Why are so many houses so similar?

[PoorOldCat]

I get updates from rightmove every day and I think about 90% of the houses have really similar interiors.

Everyone seems to have laminate floor, brown leather sofas, the ubiquitous 'feature wall' in some awful oversized floral pattern, steel and black framed things and huge tellys. And the kitchens and bathrooms all seem to be the P shaped shower bath and the varying shades of beige tiles.

I don't understand why, it's like looking at a display in B&Q over and over again. It's so ugly. But most of all it's so dull.

Do people like this stuff or is it just fashion, which no one really likes aside from the fact it makes your house look identical to other people's?

Finding a house to be proper nosey at, that has some sort of identity of its own is hard work.

I'm not sure what I'm trying to do or why it pisses me off so much, and I certainly don't want to offend anyone who does like their house this way...all the agents seem to say these are beautifully presented and will be very popular, so maybe it is just me who hates it, in which case, I'll take the flack

But why is it so popular to have your house like this? Because I just don't understand.

We had furniture like that in our first house. It was hideous.

Excuse me! My furniture is not hideous. It's proper antique well, some of it.

We have a lot of inherited furniture as well senua, I'm sure some people would think it was hideous, but it has memories of family life with great grandparents, grandparents and parents.

We love it!

The thing is OP that if you want a house that is 80+ years old it is very likely that at some stage someone has been faced with having to change something on a tight budget to make it more comfortable to live in. Its not always as extreme as an 80 year old person with disabilities but its not exactly rare for there to have been someone living in a house an unable to afford all their central heating to waft up a chimney.

Houses are for living in, not preserving the fashions of the decade they were built in. If it works for you that's good, but if not then change it. Especially houses that have hundreds of thousands of near-clones.

I see Adams fireplaces a lot in houses they aren't supposed to be in! They are lovely in teh right setting though

OP you say you don't like modern beige interiors that are very popular at the moment and you don't understand why people find them appealing. What do you think should appeal to people (whether you have it or not)?

I personally don't have any beige in my house but I can't say I am surprised that other people do. People like neutrals both in interiors and in clothes etc. Also, most people are relatively skint and their aspirations are mostly to have something new and functional when they replace big ticket items like kitchens and bathrooms.

Personally I like these houses though I think they certainly wouldn't appeal to lots of people-- when I see houses on Rightmove I like I keep a copy of them as inspiration.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-42937129.html
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-41371897.html
www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/detailMatching.html?prop=32885689&sale=47907464&country=england

Noddy I had to google "adams fireplace" to me, that's just a fire surround.

What am I missing?

I like those, Londongirl. Very much.

It isn't about what I think is nicer, or what most people think is nicer though.

It's about it being the same in so many houses. Not the style itself but how ubiquitous many elements of it seem to be.

That's the question - and I think to be fair it's been pretty much answered in a combination of telly programmes, what B&Q and Next have on their shelves, and an idea that things need to be bland and neutral to appeal to the biggest proportion of potential buyers.

The one in Stoke is lovely isn't it.

Minesapint - that's true and I understand what you are saying.

Things have to fit a lifestyle. I wish people wouldn't just copy what they are told by big business that they ought to like though, whether or not they actually like it.

I think that's what I feel strongly about.

Things are never going to be 'perfect', and neither should they be.

I love those houses you posted, LondonGirl83, thanks for he links which I've bookmarked too for inspiration.

I always love homes were people are taking a risk and expressing themselves. However, I get why many people don't: its time consuming to source things that aren't available on the high street. Also, people tend to like what they are exposed to most. My husband is a great example of this. A really cool modern timber-clad building was developed near us in East Dulwich. Initially he hated it but after seeing it over and over again on our walks around the area he's grown to actually really love it. And he actually has pretty broad tastes naturally. Most people initially don't like things they aren't used to seeing and they see modern beige interiors a lot :)

I like those houses as well. What I like about them is that they look light and airy, probably because they are painted white. I don't like some of the furnishings, but that is just personal taste.

I don't love all the furnishings either though I like some of them. What I really use as inspiration is the general composition-- balance of the size of furniture, mix of colours, interesting contrasts etc. There is a great book for that if you are into interiors called The Iconic Interior: 1900 to Present. By looking at a series of famous and popular interiors over more than 100 years it transcends specific fads and you can really start to understand what makes a room interesting and well balanced. Regardless of specific furniture or period, I realised that there are certain rooms I just am drawn to because the balance of these elements is right for my own personal preferences.

Oh I know Dulwich a bit. It's got some lovely architecture though I haven't been there recently.

My friends had a flat there, once.

good points london girl and pints of tea.

houses have to be functional and what is affordable and practical.

WHat do you think to the kelly hoppen style interiors?

I really hate Kelly hoppen althoughnsevhas made an amazing business out of beige and tacky accessories so good luck to her but it's very footballers wives loose women they seemto love it. It is te tkmaxx of interiors ad a formula

I liked the first house.

I've saved a huge amount of money on sofas and chairs by buying fancy brands second hand on ebay, or in an auction ( including a really old one for £10 in blue velvet) or by buying a good brand for pennies and having it stripped and recovered.

Noddy, do you have a pinterest board? I'd really love to see some of your interiors.

I have a pinterest and have nothing on it! Have never had time but my sister has been on my case so am going to upload this next week or 2 I have so many photos!

Excellent, pm me when you do and I'll stalk follow you!

I filmed with Kelly hoppen years ago. Her home (at that time) was beautful, and not beige at all... Her favourite colour is taupe (or it was). She had a gigantic Buddha in her living room window. It was incredible - had bits of gold still on it. But it was very, very clinical because it was so, so neat. Mind you we were filming it and if anyone pointed a large camera in my house it would be bloody immaculate too. The cushions were just so and arranged in sizes, three on every seat cushion. There was even an artistic display of limes and artichokes in the kitchen which didn't look wanky. She had interesting ideas and I have remembered some of them (don't line up everything to match on a windowsill/mantelpiece - make interesting groups of things instead. That one does make things look more designed and less matchy macthy) my favourite of her ideas was to have a scent journey as you go through the house and I actually do that in my own home. She had a lot of very beautiful furniture (and shoes, I peeked in her closet)

I have furniture from where I've lived in other countries and stuff that reminds me if my wacky seventies childhood. I'm well aware my home isn't to everyone's taste but I'm happy it's unique for me. It's not safe in any way - I do love a bit of a risk and I like things I can't find anywhere else. I once got some incredible lime driade chairs on ebay for a song as someone listed them badly, same with my white seventies dining table. I think the problem is that there's so little real choice in your usual furniture places: the ubiquitous brown leather, statement cushion etc. Even colours go in cycles in mainstream shops and you're buggered if you want acid yellow or purple when it's not in that season's scheme.

I draw the line at magnolia paint. It's almost a non colour. It sucks the life out of a room. They should ban it.

I do think we will look back and say, 'Remember the 2010-15s, when everyone painted everything grey? Yes, it was horrible, like prison walls, what were we thinking?'

londongirl- love the rodwell rd house!

But have you SEEN all the different greys? Amazing tonal range. From almost black to aubergine grey to navy grey to a kind of mauve grey, dove grey....

Ain't no prisons painted like my hall...