If your house is "nice" inside how did you get it that way

[Designless]

Do you know lots of good workmen, did you get lucky calling them in, are you really good at stuff yourself?

I've only ever lived with chaotic stuff that's in various states of disrepair. If I get a new kitchen the hall needs plastering and the bathroom is falling apart and it's an endless cycle. I've never lived somewhere that's just all nice and fresh.

Teach me your ways!!!

A previous house of ours had a twenty year old kitchen that was dated, but in lovely condition. I think quality fittings and looking after things goes a really long way.

Money!

Our first house was a new build, and that definitely made keeping it looking nice easy. Our current house is a bit older, but still had things like skimmed walls and ceilings when we moved in, so I would say the house being in a decent state when you move in is a massive help! Other than that, keeping the house as clutter free as possible, putting up photos/art work to help personalise without having to spend out on fully decorating.

With the bigger jobs, I would say being strategic about what you do and when you do it. Money is definitely a big factor here. Would also say don't rush into doing things that don't need doing. Wait and think about what you want, how it fits in with the rest of the house. I don't think you need to have all the rooms looking identical, but there should be some kind of flow between them, or common thread, which I think makes it look more 'finished'.

Nothing is ever nice and fresh unless you gut a house back to brick and do everything as a full time job... even then it stays 'nice' maybe 3 months if your lucky.

We did a renovation from July to October, we already have issues.

The new plaster has hairline cracks where the radiators are from heat and contracting, salting has occurred on the chimney breast, part of the new carpet has frayed by a door opening, our walls have scuffs and finger marks from the kids, the cat hooked his nail scratched the wallpaper when stretching etc... all because we actually live here and use stuff every single day and these are effects of everyday life, its not a show home.

No pets
no kids
keep on top of repairs
keep on top of cleaning schedule
keep clutter to a minimum
spend your time earning a bit extra to pay a decent trade rather than do bodged diy
plan carefully , take time choosing something that will work for you and look nice
get good quality items that look quality, feel quality and last , less is always more
work on the worst areas first if you can
divide the property into manageable projects that can be tackled one at a time so you feel you have achieved something

Something I forgot to say when I posted earlier is that when you get your eye in and start recognising where the fabrics, fittings etc come from in all those H&G shoots, and add up the cost, it is eye-watering. I kept seeing a ceiling lantern I liked and when I put it through Google Lens it was from Vaughan and it was about 5 grand. Add the rest and you are looking at tens of thousands for one room. Here’s an example. In the attached photo, the wallpaper (from Soane) is £1040 a roll. The blurb says the client “saw it and just had to have it”.

I think what I am saying is that comparison is the thief of joy. Some of these houses have had hundreds of thousands lavished on them just on fittings, furniture and soft furnishings. That’s why they look so amazing. And any designer’s house will have been kitted out with all that stuff with a hefty discount, or even free because it’s the result of some collaboration. Don’t compare your house unfavourably to them because unless you are a multi millionaire you will end up unhappy.

We do everything ourselves pretty much. Try You Tube. Keeps the cost down.

We always buy top quality so it lasts, our lounge carpet was a wedding present 30 years ago, and still looks great (Axminster with Scotchguard treatment, always comes up well after a Vax) I do extend the life of walls (paint only is SO much easier than wallpaper) etc with a good sugar soap clean (we have dogs) every now and then. I would say the critical things are everything has a home - so put it away immediately it's done, clear decks look so much more up together than untidy. Repair anything as soon as it needs it, and little things like coasters for mugs/wine glasses, touch up any paint or chips - we've a nasty chip out of a work top edge, I've filled it and matched the paint so only I know it's there, also spot clean any stains as soon as they appear (those darned dogs again) etc.

This

For chips on the kickboard, simply colour match paint from a DIY shop as best you can - mix 2 shades if you need to, or paint in wood grain to match. Use a fine paintbrush, you don't have to be too neat and tidy because who is going to get their eye down to kickboard level to check?

Worked hard to achieve very high salaries and then paid decent tradesmen to do all the work.

DH and I have no interest in doing any DIY ourselves. We’ve never owned a drill or a paintbrush!

