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Original poster

Can a minimalist house like this be made homely?

49 replies

RedPumpkin · 21/05/2016 12:28

I'm going to try to get help posting a link in a minute, but basically my dilemma is this: there is a property near me that we love from the outside and it has a lovely feel from outside and has a pretty setting. However, I'm a homebody and my ideal home would be all cosy and farmhousey in decor. For various reasons, this house ticks lots of boxes, but the inside is not at all to my taste.

Are there any small changes one could make to a house like this? It might seem silly but I'm imagining Xmas time and an ultra contemporary tree, which wouldn't be homely at all to me.

Any thoughts? Or is it a lost cause??

OP posts:
MrPony · 21/05/2016 12:29

Think we would have to see it first.

Original poster
RedPumpkin · 21/05/2016 12:30

www.rightmove.co.uk/new-homes-for-sale/property-59039093.html

This is it. Can anyone help me do a link, please?

OP posts:
Original poster
RedPumpkin · 21/05/2016 12:30

You're too quick for me mr!

OP posts:
Somerville · 21/05/2016 12:34

Repainting the bright white would make it instantly more homey.

Not sure f you could get rid of the open-plan, if you dislike that.

Original poster
RedPumpkin · 21/05/2016 12:35

Ooh iPhone actually made a link all by itself. Who knew I could do that??

OP posts:
mishmash1979 · 21/05/2016 12:38

Can I just say that it is close to my perfect house externally; about 100% more than my budget though!!! Inside I can understand what you mean but I personally think it's stunning and my hubbie loves it as he loves minimalist and I love country style do its a perfect compromise. You are a lucky lady to be making this decision!

Sandbagsandgladrags · 21/05/2016 12:44

Agree that repainting it would help, and you could have a big scrubbed wooden dining table etc. Perhaps some large art prints and rugs that you love would help create the mood you want. In all honesty though I think it's clearly a modern, contemporary house and I think there's a danger that it all starts to look a bit forced if you try to make it look lots more traditional. I work suggest thinking about what you could do to make it feel like 'yours' whilst recognising that to an extent the house is what it is...

knittedslippersx2 · 21/05/2016 12:45

You could 'homely' that up quite easily. Lamps, rugs, throws, cushions, curtains - jobs a gooden! A warmer colour on the walls. It's bloomin' lovely by the way!

LittleCandle · 21/05/2016 12:45

I would get rid of the open plan and painting it in warmer colours would help. It is lovely - I didn't look at the price, though.

mishmash1979 · 21/05/2016 12:49

Just noticed the wood burner; would definitely replace that!

SliceOfLime · 21/05/2016 12:54

I think replacing the flooring would make a huge difference (expensive though) - I love red quarry tiles and oak floors, they would both work with the interior and would change the look hugely. Cosy rug over wooden floor. You could replace the kitchen work surfaces with wooden ones.

Think carefully about the price though and how much you'd be able to sell for - with a property like this you're paying for the interior finish too (it's not a fixer-upper!) so as long as you're ok with possibly not getting back what you paid plus the decorating costs, if you see what I mean.

SliceOfLime · 21/05/2016 12:55

And probably replace kitchen cupboard doors too (not the carcasses just the doors)

SliceOfLime · 21/05/2016 12:58

you could also replace internal doors... Probably best to live in it for a bit before deciding what to do - you might find that there are things you like about it hat you weren't expecting.

HarrietVane99 · 21/05/2016 13:04

I agree, more colour would make it look warmer and more homely. A rack of mugs on the kitchen worktop, big cushions on the sofa, plants or flowers in big bright coloured pots, patterned bedding. Perhaps a couple of screens to separate the living areas and give a more cosy feel. And I expect you'll have bookcases, maybe photos on display, which will help to give a more friendly vibe.

Wuffleflump · 21/05/2016 13:07

I'm sure you could do something with it, but I do think it's a shame! It has been designed to look like that.

Imagine the reverse, with someone who wanted to move into an ultra-modern house but settled for a old cottage and then gutted it.

