Coldness to current interior design

I think this is why Escape To The Chateau is so popular. Angel's designs are as far from grey and clinical as possible. We went for a mainly Mediterranean look with plain cream walls, but I have a LOT of prints and paintings on the wall and colourful china in the kitchen.

GagaJo

It's quite possible to integrate them. I have a very clinical, minimalist home, but have 17th century & Victorian items of my granny's, as well as 60's/70's stuff of my mums. It's more about seeing the items, rather than having them drowned in a sea of other stuff.

I have an 18th century plate of my granny's on my bedroom wall. The plain white walls display the colours of the plate beautifully.

Not sure where you got the idea we're all drowning in stuff. We're talking about comfortable homes where the latest fashion in interior design doesn't trump everything else, or overrule personal taste and family memories.

Not sure where you got the idea we're all drowning in stuff. We're talking about comfortable homes where the latest fashion in interior design doesn't trump everything else, or overrule personal taste and family memories.

Agreed. The personal taste and family memories are the things that give a house 'personality' in by book.

Perhaps GagaJo takes Minimalism to its logical conclusion by having nothing in her home except her carefully curated family mementoes, so that other stuff doesn't get in the way of appreciating them.

Quote: Those kind of layers of connection and family memories to be missing from a lot of today's smart and chic homes. To me that makes them lacking in warmth and comfort.

Just making the point that this isn't necessarily the case. Those of us with clinical taste are quite capable of appreciating family heirlooms. It isn't an either / or situation. It can be a combination.

Granny's painting used to hang on the wall of a very traditional country cottage with old lady decor. Now it hangs on a white wall, 60s minimalist style. It reminds me of her and my childhood. I'd say that is a layer of connection that isn't exclusive to a traditional interior.

Oh my goodness, how I agree with you.
My house is full of colour, and I really dislike grey, it’s not really a colour in my opinion.
It seems every renovation now, has to have the massive kitchen, massive island, bifold doors, I just don’t like it, my friend pioneered this look before it became fashionable, and I didn’t like it then.

My home certainly isn’t to everyone’s taste, but it’s cosy, snug and colourful.

Pinkcosmos
Just looked at the link, probably a bit cluttered for my taste, but generally I like the look.
I have lots of crocheted throws and painted furniture, lovely

Mid century modern is my favourite look- string shelving, original Ercol or Danish furniture , neutral walls apart from a feature wall or two, midcentury colours - teal, grey, retro blue, mustard in soft furnishings, plenty of light.

Our house is very cluttered and I hate it but that's how it is. DH has told me to go ahead and redecorate if I'd like to but shifting the 'stuff' really puts me off. I don't like bland walls and furnishings and scour house magazines for ideas I know I will never put into practice - but it is a bit uplifting and perhaps in the future...........

That’s a bit sad, Athrawes, that you “hate” it. Maybe start with one room / one corner of one room - sort out ‘excess’ stuff and sell it / bin it / charity shop it?

I am in a new-build semi and it is as one might expect - including the grey kitchen. I have just brightened it up with lots reds, rugs, cushions and splashes of colour.

The upsides though are good: efficient heating and insulation, biodigester for waste, sound-proofed walls - and the views of the Welsh hills are spectacular!

I agree that the trend for shiny, grey minimalism is cold and basically horrid.

One of my DDs is in this mode; another the direct opposite with wooden and flagstone floors, beams and general cosy chaos; and the other is in between. Each to their own I guess.

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I bought lots of self build magazines to help us through building our new home. We didn’t want a box or rooms with lots of wasted space. I looked at interior design but only for kitchen layouts in open plan.

I moved to be with my new DH into his one room cottage 7 years ago. Kitchen, dining and living area all crammed into 24sqm. No walls. Bedroom is on a mezzanine level. It’s also our work place too.

In other houses, I’ve done separate rooms for everything. I’ve done patterned and plain wallpaper. I’ve done coloured painted walls, with paint effects on units on one occasion. I can’t say I hate that sort of interior design but I much prefer the togetherness of an open plan room with separate utility.

Our new sustainable, A++energy rated home (bungalow) has an open plan room with a vaulted ceiling similar to the cottage but the floorspace is twice the size. White walls, slate floor, pale grey, handleless gloss kitchen units and black matt quartz work tops. I see that as a positive for me - a blank canvas.

I love colour, glass and wood and am now bringing that into this open plan area. Amber and a few green tiles around the kitchen area, up to the oak shelving. Huge emerald green sofa. My DH’s old battered green leather recliner. Three of our favourite old pieces of oak furniture that almost match the dark wood window frames. I’m about to order a big traditional patterned rug for the living area. A big refurbished dining table now sits between the kitchen and living areas.

Some of my fused glass work will go on the north facing window sill. My DGD1 is creating a wall hanging with all the colours of the wood that surround us and I’m treating myself to two brightly coloured metal wall hangings done by a local artist, similar to the images.

Each to our own. Our additional ‘furnishings’ would be lost, surrounded by coloured or patterned walls and units.

Fashions change all the time, though I'm a bit stuck in the 70s. I always liked the Laura Ashley small floral designs with home-made touches, patchwork quits and embroidered tablecloths.

I find the modern extremely streamlined look rather cold and impersonal. When we were children we longed for the comfort of wall-to-wall carpeting instead of bare floorboards with the odd rug. Now it's all change.

Yes I remember a time when fitted carpets were a desirable must have.

I also remember a time when new builds were considered more desirable than period properties and were often more expensive. Now it's the other way around.

I do hate though, when someone buys an old property and rips out all the original features and makes the inside look like a luxury penthouse.

I love many mid-century pieces too vegansrock - I picked up two side tables in a charity shop a couple of years ago. Not in very good condition but some polish made the world of difference. I don't mind the odd scratch so long as it's not deep and obvious.

I like browing houses for sale websites. So many have grey or even dark decor and look thoroughly miserable.

I have to admit to having carpeted a couple of rooms in grey, but the walls are blue in one room and pink in the other (grandaughter's) both with white furniture.

What I really dislike are those striped carpets...

muse is that your glass work in the pictures? When I first saw the pics I thought they were some sort of material, absolutely beautiful. Love the colours. I would have those on my (white )walls!

My son and I went to view some new houses that had just been built in my town. Everything inside was coloured grey, from the cupboards to the walls and flooring, etc. He thought it all looked wonderful but I thought it looked most depressing. We saw the houses on a sunny day and
I thought how worse the insides might look on a dull day.

Months later he bought a house somewhere else, and yes, he and his girlfriend have picked grey as their dominant colour. Being a good mum I told them how wonderful it all looked.

I do rather like the muted rainbow striped carpet on a stairway though, I think it would be a good compromise between swirly& flowery and plain grey or cream. Saw a tartan one and quite liked it in a cosy living room as well.
I like Ercol and G- plan and similar to that style now, and rounded edges. Dislike sharp corners

I'm a big striped carpet fan Septimia
My current favourite is the Audrey range from Crucial Trading ? ... but not the grey/black one!

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These are all Crucial Trading except the last one which is Roger Oats.

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These are Crucial Trading (Audrey) too...

They're quite nice on a stairs, but would make me dizzy in a whole room.

I do think Carpets will make a comeback soon. They make a house feel so much cosier than bare boards.

I think you are right VintageJazz about carpets. I was going to choose a white oak floor for one of our sitting rooms (coastal theme) but went for a pebble coloured striped carpet in the end. It looks nice, but my mistake is I have a striped sofa and chair too!!

Those bold ones are nice NotSpaghetti, striking colours.

I know joseanne ?