolia, the curtains in every room are different patterns because my granny got a seamstress friend to run some up for us as a housewarming present, our bedroom furniture is a complete mishmash of nothing matching, that sort of thing. I love our house and I'm not complaining, but I don't think you'd walk in and be able to pinpoint any particular style or trend.

I know people from quite a range of backgrounds and incomes, so it's not something that seems particular to any group, just that homes in general seem to be more styled/pulled together/matchy these days.

Is it because of social media? Because it's easier to get bits and pieces in places like B&M? Though there's always been home stores

When I first moved into my house 20 odd years ago with 2 babies it was very much on a shoe string and nearly every thing we had in the house was donated or found in charity shops etc.
It was very much ‘hotchpotch’ but I absolutely loved it.
Over the years as finances etc have improved we have redecorated and have usually chosen alight colour for most things throughout, simply because the house is small and this helps it to look bigger and more open.
I look back on old photos of the hotchpotch house though and really miss it sometimes.

Mine has a style. It is called 'muddled'.

However it will never be one of those 'copied from a hotel' places with harsh lines and shiny surfaces because I want it to be cosy and full of old and comfy things with a history and character that make me smile. No single twigs in a fashionable vase or sofas you can't snuggle up on. Absolutely no grey, this country is grey enough for most of the year, no need to bring it indoors too.

No glittery shit or shiny kitchens or baths like water troughs and toilets for square backsides thank you.

People know don’t keep that “serviceable” rug or those “good thick curtains”. Lots of people buy based on colour or style, rather than making do with longer-lasting good quality but unappealing things.

I don’t know many people whose whole house matches in style or colour, but most people do have individual rooms with each item fitting a scheme: “I can’t change the blue sofas, what curtains and paint and rug and accessories should I choose?”. Whereas in the past it’d be totally piecemeal.

We’re a more throwaway society now, home wares are much cheaper, “stuff” likes houses and cars are seen as an extension of ourselves/ how others see us, and we’re marketed an aspirational idea of what our homes should be like.

We enjoy spending time decorating and keeping the house beautiful and stylish. I remember my house being much more matchy matchy growing up to be honest. For example, now we like using simple colours (white, grey, metallics) and playing with light, textures, materials, using natural materials such as wood, wool, minerals and having big real plants. When we were growing up my parents had patterned curtains that matched their patterned wallpaper, patterned carpets, patterned cushions, matching lamp shades etc. It was their taste.

Oh, and we hear others unasked for opinions online in a way almost nobody would EVER speak in real life “urrccggh, grey!”, and “yuk, brown leather sofa!” etc etc.

I loathe anything that looks interior designed, or smacks of women's magazine 'good taste'. Our houses are always painted warm white throughout, have every possible wall covered in bookshelves, and have stripped floorboards and rugs/kilims. The one thing I'm fussy about is lighting, especially good reading lights.

I find colour and pattern clashes really unrestful. I don't like things to all match, but I do like things to harmonise. There was a busy wallpaper in the dining room when we moved in and within a week I ahd pulled it all off (much to dh disgust as it then took me months to work out what colour to paint it)
So if you have pretty pink flowered curtains but totally different blue sofa and green carpet, it would probably make my skin crawl.

So, we have some old inherited furniture (not antique, just old!) that sits alongside new. But when we got the new, we did look at the room and think about what would work.

We have a hand me down pair of sofas, which happen to be dark red. So I found some fabric with the red in for the curtains, and we painted the walls to match the background of the curtains too.
So in that sense they do match/co-ordinate, but as 90% of our stuff is hand me down or sourced from second hand shops, there is little danger of it all becoming matchy matchy.

I try to make sure things don't clash in a room, so for example I inherited a dark mahogany bookshelf from my grandad which is in the sitting room, so other wooden things like picture frames that I've bought I've chosen dark wood for.

Similarly with things like cushions, I clearly like greens as they mostly feature green or blue colours, so they all go together without being matching or post of a set.

No themes here. Walls are all neutral colour [ rented house ]. Furniture -- most of it is years old because I still like it and couldn't afford to replace anyway. Two leather armchairs at least 20 years old still in really good condition, so wouldn't replace them. No matching curtains, towels or bed linen.
Nothing matches in this house and I am quite happy with it.

Exactly as above. The longer you have lived in a house the more it evolves rather than is designed. As for pictures I have painted memories, family and gardens and they are everywhere possible. The furniture has been bought years ago with the exception of new three piece suites, curtains and quite a bit of hard flooring etc. The kitchen has been replaced but about 11 years ago and a downstairs toilet put in together with shower upstairs in a newish bathroom. As said before the plans are as needed. The result is a bright, cheerful home where we are comfortable.

I have found my people!

