How do you give your house soul?

[JudgeRulesNutterButter]

We live in a new build, only been here a short while so still in the period where we aren’t supposed to paint yet and frankly can’t afford to replace carpets. Consequently everything is cream.

The house is fairly boxy - I love it, don’t get me wrong, but it doesn’t have interesting nooks and crannies.

How do I make our house feel more like a home, with things in it people will comment on/admire? How do I give it some personality?

Light fittings make a world of difference. Don't be afraid to go big & bold even ifvthe ceilings aren't so tall. House plants, art on the walls. Throws, cushions, rugs. Choose pieces you love, don't choose to impress others or be on trend.

And take your time, it's your home, you'll grow into it & find out what works for you!

Books!

Okay, may not work for everyone, but we move around quite a lot and the first thing we do in a new place is put the shelves up in the living room and fill them with books and records. Then it feels like home!

We are in a similar house and it's slowly been getting more homely over the years. Lights definitely make a big difference - lamps with soft lighting in the corners and oversized lampshades etc. Lots of pictures on walls, shelves with plants and nice rugs. The other thing is furniture - try to source some older, more interesting pieces maybe from charity shops then upcycle them with chalk paint. Too much ikea adds to the boxy effect

Art work - bright and bold or meaningful to you (holiday photos if you are a good photographer), lots of texture - not necessarily matching; we have red and gold velvet throws and tartan blankets, patterned rugs, old books etc etc.

Spread your own stuff around. Not necessarily stuff from interiors shops; things like your Granny's vase, your childhood traction engine model, those nice stones you picked up on a beach in France. We have quite a few daft family snapshots dotted around too.

Cream carpets drive me bonkers. I'd put down big plush rugs to cover most of it up. Not the cheapest solution but has been quite effective IME.

Another good one is the smell. Boiling ground coffee in a saucepan on the stovetop gets rid of all manner of smells and fills the air with a nice smell of home.

My house doesn’t have nooks and crannies even though it’s quite old. However I have Ashmesn book cases from Oka. Full of books. Curtains and blinds that add character. Cushions and throws and rugs. Lovely large table lamps and layers of lighting to add ambience as well as task lighting. Don’t forget mirrors and artwork.

Ashmolean bookcases!!

Spread your own stuff around. Not necessarily stuff from interiors shops; things like your Granny's vase, your childhood traction engine model, those nice stones you picked up on a beach in France.

This. Things that reflect you, who you are, your life.

Lighting and textiles make all the difference. You take them if you move and easily change them if they don't work.
No overhead lights on except when essential. Couple of table lamps, one standard lamp in the living room.
Good rug with decent colours/pattern that you like. Doesn't have to be expensive but of a decent size.
Generous curtains. Plenty of inexpensive fabric is better than mean amounts of expensive stuff.
Choose your colour scheme around one item that you love.

Cosy throws and cushions in different textures. And candles, scented ones particularly. I have favourites that I burnt at our old house and they helped the new house smell "familiar" when we first moved.

Avoid the glinty, staged, matchy, matchy, show home look of new shiny modern furniture all bought in one season - in two shades and an "accent" colour.

Get some lived-in bits of furniture of different vintages - so that it looks like the home has grown with you organically, mix it up a bit - add items that have a personal story and a history - from family, from travels. Def textures, textiles, plants and lighting.

Hmm we are lacking in history in the house so that may be the problem. Plants we can do, pictures and art is getting there, but we are generally quite minimalist and don’t tend to pick up trinkets and things. We’ll have to work on that.

Thank you all for replies