To say I’m not copying my Friend!

[Ideasplease322]

My friend bought a new house a couple of years ago and has been renovating it - she is doing an amazing job.

I have been in my house for over ten years now and have decided to move. It’s a bit dated so I am doing some renovations before I put it on the market.

The redecorating isn’t exactly my taste - I have gone less quirky then I would normally go. It’s a white gloss kitchen, And large concrete style floors Tile. I am replacing all the carpets with pale grey and painting my more colourful rooms either pale grey or white.

My own style will resurface in my new house. But this looks clean and modern and won’t offend anyone.

I sent some pictures to my friends no asked about progress, and my friend said ‘ohh, all looks very familiar, I suppose I should be flattered’.

We then met for a socially distanced walk and one lady was saying how well my house looked, and the other friend Said ‘I wish I hadn’t invited you round to see mine now, they are almost identical, even down to the navy art’

I laughed and said it was a fairly standard style - and she claimed the concert style floors where fairly unique and she spent ages researching them???

WTF. I was worried my house now looked too generic and a bit boring (which I of course didn’t say).

I am pretty sure I am right, but should I just let this go. I know she has been telling people I am copying her interior😂😂😂

If she was so unique then where did she have everything made? Because my guess is that dhe probably went to a shop where a lot of people go and chose the same stuff that a lot of people choose. Shops tend to buy in ehatevee sells.

My friend who works in property always advises to do as you have done before moving. Apparently it's not worth putting in top end stuff but a cheap new kitchen and bathroom and modern, clean, neutral decor helps it sell quickly and for a higher price. It means people can move in without spending more time and money decorating.

I've got a friend like this. Basically warned me not to copy her bathroom tiles... They were metro tiles, like every other bathroom being redone has. To be fair, I think sometimes people choose what's in the shops without realising its all over Pinterest etc and they think what they've chosen is really unique, when in fact it's a bestseller and probably at the front of the shop, nicely presented and that's why they were drawn to it.

Sounds like they're both the 2020 version of the 60s/70s anaglypta and magnolia, very commonly used by those lacking real flair.

@Leimarel

I didn't redecorate when I sold my last house, which was a good job because the buyer converted it into 3 flats, so the existing bathrooms and kitchen were ripped out and the house was reconfigured.

When looking at houses, I don't look at the existing decor, I look at how I could put my mark on it. So a house decorated in lime green, purple and orange with a turquoise bathroom and an astroturf garden wouldn't necessarily get the thumbs down.

I would prefer a house that needed redoing rather than paying top dollar for someone's cheap imitation of glossy magazine pictures which I will probably have to get redone within a couple of years.

@Leimarel

I didn't redecorate when I sold my last house, which was a good job because the buyer converted it into 3 flats, so the existing bathrooms and kitchen were ripped out and the house was reconfigured.

When looking at houses, I don't look at the existing decor, I look at how I could put my mark on it. So a house decorated in lime green, purple and orange with a turquoise bathroom and an astroturf garden wouldn't necessarily get the thumbs down.

Every market is different. I had cracked tiles is the kitchen, and the carpets were very old and stained. The kitchen also looked liked it needed ripped out, so by replacing the doors and work surfaces I have added about £10k to the value.

I took some advise about what to do to get a good price and a quick sale. I promise I’m not an idiot and I do understand my local market.

I am not spending a fortune but I am happy that I am doing the right thing for my own sPecific circumstances.

But that you all for the feedback😊😊

@Fairybatman

I’m a bit of a bitch so if anyone brought it up I’d tell them that I’d changed it for the most generic inoffensive style I could find in order to sell and the. I’d laugh.

Same here - BLAND SELLS because it

a) looks spacious

and

b) allows people envisage their own stuff in that de-personalised space

Ignore your friend's snitty comment. You aren't answerable to anyone else.

Whoever buys your house will put their own stamp on it. "Vanilla" lets them to mentally add their own "flavourings".

We did that in our last house, chose completely inoffensive colours of latte and cream as we had brown leather sofas because they were easy to wipe clean and our son had severe reflux and chucked up on everything. We knew we were selling so made it easy to sell. That was 11 years ago.

In this house we have embraced colour. It does make me laugh when people say you have copied me, I am assuming she didn't make anything by hand herself nor went to some local artisan crafts person to design and make all of her furniture etc.

