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Original poster

Why are so many houses so similar?

367 replies

PoorOldCat · 22/02/2014 08:14

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 Smile

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

OP posts:
KarenBrockman · 22/02/2014 16:11

People's houses are bland because there are too many people judging and offering their opinion when not asked Grin

noddyholder · 22/02/2014 16:15

To you they are hideous to me beige is hideous Grin. You can have light and airy and stylish with things in it and character.

expatinscotland · 22/02/2014 16:15

So don't buy a house like that.

Bunbaker · 22/02/2014 16:18

Exactly KarenBrockman. There is a lot of sneering on here. We are all different. I am not arty, I have no vision or concept of how to "dress" a house, I loathe clutter and am not keen on shabby chic. When OH and I were first married all of our furniture except the bed and suite in the lounge were hand me downs or second hand - hideous dark wood mostly.

Now that I can afford to furnish my house with furniture to my taste I choose to go for light coloured furnishings with simple lines.

My walls are covered with original paintings BTW because both my grandmother and uncle were artistic. I also have several paintings by local artists.

noddyholder · 22/02/2014 16:26

Bunbaker your house sounds lovely Dressing a house is the problem I think. Its a notion dreamt up by tv people that bears no relation to how people really live and assumes everyone starts from scratch.

KarenBrockman · 22/02/2014 16:30

That is a good point Noddy.

I am going to start mixing cream with some grey and blue. I have seen that palate in Laura Ashley fabrics so can see it works.

Badvoc · 22/02/2014 16:34

Haha.
I have a feature wall and brown leather sofas :)
The sofas are leather due to ease of cleaning with the dc and the feature wall is because I like it. No other reason. I didn't buy the coordinating throw cushions or rug or other stuff that matched.
I don't like things to be too matchy personally.
Just getting some new carpet fitted - beige :)
And getting a new kitchen fitted - white with walnut worktop :)
I am sure they are both very naff from a home and gardens pov, but I like them.
Oh! And I have twigs and pebbly shut!

Original poster
PoorOldCat · 22/02/2014 16:44

I think my viewpoint is more perplexed and a bit disappointed than snooty.

I certainly don't judge people by their homes. I'm just judging the homes themselves and can't get why they are so often so similar.

The thing about original fireplaces and so on (if they are actually nice - and that's subjective) is that they were often created as a proper work of art. Proper craftsmanship, real beauty in the tiles that were painted by hand, you know, they are a work of art quite often.

Ripping one of those out of a house it was made for, with beautiful proportions and so on - it seems to me like pissing on a Picasso.

it's like painting over a Rembrandt in white emulsion.

That's what makes me sad.

The other issue about houses all looking the same is just that. Not a judgment on the owners, not a judgment on their character, or imagination, or worth - but on the way they have done their house to be an identikit of all the other houses in the street.

It seems bizarre to me, but then yes I do take pleasure in visual things, I'm a painter (not walls, portraits) and so it matters to me more than it probably matters to someone else.

But it just seems a bit of a shame to me when you have so many colours and styles just to go for something so similar to everyone else.

OP posts:
TheGreatHunt · 22/02/2014 16:45

If you go into your local carpet shop, you can only get beige carpet or laminate

Not in my local shops. There's plenty of choice!

Original poster
PoorOldCat · 22/02/2014 16:46

some of it is naff, some of it isn't, but the overall impression is 'Oh it's just like the other 15 houses I just looked at.'

And fwiw I was being tongue in cheek about being nosey. What I meant was interested. We are serious buyers. But I actually bypass all the ones that have been newly done up as actually, it would seem wrong to rip THAT out seeing as it was all just done.

It seems wasteful. And it isn't my taste I suppose so I would feel bad buying it then ripping it all out.

OP posts:
Bunbaker · 22/02/2014 16:47

Thank you noddy

Original poster
PoorOldCat · 22/02/2014 16:48

Also if you can't stand original features, why buy a house with them only to take them and put them on a skip?

Why not leave them in place for someone who really appreciates them to buy along with the house?

There are so many modern houses with none of that to worry about.

Back to the painting over a Rembrandt thing I suppose.

OP posts:
VeryStressedMum · 22/02/2014 16:51

I think that if you judge the house that I have decorated then you probably are judging me on my taste.

Varya · 22/02/2014 16:51

Mine is homely note fashionable, not been decorated, no leather sofas but it has an open fire and lovely picture rails plus a long garden leading to a stream. There will not be another house like this within miles!

Bunbaker · 22/02/2014 16:52

"Also if you can't stand original features, why buy a house with them only to take them and put them on a skip?"

Location, location, location

The hideous features that we removed from our last house weren't original, but everything else about the house ticked the right boxes. Also, we couldn't sell out previous house so the owner took ours in part ex.

We did actually keep the original features as the house was about 200 years old and part of the charm was its character. We just removed some of the 1970s additions.

Original poster
PoorOldCat · 22/02/2014 16:53

Judging your house doesn't mean judging you. Maybe your taste - but if it's yours then be proud of it.

I think many people would judge my house as particularly dreadful, but I don't care because I like it.

And I wouldn't want to be changing it because I was told it wasn't fashionable.

OP posts:
Bunbaker · 22/02/2014 16:54

I'm not in the least bit fashionable. That is why I can't buy any carpet right now Grin

Original poster
PoorOldCat · 22/02/2014 16:54

Bun Grin

OP posts:
LoveIsTheDrug · 22/02/2014 16:55

Interiors are such personal thing.

I dislike a lot of things that are currently in style and I'm sure that a lot of people would feel that my taste was a bit pedestrian, safe and/or traditional (though not beige). You probably wouldn't find my taste on the pages of LivingEtc, but generally the things in my house are of a good quality (there's the odd bit of temporary, mediocre furniture waiting to be replaced when I find the 'perfect' thing).

Live with what you like! not with what you think will sell if/when you decide to flog it.

trixymalixy · 22/02/2014 16:58

Totally agree with you about original features. If you want a modern box then buy a modern box, don't destroy something that other people would appreciate. It can't be put back particularly easily.

trixymalixy · 22/02/2014 16:59

In fact I still sob when I pass my old house where they removed the original Victorian stained glass and replaced it with UPVC. It was lovely, all bluebells and swallows.

I bet they're warmer, but I bet that have also wiped thousands off the value of the house. It's practically criminal IMO.

alemci · 22/02/2014 17:01

our 50s house had hideous crittle windows, give me upvc anyday, 70s swirly carpet, brown and green kitchen, stone fireplace with dodgy gas fire, sun king bathroom,

so sad they have all been replaced.

Badvoc · 22/02/2014 17:01

Ideally, I would love an Art Deco house/apartment.
I have 2 young dc and no money...ain't gonna happen :(
I shall watch poirot and wallow instead :)

Original poster
PoorOldCat · 22/02/2014 17:06

Hugs Trixy

That's gutting. Hope they at least sold the glass to someone who could reuse it.

Houses are built cheaply these days, no love or care goes into them, they are just boxes.

In the old days (probably until about the 50s really) they were built with a lot of love and grace and craftsmanship.

I don't feel so sad about someone ripping out original features if no one took the time to make them beautiful in the first instance.

OP posts:
KarenBrockman · 22/02/2014 17:07

You know what I can't find is a decent light fitting for my living room, I want to update as I don't like the dust trap crystals. Lighting seems very stuck right now. I keep finding dangling crystals lighting that I already have or JC/spaceship style.