Can you make a new build living room look period?

[Thurlow]

Contemplating making an offer on a relatively new build property, but conscious that it’s very different from everything else we’ve owned or liked. I can manage a very modern looking kitchen diner, and the bedrooms have much more scope for some funky painting or wallpaper to change their feel. However the living room is hugely not our taste - we’ve always had c.1900s houses with fireplaces and alcoves for bookshelves and wooden floors, the sort of thing that lends itself so bold, dark colours.

The rest of the house is perfect, especially the number of bedrooms, but I’m just worried I’d end up hating this living room. Is there anything we could do in this sort of property to make it feel more like “us”? It’s a terrace so no room for adding a fireplace. Any thoughts? Would it be too much for you to get over if you love period too?

I’m sure you could change the feel of the room with the right furniture, rugs, etc. Maybe even a fake fireplace. What I would miss though are the higher ceilings you get in older houses.

I think adding panelling would help with a more period feel but agree with pp the ceilings can’t be changed!

Inbuilt book cases, colour, wood burner.

I know. Panelling might help. I’m trying to be brutally practical as everything else about this house is exactly what we need and it’s a great amount of space for the price. It’s a private new build so not cramped in on a new build estate, and the layout still has some character. But the living room!

Maybe some good old navy walls to bring it in a bit, even a fireplace surround with a fake fire in. I’d be ok with it not really looking ‘period’ but I need more character than a long, thin white room…

I think the room proportions are all wrong and adding stuff like panelling just has the potential to look naff

The proportions aren’t great at all, too long and thin for my liking. But what’s one room out of so many? Gah.

Could you add a log burner at all? Even if it’s quite a contemporary one, it might create the feature that you’re looking for?

I would do square panelling painted a strong colour on the wall facing those lovely double doors so you see it from the hall.
That will add character without making it a Victorian pastiche.

In the absence of a fireplace, most people end up with a TV as the focal point.
We have a Frame TV over a nice unit, so it gives the impression of artwork rather than big black screen

I think adding half panelling could work, in a light colour. And a mantelpiece. You can get some really nice stone ones and fake log burners that actually look really decent. Much bigger ceiling lights too to add warmth and character. Heavy curtains, shutters too. It's a lovely room with lots of options!

I follow someone on Instagram called alicegraceinteriors and she has changed 2 new builds into looking like period homes.

You should check her out, lots of inspiration.

Elaborate ceiling decorations: is it called cornice? Those make a huge difference in the feel of the room.

Wallpaper, heavy curtains, big nice rug, the right furniture, it'll totally transform it

Maybe divide the long room into two spaces? With some large houseplants, open book shelves, antique screen etc.

Once you move in you’ll be so busy marvelling at the lack of draughts that you’ll forget all about it

We have a new build (it’s 18 years old now but we’re the only inhabitants) with a cotswold stone fireplace and gas powered ‘wood’ burner in which helps to make it cosier.

You could, but I would have to go for modern in could have strong colours and make it homely, but no ye oldey worldlyness, it will look terrible.
I love character properties, but I could still be very happy with a living room like this.

I think trying to do faux Victorian or Edwardian in a space with the wrong proportions is going to look naff, sorry – a faux chimney breast always looks wrong. What about adding interest in some other way: black crittal style doors instead of those white ones, reclaimed floors, exposed brick walls…? Something to lean into the long proportions, a warehouse vibe?

I know the pain, though! We can’t afford period and the rooms we need, but I hate new build aesthetics!

I'd go mid century. It's a long room, mid century furniture is often slimmer widthways and clean simple lines which won't throw the room out if you see what I mean.

But I appreciate you probably meant Victorian etc.

Take a look at Alicegraceinteriors on Instagram - her stories have a lot of detail on how she styled her new build.

I think it's worth thinking about what you like about period rooms and features. Could these aspects be created in the new room? But I think just trying to make it look 'old' will look naff. But things like rich colours and older style furniture could work.

@Mintine

You could, but I would have to go for modern in could have strong colours and make it homely, but no ye oldey worldlyness, it will look terrible. I love character properties, but I could still be very happy with a living room like this.

Absolutely agree with this. I would aim to make it an interesting modern room with colour, art, a sofa in a non-neutral shade, plants etc. Faking period features could just look a bit odd.

Trying to disguise or alter the era of a property is a bit of a style crime in my book. But there's absolutely no reason why a contemporary property can't showcase your collection of period belongings, I would just make sure it's pulled together in some way by material, colour (navy works as both contemporary and period), maybe swap lightswitches sockets etc to brushed brass.

Oh and yes to plants as obviously they're timeless

I'd go for scandi or mid century to give the room a definite 'look' with colour and style but without feeling fake. There are lots of ways you can improve massively on the existing bland decor without going for Victoriana.

A gallery wall with lots of pictures could be good.

@milian

Take a look at Alicegraceinteriors on Instagram - her stories have a lot of detail on how she styled her new build.

Great minds!

Agree putting in corn icing panelling etc to try to make it look something that it is not is the epitome of naff snd will not give you the result you want. Think you need to embrace your inner modernist/think of decorating it as you would in Scandinavia or Germany with clean lines, modern furniture, etc. Elle decoration not world of interiors.

I think you need to work with what you've got it it will look naff. I seem to be asked by lots of friends for interiors advice 😁 and that is the one thing that I'll always advise. Start with what you've got, assess what can / you are prepare to change and work from there. For example, if you have something like pvc windows / a dark coloured carpet / a sixties looking fireplace, that you aren't prepared or able to replace you will have to work around this.

Ignore the ceilings advice and the 'long thin room' advice as it's a red herring; I live in a Georgian house and we have normal sized ceilings and a long sitting room. Your issues with that room are the modern looking inside and outside doors and lack of period features. However you can still make a room look cosy even if it's modern so I would go with not fight against that.

The flooring, while modern-looking too, is lovely and potentially cosy. I would paint the room a dark colour, something like Vardo or downpipe by F&B. I would add lots of cosy lighting, probably retro style such as big arching floor lamps. Big squashy velvet (not crushed!!) sofas in bright contrasting shades to the walls such as blush pink, olive green, mustard. Bold velvet curtains too. Lots of cushions. But not matching furniture. Big armchairs. I would furnish with a mix of mid century ercol type furniture. Ebay is great. Big plants in a corner or two. On the walls, a big gold framed mirror from Graham and Green or somewhere similar. And pictures, again go big. Perhaps also a gallery wall.

You have a lot of space and light to play with and while this might all sound a bit of a mess when you see it written down I think once all spread out it'll work?