When we bought this house the woman openly admitted that she had literally opened up the Next directory and chosen everything from a lounge they had set up, from the sofas to the table, the art work on the walls even the little ornaments, the curtains and the rug! She said she couldn't design for toffee and so she allowed Next to do it for her.

Re your friend, ridiculous behaviour, as she has been so rude to you I would point out that you removed all the individuality you put into your house and made it generic and inoffensive to sell it.

@BrummyMum1

I laughed and said it was a fairly standard style

I think you’ve offended her with this comment (if she spent ages agonising over her choices of finishes). Both of you have been a little cutting IMO but probably both unintentionally so.

I think I was taken aback, particularly about the white kitchen.

But may your right, I maybe shouldn’t have said it was standard.

My uncle is an estate agent and kept saying in that area you need to go with a high end but standard look. So suppose the standard was in my mind.

Oops maybe I came across a bit bitchy😳.

In fairness the tiles were probably gorgeous once however they are everywhere, you are certainly not following your friend.You are right, you are appealing to the masses who love grey. Rightmove is full of it and it is a great idea as the grey houses are selling but jeez to live in it, I can only imagine it's like living in a shroud.

I am actually buying A really old that needs a complete refurb. Very excited.

But my house is twenty years old - a new build for the area. Anything that’s comes on that is ‘done’ Creates a bidding war!

Even if you truly had copied her "original" decorative style (meaning that you'd done it intentionally and her style wasn't completely typical and ordinary), I'd find it rude that she felt the need to comment on it repeatedly. So strange!

Why does anyone care if someone's home looks similar to their own? Few if any will ever see both homes or notice, and I guarantee no-one else cares. It doesn't take away from your own enjoyment of your home if someone else's home looks the same.

Similarly, I've never understood why it's supposed to be such a big deal if someone else is wearing the same thing you're wearing. Some people are just weird.

...Though I should add that of course if someone is copying everything you do/buy/wear, that would be odd and unpleasant. The occasional overlapping of styles, though? Nobody else cares! People need to get over themselves.

She sounds odd. White gloss kitchens and grey carpets are very common. Tell her to bugger off.

@CoraPirbright

Sounds all pretty neutral and white/grey is v popular at the moment. Perhaps you should go on Pinterest and find tons of pics just like yours/hers (there will be millions) then send her the link “look!! All these bastards have copied you too”

LOL!

Just tell her the truth, you have downplayed the decorating to sell and in your new house will be going back to your normal style

And you are sorry she thinks you have copied her, you havent you have just followed advice in magazines to get a generic background to sell the house

I never look at decor when I am buying a house because I know I will want to put my own stamp on it. If there is ever any sign of grey it's getting removed!

I would tell her you were aiming for bland, non discript, blank canvas so the buyers can put their own style in.

What “navy art” is she referring to?

Taking this slightly off subject, but hey it’s my thread!

For all of you who hate hate hate grey (I actually don’t mind a bit of it), do you have nothing grey at all?

I am looking at a house I absolutely love the decor of, it has lovely pops of colour throughout and is really stylish without being on trend. But look closely and the kitchen is very pale grey, the downstairs loo is painted pale grey and the sofa is dove grey. There is a grey rug which looks amazing on the wooden floor. The dove grey sofa is gorgeous against pale pink walls.

Do you all honestly have nothing at all that is the colour grey in your homes?

Meh. tell her Grey is the new Magnolia - bloody well EVERYWERE

Cross posted with you OP

I have absolutely no grey anywhere in our home. I am hideously unfashionable but looking on the bright side I have zero fucks to give

@Fairybatman

I’m a bit of a bitch so if anyone brought it up I’d tell them that I’d changed it for the most generic inoffensive style I could find in order to sell and the. I’d laugh.

Same. Not a cats chance in hell would I grey up my house but if I was putting it up for sale I would as it seems that almost everyone is opting for grey and white and clearly it's for the decor for the masses.

OP, I liked the tiles.

Nope, nothing and I have just finished redoing the whole house, might as well as we are spending a lot more time in it.

I never had grey before it got fashionable, so it's never been much of an issue. I live in England which is mostly grey and miserable, so I would simply never had considered it before.

I actively avoid it now far too dated. I don't have any carpets either, absolutely hate them