If you make major changes to flooring etc I wonder if it will make it harder to sell: there is a market for that style, but if you turn it into a half-way house you're restricting yourself to people who will compromise like you, or be willing to change it back, and might want a discount to account for it.

BreakfastAtSquiffanys · 21/05/2016 13:13

it's a lovely house. I'm not into the farmhouse look but am still fairly traditional. However I think if I bought a house like this,i could get converted to ultra modern!

You could soften it a bit with use of colour, but if you put full length floral curtains and a wooden kitchen in, it might all look a bit wrong.

Bolingbroke · 21/05/2016 13:19

Once you get your stuff in and general clutter/family things about the place it will instantly look warmer I think. Then you could add curtains/rugs here and there or some art on the walls.

Original poster
RedPumpkin · 21/05/2016 13:20

Thanks so much, everyone. Ive read all your replies and will now do so again in more depth. It's hard to acknowledge individual posters on my phone as it's such a small screen but I'm grateful to you all, but special thanks to mishmash for her kind words.

Lots of good suggestions. Changing the flooring to wood would be the most obvious improvement for me.

Any thoughts on the bathrooms?

They are a lost cause, I suspect. It'd be very wasteful to replace someone else's taste in the bathrooms.

I suppose part of my issue with this type of house is that any personal possessions on display just would look wrong.

Maybe I should've said in my OP, 'how can I make this house look slightly rustic'?

It's funny that one poster said I would risk making the house a bit half and half style wise. However, I think the builder already did that as the outside looks more rustic than the inside to me.

OP posts:
Sidge · 21/05/2016 13:27

If you want cosy and farmhousey that would be the wrong house to buy - it doesn't now and never will have that "look" IMO.

It's a contemporary house so would look strange with beams, chintz and lots of pine or wood.

You could certainly soften it and make it more homely with colour - soft furnishings, bedding, lamps, lighting, curtains, cushions, artwork, flowers, crockery and nick-nacks.

I love it, but then that's the style I like - sort of clean, fresh, modern lines with contemporary bathrooms and kitchen. My idea of hell is exposed brickwork, beams, Victoriana and wood everywhere Grin

bibbitybobbityyhat · 21/05/2016 13:31

I can understand why you are doubtful, op. I think it is quite a task to make all those huge open spaces feel cosy. I honestly feel it is a house which has been designed to look the way it does, and in many ways it would be a shame to change it.

MyLlamasGoneBananas · 21/05/2016 13:31

It looks like it does vis no one is actually living in it. It's been done as a blank canvas to sell. Move in with all your shite and it will look like a nice normal home not a cold dress piece which is what it does look.like to me right now.
A few colours on the walls here and there with your own stuff will transform it.

Gatekeeper · 21/05/2016 13:34

it would look good with a Scandinavian country look as this is still homely married with clean lines. Lots of wood, red checks etc etc

have a look here for ideas on how it could work

Original poster
RedPumpkin · 21/05/2016 13:41

Thanks again, folks. When I say farmhouse is my offered style, I probably mean rustic contemporary farmhouse.. More farrow and ball than chintz! Certainly not floral! Now the Swedish style thing would be a guilty pleasure, as would shabby chic, but dh ( and I) would find that a bit too twee to actually go for.

OP posts:
Kidnapped · 21/05/2016 13:47

In general, I do like the house (particularly the outside and the setting of it) and I think you could do a lot with even just a little bit of colour.

I am with you on the bathrooms. Too many, don't like the pictures of them and would be wasteful to change them. So you'd be stuck with them. Bloody hell, the developers like grey don't they?

Not sure if the bedroom sizes incorporate the ensuites. If so, the third bedroom would be small and the fourth would be absolutely tiny.

Looks like you park a little bit away from the house. Would that be a problem if you are carting loads of shopping into the house, particularly if those bags then have to go upstairs into the kitchen?

RaisingSteam · 21/05/2016 14:02

Art on walls
Furniture with character even if it is modern style using cosy fabrics and textures
A bit of well chosen colour
I agree try to introduce some natural wood and texture. They have gone a bit OTT with the limestone.