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?

people lead such different lives, surely if you’re in someone’s home you already know them? Unless you’re a tradesperson going round judging folks on their decor and thinking they are going to kill you.

how very odd.

The references to rightmove suggest that many people are making these judgements about properties when they are looking to buy, which is fair enough?

I often look on RM and despair at the number of period properties that have been cleared of all period features and filled with identikit cream and beige ‘luxe’ interiors. There are 18th century Scottish castles decorated in much the same style as Marriott hotels. You would never guess that you were in an historic building

I like and admire a lot of different styles, even the very "clean" ones. I cannot keep a house orderly like that and I admire it in other people.

My house would be your dream. Lots of mismatched furniture which nevertheless works together, dark academia style mixed with steampunk elements in the rooms I have completed (not many tbf), bookshelves overflowing because I'm building up my personal library and rarely ever get rid of any books I own. I am even painting a mural on one wall, just because. Some people will absolutely hate my house, but I really like it and those who have visited have been positive about it (or had the sense to be polite as they wouldn't be reinvited otherwise).

I do have an awful lot of clutter and it can be hard to keep on top of that, but it is mainly due to my creative mind, so I have a lot of craft materials and DIY stuff everywhere you look.

And it is partially down to lack of money, because I do everything myself. I just don't have the money to pay other people to do it for me. So it has character, but that character is mine, so to speak.

I was referring to artesan pieces and locally produced crafts, not junk you buy in the souvenir shops, btw.

@Bigearringsbigsmile

It could be an interesting discussion if people can stop being offended

let me fix that for you.

It could be an interesting discussion if people can stop being offensive

@Spicegirl1234

i suggest, if you want your 'eyes to be busy* you buy a book or stay home. It's not anyone else's duty to 'entertain you'.

Those locally produced crafts and artisan pieces are usually mass produced, believe me the beautiful wood craved pieces that you think are a one off, they have another 100 waiting for the next tourist to buy.

I don’t know anybody who can afford to buy a big house tbh.
I know some people who put a lot of effort into how their home looks and lots who don’t.
When I moved into my house a few years ago, I just kept all the decoration the way the previous owners had it. I haven’t had the money or energy to do anything with it. But if I did, I wouldn’t go for second hand stuff or anything chintzy looking (even though I used to like that kind of aesthetic when I was younger). I would just paint it some nice colours and buy a load of stuff from ikea. I’m not that bothered by what my house looks like or says about me or anything like that.

Yep, same! Having too much "stuff" cluttering up the place would make me feel the exact opposite of homely and relaxed. But I accept that other people feel differently and so live and let live and all that 😬

I agree OP.
So much grey on Right Move, grey carpets, walls, kitchens and tiles.
Then the "Bath", "Clean" and "Live, Love, Laugh" wall 'art'.
It all looks so cold and not tranquil at all.

Does it matter what other people live in so long as you love your own house?

There's a fine line between tasteful knick knacks and clutter! Stuff I chose is the former - stuff my husband and kids have filled the house with, is the latter !

I'd love to have a flair for design and to use colour to create a beautiful environment, but I don't have it, so I stick to neutral colours, pictures that make me happy and fairy lights mainly, to create a comfortable (to me) home.

I do agree that a lot of big, modern houses can look soul less - esp if you watch programmes like Grand Designs, where nearly everyone wants to live in an aircraft hangar or the kitchen extensions (with the ubiquitous island) looks like a shipping container! Does no one worry about flies in their kitchen when they all get huge bifold doors?

Furniture, paintings and ornaments brought from ‘travels’ you see it on here all the time but how do the logistics work? You can’t bring a Moroccan chest back on the plane, if you are back packing you can’t shove an oil painting in your ruck sack, on a driving holiday you won’t have room in your car to bring back that French Armoire from the French flea market, I don’t imagine there are many people who ship furniture back from their holidays at all yet on Mumsnet it’s so commonplace, funny that.

Apparently the op on her globe trotting is picking up locally produced crafts and artisan pieces and shipping them home. To fill her wonderous home that will keep your eyes busy .

😄

She just has an opinion, no need to get into a tizzy

@Spicegirl1234 one persons "artisan" prices is another persons junk.

I find it is hard to tread the line between "has soul" and "has a poltergeist" tbh

Read between the lines.

I'm pretty sure TK Maxx sell all that 'artisan' stuff anyway - no need to ship it back from India or wherever!

Deco is personal but it’s understandable people go for size when they’ve got a family to house even if the architecture is bland, a beautiful two bedroom 300 year old cottage is no good for a family of five.

I very rarely come across such homes

Does this not tell you something OP?

The fact most people dont have homes like this would rather indicate that its because they dont like them.

Crazy notion I know, but oddly, not everyone wants their eyes to be "busy". I would clearly hate living in your "busy eyes" home- I prefer my eyes to be restful and relaxed.

I don't go in for having loads of impractical stuff. We have a couple of large pictures from a uk place that has sentimental value to us. We don't have a lot of ornaments, they'd just get knocked over by cats or covered in dust and i don't see the point.

I don't really need to display trinkets from travels in some slightly showy offy way as if desperate to inspire a conversation about Thailand etc but then "Travel" isn't really my thing. I love a good holiday but can't stand people who yak on enthusiastically about all their travelling and "don't you just feel at home in cambodia" and all that.

You'd love our house. It ain't 'stylish', but it's 'us'.

Ps i also do not want "busy eyes". In fact its the last thing i want.

it is mainly due to my creative mind, so I have a lot of craft materials and DIY stuff everywhere you look.

Its possible to be creative without being messy. This just sounds messy.