To think most people's homes don't look like something out of Ideal Home?

[Ginger1982]

Moving house next month so been buying interior magazines, not because we're planning any major revamps to the new house, but just for some ideas. Bloody hell, all the houses featured are like show homes! I know they need that to sell mags but I can't believe people actually live in them. £4K for a bed??? £8k for a bathroom vanity unit? Stone me...

The houses featured are show homes. Of course they're spectacular. No one wants to look at my dodgy carpets and IKEA frames, do they?

If most people lived in homes like that then people wouldn't bother to buy the magazines.

I don't think they're show homes as I would define show homes, the mags do interview their owners, but I just find it incredible people spend so much money on a bed! But yes, no one would want to see my interiors either!! 😆

I like it when they explain to the reader how they did it all ona tight budgets and it includes finding some thing in a antique shop and it only cost (same amount you'd shell out at Barker and Stonehouse).

Lol and when they say 'find a similar one for £3k...'

I'm sure their is market for a house magazine with down to earth prices and ideas. But then I'm sure other shops copy the designer stuff you find in the posh mags.

Pintrest is more realistic.

When we looked round this house it looked like a show home. The previous owners had no stuff. No DVDs, no books, no CDs. Was weird.

Do you buy cosmopolitan and complain that all the models look like models too??

How very peculiar

I totally get what you mean op. It would be nice if there was something more in reach of normal folks aspirations. So instead of homes of the rich and famous something more affordable for the average family. Although in my case I’d need a magazine called ‘shit homes of the poor and scruffy’ or something.

I like furniture, tiles, prints. Would never spend say £70 on a dress but wouldn’t blink about a cushion. It’s no different than people who are really into travel/sports/clothes etc..

Of course it will look neat/clean, they’ve got folk round taking photos.

I know a couple of different people who had their homes featured in those kind of articles.

In both cases they were pretty wealthy and did spend a great deal of money on their homes.

However their homes do indeed look just as they do in the article.

Not necessarily quite as tidy or flower laden but basically the same.

Remember though that a professional photographer can make your house look amazing.

The £1.99 ones have much more realistic and achievable homes - Your Home, Style at Home... there’s another one that I can’t remember the name but it’s along those line too.

(And by “realistic and achievable” I mean the price of the items featured.)

Mine looks like something featured - the 'before' photos in a makeover.

They are often advertisements for the interior designer so in that sense are show homes.
When a friend of mine featured in one of these magazines the house was 'styled' by the magazine team. They moved furniture about, brought rugs and flowers etc and photographed it to make a recently decorated quite nice home look like a show house.

haha Toad same here

mine looks like it's from an episode of 'can't pay we'll take it away'

It's not that weird, Queen, we're on the market now and half our stuff's in a storage unit so the place looks half decent. My friend asked if we'd been burgled.

I'm sure their is market for a house magazine with down to earth prices and ideas

Kinda like the ikea magazine you mean?😛

Agree, some folks are wealthy and they do decorate their homes like that and other people like to have a look.

No DVDs, no books, no CDs

I don't find that odd at all. We listen to all music and watch all movies electronically there are no CDs or dvds in the house. I also read on a kindle so only keep specific books I wish to keep in the house. Our books we do keep are in cupboards and not on display, open the cupboard doors and voila, they are magically just like book shelves. Tis like something out of Harry Potter, it's that magical. 😄

Interesting yikes!

Instagram and Pinterest are better than the magazines. I follow and sometimes chat with an interiors instagrammer, and she was featured in one of the (cheaper) magazines a while ago. They quoted the cost of her enviable bathroom as significantly less than it actually cost her, because it suited the storyline they were going for.

VickieCherry, they always seem to leave labour out of the costs...

My neighbour's house looks like a show home. It's immaculately tidy has lots of lamps, mirrors and flowers and people always say how gorgeous it is.

I think the magazines are more inspirational and I love them. We're in the middle of a renovation so always looking for inspiration. We save on some things and splurge on others. I don't personally think it's bad to invest in a bed. We spent a bit on ours but my God is it worth it.

Well no one wants to see a standard 3 bed semi with pax wardrobes and malm drawers in a home mag do they?!?