Estate agents and TV property shows tell homeowners all the time that there is little value in completely redecorating their house before putting it on the market, as the new residents will just want to ‘put their own stamp on it’.
Indeed, even homes with out-dated kitchens and wallpaper peeling off the walls have been left as they are, as homebuyers could actually be deterred from a polished house, as it robs them of their opportunity to redecorate it according to their personality.
Us Brits are so obsessed with designing our homes so our character can shine through, many of us would happily forgo the brand-new kitchen in favour of one that needs to be ripped out straight away.
In fact, interiors expert Giles Kime argues that no British designers have ever achieved success that parallels America’s Martha Stewart, as everyone is intent in doing interior design ‘their own way’.
“You only have to wander down any picket-fenced residential street in Massachusetts or Maine to realise that there’s a more conformist approach to homemaking in the USA than Britain, where we’re more likely to see it as a form of self-expression,” he wrote in Country Life.
While Brits love the idea of doing up their houses themselves, they do not like being told what to do. We might have fallen in love with grey walls, industrial-style lamps, and wood burners over the last few years, but we prefer to think we have stumbled upon these trends on Pinterest rather than someone dictating them to us.
Indeed, we fuel our interior design obsession by watching home improvement shows on TV or by trawling Instragram for inspiration from experts, or those who claim to be.
These may include celebrities who fancy themselves authorities in the field and love to show off remodels of their homes on their social media profiles.
Take supermodel Cindy Crawford for example, who launched herself into the interior design industry with her furniture business in 2015. Since then, she has expanded the line to include beds, dining chairs, and sofas.
Brad Pitt is also the owner of a furniture company, together with Frank Pollaro. The Pitt-Pollaro range of pieces is inspired by Art Deco designs, while having a distinctly modern look to them.
Ellen DeGeneres, while not having her own furniture business, has proved to be knowledgeable in property developing. Indeed, the actress-cum-presenter recently published a book called Home that featured the interiors of some of her properties. It even showed the Santa Barbara home she shares with wife Portia De Rossi, which was put on the market for a cool $45 million!
While you might not have the budget to fill your home with the furniture, fixtures and fittings to boost its value to the same extent, you can certainly add your own stamp on your house by carefully considering its interior design and choosing pieces that you fall in love with.
Not only will this certainly result in a home that reflects your personality, it will help turn your house into a safe and comfortable haven just for you.
For inspiration on bedroom wallpaper designs, take a look here.
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