How many times do you decorate/ change decor?

[ItsFridayIminLoveJS]

When watching the soaps ... l always wonder why loads of the houses haven't been decorated for years.. ( yes l know it's soaps and not real life) but even so .. you would think they would change things around..
Some of the houses are very modern and some haven't changed for 20 plus years.
On average l change mine every three years.. especially living room .. my bedroom and dining room.
New colours... add new pictures .. curtains/ cushions/ throws/ bedding etc.
Rugs/ plants etc.

Only when it needs it. Most of the house has been done once in 20 years.

I’ve repainted nearly every room since moving in about three years ago. One more to do and other than that on a constant cycle of touching up as the kids make marks. I don’t plan on changing colours now I’ve got it how I want it, but might change the kids’ rooms more often as they get older and request different looks. I enjoy the painting but work and life gets in the way, otherwise I’d have it all looking perfect by now (or so I tell myself). It will be lovely when the kids can be left to entertain themselves a few hours and I can get on and paint, but that is probably still five years away.

Decorate possibly every 10-15 years, generally if we have to do so, eg when the children grow out of a certain life phase (like toddler to older child).

On a related note, I read this really interesting article a few months back about the rise of all the cheap homeware stuff that can be bought everywhere now, or items that are seasonal eg autumn or Easter decorations.

I personally steer clear as none if it seems designed to last and this fast consumerism isn’t great really: www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/feb/15/how-fast-homewares-became-the-new-fast-fashion

god i’d hate to redecorate every three years! my house is just how i like it - why would i want to change it? Obviously I add things here and there, but fundamentally it’s full of my artwork and plants and personal treasures, it’s a reflection of me. Each to their own but I just don’t get it!

I’ve lived in my house for eight years and it is just starting to look a bit shabby so it does need redecorating. I can’t face doing the whole house so I am going to do one room a year!

We repaint about every seven years. Sofas/chairs are recovered, probably about every 10 years. I have never replaced curtains, have them cleaned when we redecorate. Curtains are punishingly expensive.

MIL and FIL decorated their house just before DH was born. In 1961!

I was renting before so didn’t really do much redecorating. I am true believer of buying furniture that lasts. So I don’t think I will be doing a lot of redecorating. That said, I am obsessed about crisp sharp walls. So I might be painting my flat every other year.

I couldn’t imagine how boring that would be. I’m just not that invested. It’s my sanctuary but also my springboard for trips, outings and adventures and I’d far rather be doing that than faffing around with cushions and prepping

I have a neighbour who redecorates every 6 months ! She’s got so many layers of paint it acts as insulation 🙄

Bedroom 2 - redecorated earlier this year
Bathroom - 2 years ago
Kitchen - 5 years ago
Bedroom 3 - 20 years ago
Rest of house - sometime last century

About every 5 years. Bathrooms/kitchen longer. But a repaint job or fresh accessories, cushions, art etc, it could be every 2 years

Thanks for the link to recycled paint OP! I had no idea it was a thing, I don’t know why I’ve never thought to look into it.

Not often but that said I really like whet I've chosen - the only areas that are painted regularly are the hall/landing - white but the pictures etc are all pretty much where they've ever been eg my dining room is red and white and has been painted once in 20 odd years and has one large picture in it that I love and don't plan to change anytime soon - the sideboard has a collection of candles and a champagne cooler on it and battery lights artistically draped around and I guess the candles move a bit and I change the lights etc but otherwise that's it. My garden though - the planting there had changed a lot in 20 odd years .

One big project a year.
2022 All windows replaced
2023 New kitchen
2024 Hall stairs and landing
This year Facias
Next year Patio

It's not even that we can't afford more really. Just that each project takes planning and then two weeks or so of tradesmen in and out which I find just too draining to want to do it more often.

I'd say every 10 to 20 years is normal but from my experience plenty of people don't at all or do it once after they move in and then lack motivation to do it again. Every 10 years would keep things up to date without being excessive.

We're just doing things as we can afford and have time so, by the time we're finished this first round, the first thing we did (the fireplace) will probably need replacing!

How wasteful. There's no need to decorate so often! If it's falling apart then fix it. We can't take these things when we're gone!

I love doing up my house but don't have a schedule; it's more like a constant hobby. That said, I'm a single parent, getting old and quite disabled, so not doing as much repainting as I once did. Five years in this house, have painted each of the kids bedrooms and the bathroom twice, everything else once. I repaint when I get excited about a new colour.

I do change furniture quite frequently - everything (except mattresses) comes second hand and gets given to someone else when its time is up. I make cushions, lampshades and wall hangings from textile remnants. This has always been a necessity but became a preference - I love being able to change things without worrying about landfill or feeling that I've wasted money. I also enjoy the creative challenge.

I have loads of vintage oil paintings, and they stay. I do think that if you swap your art out every few years you're not buying the art that you really love. But each to their own! People walk into my house and either love it or hate it; we should all decorate for ourselves, not for the neighbours.

I'm a great believer in the Patsy Stone quote 'One should never be the oldest thing in one's house' and like that the things I choose to decorate my house with have been built up over time and have meaning to them. I have hand-me-down furniture that I loved as a child, paintings by family members (including long dead ones) and ornaments that belonged to older generations alongside things I've been given or bought over the years.

We've been in our house seven years and we still use curtains and cushions that we had in our last house, I like them and they fit so why wouldn't I? And we've not yet redecorated every room in this house. But I'd only ever repaint, have a declutter and 'shop my home' to freshen things up, once a room was 'done' the first time.

Influencers seem to redecorate all the time but that's their job and not something to be emulated. 22 million pieces of furniture are thrown away annually in the UK, with the majority going to landfill. Don't add to that.

I replace things when they wear out. At that point in time, I can make a different style choice.

Your kids will be gone and your partner will have wasted every year decorating time that they could have spent with the children. ‘Not your fault’ as you said but such a waste of life. Kids grow up and leave but at least the house will look beautiful!? I don’t get it. I would have hated my childhood if that happened every year. Those weeks your partner takes off work could be spent as a family. Never get that time back. We are currently having work done and it’s a nightmare but was years overdue but the times we should have done it we chose family first as now left home.
We went on holiday instead of having a perfect house. Our children talk about the holidays all the time.
We have neighbours that do stuff to their house constantly. They have changed outside about four times! They have kids and I feel sorry for them. Definitely a case of keep up with the Jones but we gave up a long time ago. As long as everything working safe and comfortable that’s what is most important.

We've been here 16 years. Changed cushions and things once. Painted each room maybe 3 times.

Redoing everything every 3 years is really wasteful.

I think you've misread @dontcomeatme there , @Lighteye

I emulsion if it looks grotty. Every five years or so, sometimes longer.

Thank you! @Palsaq

It's my parents that do this not me. Sorry huge misunderstanding there! @Lighteye

we've been here 13 years.
decorated each room in the first 2 years.
Colour schemes are still the same but the paint has been touched up where needed
Hall landing and stairs that is pretty much every 2 years, due to heavy wear and tear, but same colour.
Kids bedrooms were done for them as little kids, then again as pre- teens and then again as older teens, to accommodate their growing up and taste changes.

I love my living room, love the curtains and colours, no where near ready to change it.
Same with our bedroom.

I did have to change dining room as the curtains went mouldy at the bottom and faded, but new curtains and colours are very similar.

BUT our carpet it the same as when we moved in and I would give my right arm to replace the whole house with a hard wearing neutral. I hate it!