Why Your Home Lacks Character

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We can’t all have period properties from the Edwardian or Victorian eras. There wouldn’t be enough homes to go around. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t work with what we’ve got and add a bit of character to spice up our living quarters.

Here are some of the reasons your home lacks character and what you can do about it.

You Left The Kitchen Spot Lights In Place

Recessed spot lights built into the ceiling have been a favorite of home designers for the last twenty years or so. But despite their chic appeal and minimalist appearance, they’re draining homes of their character left, right and center.

To really add a bit of character to your home, you have to do it the old fashioned way - with chandeliers. And we’re not just talking about chandeliers in the living room or the entryway. We’re talking about chandeliers everywhere, including the downstairs washroom. Chandeliers have an uncanny ability to lift an entire room and make something that once seemed sparse, open and full of light.

You Bought A New Build And Left Everything Beige

If there’s one thing that home builders know, it’s how to appeal to the widest audience possible. And while their strategy might be effective for shifting homes, owners rarely get what they want. Beige homes are boring homes, and almost by definition, lack the character that people seek.

If you want a new build, but not the beige, instead of buying from a home building company, look into designing and building a new home so you can get all the character you want, right from the start.

Hiring a contractor for interior house painting will help get you solve the problem of a lack of character in your home. Many Victorian homes had moody paint jobs, focusing on darker colors like sapphire and crimson. Other period homes have an airy feel, enjoying pinks and light blues. Which you choose is up to you, but whatever you do, make sure you get rid of the beige.

You’ve Got Awkward Spaces In Your Home

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Every home has an awkward space which doesn’t quite seem to have a purpose. Perhaps there’s an area near your back door between the kitchen and the garden which is just empty. Maybe you’ve got a large communal room with a corner that doesn’t have anything in it. Whatever your situation, awkward spaces are an opportunity to generate character and to create something a little out of the ordinary.

The current trend is towards converting these spaces into “nooks” - places for retiring from the main body of the home, having a cup of tea and a good read. But you can make empty corners into anything, even storage areas for your favorite memorabilia.

You Don’t Use Wooden Displays

Pine dressers might be out of fashion, but they were a staple of homes in the past. Wives needed somewhere to store all their crockery and dry foodstuffs, and the pine dresser was the perfect solution. Even today in period homes, many still retain the original pine dresser as a kind of pantry substitute.

Use your pine dresser for storing sugar, tea, biscuits, herbs and spices, grains, nuts, and seeds. Pine dressers’ airy, recessed shelves can also help make rooms seem bigger.