When we first moved in, I decided on a colour scheme for downstairs. I must admit that we splashed out on sofas and curtains in the sitting room in those colours but since then it's just been random additions that chime. The sofas have long gone (except for some fabric made into cushion covers) but everything still harmonises because I have maintained the same colour scheme for 30-odd years. Needless to say, it was purposely chosen to be 'classic' and non-dating. Except classic is probably dated, but what do I care?

It's always dangerous to swallow hook-line-and-sinker what the TV tells you. As a pp said, I find it weird that the makeover programmes seem to feature people who have no 'legacy' furnishings and everywhere is kitted out in brand new stuff. But then you see Antiques Roadshow with queues which are hours long and you realise that there are still people out there with old stuff in their houses.

Nothing matches in my house. Even my sofas are two different colours and styles. It wasn't a conscious choice but pretty much everything has been second hand so we've just bought what we liked the look of.

Overall there is no theme (unless you count 'piles of plastic tat' as a theme - I've got three children under five) but it looks cosy and is functional.

We don't have a theme. It's just random tat we love with toys everywhere.

Nothing deliberately matches here, I am actually in awe of those grey themed houses I see in the Mrs Hinch Facebook group, I'm not sure I want to do it but the amount of effort and planning in it is incredibly impressive. Even though I'm late fifties and have been married thirty -six years I'd call our house style, early marriage ( so inherited pieces)/ charity shop.

To add - I actually don't really care what my house looks like and I think this is unusual these days. As long as it's clean and the furniture is ok to look at then I'm quite happy. I've no interest in paint themes or soft furnishings or whatever and as I've got older my friends all seem quite 'into' home decor which has made me think I'm odd!

I still have furniture given to me, and I’ve lived in this house nearly 20 years. I’ve never bought a sofa / three piece suite in my life 🤣.

oh, and on the topic of colours harmonising.
When we moved in the kitchen had coloured tiles - small Italian style ones in yellow, green, blue and creamt I like a bit of colour and the are nice.
Cupboards were wood and floor was terracotta tiles.
Previous ownwers had painted the walls terracotta and had a terracotta and cream frilly blind up.

The terracotta walls jarred so badly with the tiles. Not same colour tones, not same colour family, looked awful, to me it was painful. On wall in particular was half tiles with terracotta paint above.

In the end I had to pain that wall white just to rets my eyes!
I veyr quickly removed the blind, and replaced it with a simple cream one - same colour as one of the tiles. Then I repainted the walls yellow, same colour as one of the tiles. Suddenly the kitchen looked amazing! The tiles came to life and the room looked light and pretty.

The following summer I painted all the wooden cupboard fronts cream, and it looks like a new kitchen.
I do think colours need to harmonise. In most eclectic houses, there is actually a colour palette at work

The theme of my lounge is red, black and brown. Kitchen doesnt have a theme hence I have a black cooker, silver fridge and white kettle. Bedroom is a mixture of dusky punks, purple and lilacs. Kids room is a bit mishmash but as long as it is tidy I dont care . I've seen people really hardcore in themes and matching and organising but it isn't important. As long as you have what you need and dont waste money on fancy shmancy stuff and always get the most important things for a good price then all good with me.

We try and make each room sort of go together in itself, but when redecorating that means working round the big things in that room - I'm not replacing the dining table and chairs, or the huge curtains in there just because the paint is different. But the pictures get reshuffled round the house, and we get new cushions for the sitting room.

What/who is Mrs Finch? I'm not on fb only messenger so no idea and have heard it a few times???

My house is like a watered down version of howls bedroom in howls moving castle, does that count as a theme?

Ours doesn’t match as such but I would like it to look better and a little more put together. We have been in the house 20 years.
Going against the grain a little I would like to redecorate and have our house looking a bit more stylish (whilst keeping some bits I really like).
Starting with our bedroom all the main items would be staying (super kingsize bed) with nickel headboard, fitted wardrobes, as it is shabby not chic. We have some bedside cabinets and a chest of draws which have been painted once but could do with another coat or another colour, a beige tea coloured carpet, and have three pictures which would be going back up. But i wouldn’t mind a stylish feature wall (with Bold/loudish not grey wallpaper) on one wall and the other wall space emulsioned in a toning colour not grey. But as I am shielded I can’t get out to look and I couldn’t/wouldn’t trust DH to shop for paper and paint.

I have no time for homes that look impersonal like every item was bought from a room set in next home. But, I do like design and I do have a preferred style. I love scandi items and natural textures in muted colours so my stuff does all “go together” to a large extent. I find clutter and eclectic stuff too busy and a bit stressful. I need my home to be relaxing.

Wish everyone had put pics up, other people's homes are fascinating, I love that every home in the UK is unique. Wish there was a magazine that had normal homes in!