Infusing character into a new home
Buyers of new homes can imprint their own personalities on their living spaces with thought and care.
Like the idea of a new build but don’t want it to look like a show home? Moving into a brand new home is an exciting prospect, but sometimes a new build can feel a little plain and soulless – particularly compared to a house with decades, or even more than 100 years, of history.
But it is possible to add character to brand new homes.
This is the time to be clever with furniture choices and accessories. Art, family heirlooms, soft furnishings and stand-out pieces of furniture collected over time – all add personality to your new space.
At the design and build stage
If you’re fortunate enough to be involved with in the building process of your home, take the opportunity to incorporate classic features into the space during the design stage.
Architectural elements such as panelling, cabinetry and tongue and groove bring character along with them and break up more modern expanses of glass, gib and (often) concrete.
Designers stress the importance of paying attention to flooring when renovating or building a new home. Pay homage to the classic Kiwi villa by choosing timber flooring as it will stand the test of time, while also looking more up-to-date than carpet. Reclaimed timber adds even more character.
Layering is key
Designers agree that the three most important layers to consider when attempting to bring life and personality to your home are colour, contrast and texture.
When designing a space, it’s recommended to choose a signature piece – for example, a piece of art, fabric or wallpaper that you absolutely love and layer up your look from there.
Adding contrast to the space brings interest. So mix rough with smooth, old with new, dark with light, before finally adding texture – through the use of lots of fabrics to soften hard surfaces.
Pulling it all together
When styling your space, it’s important to have a clean design vision from the start. Strip a room back to its bare elements and then add pieces one at a time.
Designers often start with a floor rug big enough to ‘‘ground’’ the furniture, then add furniture and lastly the pieces that are more personal to the owner. The pieces that have been collected over time, that are family heirlooms or in some other way tell a story about the owners are the things that really bring a house to life.
Area rugs are a great piece of decor to define a large open plan room, while also adding colour, interest and texture to a space. Most designers recommend pushing the budget to its limit here, as rugs can really be an anchor piece and set the tone for a whole room.
Look for places you can add interesting light fixtures, and lamps to add ambience. Create focal points using art or interesting vignettes – photos and books are an easy way to add character to a space. Opt for classic wallpaper to create an additional point of interest.
Struggling to find the perfect pieces to add to your home? Don’t rush it.
Take time to find pieces you love and will have forever. By doing so, the character of your home will reflect the character of the people living in it.