I found a handy man who worked to a very high standard for me - he said other people didn't want to pay extra - it did the work for me like he was doing it in his own house. Dh did the tiling - took forever but he did a better job than the tiler we paid for. I also did a lot myself, for some stuff we called in the professionals. We still had disasters (mostly with so called professionals) and things not working properly but after 3 years I think we've made it into a nice house

I was going to suggest getting an Air Fryer to stop the mess 😀

Just because there's a kick board, doesn't mean it has to be kicked. Stop whoever is damaging the place.

Yes regular handyman is our saving grace. Coming next Tuesday and will fit a kitchen drawer to replace one that DD broke, paint a patch of ceiling where new ensuite leaked, silicon around some bits that the floor guy missed when he did the kitchen, if time will likely put up some mirrors and hooks etc.. My dad did all this growing up. My DH’s parents did nothing to their house since moving in in 1974. So he won’t do it, but will pay, although he thinks it is a fuss and better tot let things break/leak and then fix. I do not so I organise all this. Also car services, dental and optician appointments etc. on same principle.
I swear by keeping a log of good tradesmen. Ensuite leaked when we used builder’s tiler and not our guy. We are redoing the family bathroom and know that we will use our own reliable plumber, tiler, electrician, painter and plasterer. Most of them “poached” from previous projects or from neighbours recommending them.
Oh and I have a cleaner. I keep surfaces clear practically all the time and wipe surfaces etc.. but find that once I have done dog walk, laundry, tidying, cooking from scratch and actual paid work, I don’t have time nor inclination to clean. We are out most of the weekend ferrying kids around and I find actually that is the messiest time of the week as the inclination is to come in and sling down muddy kit, empty snack boxes etc.. but I am fighting to get everyone to tidy them away as they get home. Means critical stuff isn’t lost or mouldy and house stays looking nice.
I will study this thread in case there is a magic solution! Will say that when I lived abroad and had a live in helper and onsite handyman, all this was much much easier!

Yes we have really focused on built in storage - in an Edwardian terrace. It has been a good discipline as now I will only buy stuff if it will fit in an existing cupboard. And all looks sleek. We are all about the white walls and lots of different levels of lighting (heights and also brightnesses) and then lots of plants and nice rugs/curtains. I only like white seersucker bedding but kids have gone bright.

But this would just be you trying to avoid doing the upkeep, you need to accept that there is maintenence to do and set time and money aside to do it.
It would be a lot less hassle and cost than moving every 5 years.

It’s great isn’t it, I’ve found it’s really built some personality into our home which isn’t easy with a new build!

A very capable husband and money.

I just think even if I spent all my time and money on it it would never all be simultaneously nice

Yes personality is a nice way of framing it, you are right. We have backlit floor to ceiling bookshelves which are useful but also a really pretty feature. Carpenter spent ages making them look nice- he had real arguments with me about aesthetics. He knew best and I now tend to do what he suggests with other projects!

Don’t bother then 🤷🏻‍♀️

Are you getting things to a decent quality - because a kitchen or bathroom should stay nice for 15 to 20 years

once walls are plastered that should be it - a fresh lick of paint

Just keep going OP & try to enjoy it (you may as well as not!)
It helps to change up thinking from- OMG I don't know where to start to-
What little thing can I do this week to push it on a bit . Every time you do something you are nearer than you were . Oh and ALWAYS clean up/tidy tools etc as waking up to mess is very unmotivating (I've tested this so you don't have to

I think cheap kitchens and bathrooms can often be a false economy

All our walls are white. Easy to touch up. Bright and fresh looking

Ruthless decluttering

This. This is why I’m not clear on what the OP means by ‘nice’. Unless, like my in-laws, she thinks you’re supposed to keep changing things (they paint the entire house, inside and out, every two years, in the same colour), and keep changing furniture because they buy things that are the wrong size for the room, and it’s always uncomfortable and never quite works.

My dad and 3 brothers are trades men so I just got very lucky. Thank god they all dropped out of school at 16 and did that instead of getting a degree in IR like useless little me.

To also give myself credit, I do the painting decorating ect. I know how to hang wallpaper and do all of that stuff I am very thankful that I’ve got family to do the heavy lifting/ boring jobs / scary jobs.