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

[Spicegirl1234]

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.
I very rarely come across such homes, the majority of the ones I see (in RL and online) tend to be very boring with no personality whatsoever and people mainly seem to be focussed on buying the biggest possible places with their money and then upgrading/extending etc rather than enjoying what they have and make it “theirs”.
Does anyone else feel this way about home decor?

Isn't it two separate things?
Surely 'soulless' is your interpretation of the minimalist, nothing much on show, no clutter, trend?

I very rarely come across such homes, the majority of the ones I see (in RL and online) tend to be very boring with no personality whatsoever

Well that's okay isn't it, because you don't have to live in them.

I'm not sure what your AiBU is here. Have your home how you like. Judging others for doing something different is a bit odd.

Our home seems quite sparse but I find I get sensory overload very quickly. Our home is somewhere that helps blot out the noise and constant bombardment that life gives us. On another note can I be F'd dusting and maintaining 'stuff'? Can I heck 🤣

Full of personality just sounds like full of shit and clutter everywhere. No thank you!

It's all very B&M haul tatted up. Bland. Copycats of whatever is on Instagram. I've seen so many homes that just look like they're copying Instagram it's depressing.

I couldn't imagine being so judgemental about someone else's home, it's baffling to me. Surely as long as the people who live there like it, that's all that matters?
My house isn't there to keep eyes busy. I find this take so odd

I agree with your personal view op - I love interior design and colour but that’s individual taste and you can’t argue with that.

What a judgey post. Whose homes are you seeing in real life that you judge like this. I’m sorry not everyone decorates to your personal taste and don’t keep your eyes busy. Really just inform them next time you’re rhe queen and to get it sorted.

on the other hand.

Come to my house. It is a semi-renovated Victorian wreck, and would fill the hearts of minimalist-minded Mners with horror, but it is full of books, paintings, Indian goddess carvings, bits of strange furniture from country auctions and house clearances, picture frames and linen from brocantes etc.

Different people have different styles and interests. Personality in a home is hugely subjective. Art is subjective. A white room and one piece of artwork with minimal furniture could say a million things to some and nothing to others.
You do you!

Whose homes are you also judging to not up to your standards. Post some pics of yours and we can all judge your fabulous style

Lots of people don’t have much imagination or confidence it’s why so many houses on instagram are the same and then copied in real life.

You'd like mine 😉 bookshelves with other stuff, my own paintings in the walls, musical instruments, fluffy blankets and cushions in bright colours, art stuff out on my painting table, the cat on the back of the sofa.

It's just how I live. I can't be any other way.

I have nice personal pictures up etc but cluttered surfaces and knickknacks make me feel stressed and if my bedroom is messy or cluttered it affects my sleep (I can get weird dreams where I think objects are creatures or people or other things 🙄) I think it might be a sensory overload thing too.
also much easier to clean if surfaces are clear

Or maybe they just like that style?

I think if it's homes you're looking at that have been 'neutralised' in order to sell, it can feel this way. My house is tiny, full of colour and pictures and items from my past. It makes it feel like home. But I'd definitely have to put everything in storage and 'greige' the place to ever sell it.

A lot for sale around here are so grey, like carpets, sofa, wallpaper etc. Every room.
I prefer each room to have a different colour and I realise that's my personal taste but I just look at them all on Rightmove and my first thought tends to be "nice house but I will would have to redecorate every room".

I have one of those boring houses. I genuinely couldn’t care less about decor or my home having personality. My home is warm, clean and practical and probably 90% furnished by IKEA. I would always value space over character. I do “enjoy” my home, whatever that means, but I don’t view it as an extension of my personality.

Frankly I’m very grateful we have a comfortable home. It seems immensely privileged to even have a decent home, much less the means to be travelling around the world picking up knick knacks in flea markets. Or the family to have family hierlooms. That’s just not reality for many people, surely.

I'm not sure I understand why this bothers you so much! Maybe I don't get out enough because I'm hardly ever in other people's homes; if I'm there, I'm visiting friends/relatives and not staring at the decor.

Lots of stuff makes me stressed. I like art of the walls. I'm fine with second hand furniture from different eras. But I am not into lots of objects everywhere in my home.

Obviously if that's how someone else wants their home and they achieve it, I am happy for them.

So your taste is different from others !

Thank goodness we all like different things or life would be interminably dull. 😀

No, I don’t think that’s true at all. I think there’s been an absolute explosion of interest in home decor and a lot of women, particularly, get really into their mood-boards and Pinterest pages and buying decorative items.

There is a strong trend for minimalism at the moment. It’s not my style but it works for lots of people. These things go in and out of fashion, it will change again. There are already signs of it on social media - people moving towards deep, moody greens and blues, lots more curated-looking objects etc. In another few years everyone’s houses will look like that.

I think having a strong, independent interior design style is quite difficult and not very common (just like a lot of people don’t have a strong sense of personal fashion style and tend to wear whatever is convenient, comfortable and smart).

I also like a home which shows personality and individuality but I recognise how easy it is for those things to just become disjointed clutter.

Whenever I see sales particulars for houses they often look very similar to one another and, to me, quite bland. But they’re usually also calm, organised, and easy to maintain. I can see why those things are attractive.

@Frasers Im sure some do, I think many think they like something simply because it’s popular.

I think some people have a knack for making a house into a home. Most don’t.

My late mother’s homes and gardens were always admired, from the large 6 bedroom house I grew up in to the two bedroom flat she bought after her divorce. The opposite was my best friend’s very wealthy parents’ house when I was growing up. It would probably cost £20 million today but was utterly soulless and children weren’t allowed in the living room except for special occasions.

I like to think my house it tasteful and homely, but doesn’t everyone?! The thing is that we all have different taste.

I think the most important thing is to make a home your own. Interior decorators do the polar opposite of that and generally create generic flashy homes, the opposite of homely.

But size does matter! You can redecorate a house easily. Increasing size (and especially room dimensions and ceiling heights) is far harder.