As we’ve seen before, a new build home is no reason to live without the character and aesthetic delights of a period property. With clever additions, you can create a space that has personality and style without requiring structural changes to your house. From creating focal points to harnessing the beauty of nature, there are many ways to add personality to a new build home, here’s 10:

Buying a new build home can be a convenient way of having all the modern day conveniences all set up and ready for you upon arrival. But with these conveniences come some downsides, primarily the lack of character and personality, with new builds often bundled together in a housing estate on the fringes of a town or city. This is a common complaint. Though new build homes are energy efficient, freshly built, and usually in pristine condition; they tend to be more of a blank canvas – instead of bursting with quirky features the way a traditional home on the shores of the Lake District might be.

There are many homes for sale today that combine some of the rustic charms of a traditional property with modern features. Homes like this are being built more and more in desirable rural areas such as Clitheroe in the heart of the English countryside. Yet for some people, buying a new build property can feel bland, rather than thinking of it as an opportunity to get creative. Here are some tips to help you add some individuality to your new home without breaking the bank:

1. Create a snug corner

When your home is a blank canvas, the first thing you’ll be keen to do is to make it more homely. This can be achieved easily with cosy, plush fabrics, cushions, throws and rugs along with soft lighting. This ‘snug’ approach can quickly make a space feel warmer and more inviting and has been known to produce similar psychological effects of a baby cocooned in the womb. 

2. Fresh flowers

Whether they’re attention-grabbing bouquets or tiny vases of wildflowers, fresh flowers are a proven way to add character and warmth to an environment. Well arranged bunches are key to improving the look and feel of a room – an approach used by interior designers and estate agents alike. Fresh flowers add a feeling of optimism, affluence and vibrancy to your home in a way that tends to lift the spirits with their fragrance and bursts of colour. Moreover, they break up an otherwise neutral room by injecting sparks of colour whilst remaining elegant and understated.

3. Soft lighting 

Ambient lighting is key to ensuring that your home feels cosy and relaxing. Table lamps are an excellent way of adding ambience, whilst looking classic and purposeful. If you’re looking for a fun approach fairy lights, sometimes known as string lights, are a great option. Then, of course, there are candles that provide a low lit, romantic feel as well as warmth, and are available in an array of styles and scents. Be careful, however, if you choose to use candles, ensuring you never leave a burning candle unattended.

4. Music

There’s nothing more personal than your own unique music tastes. Music is very atmospheric and has the ability to transform the atmosphere of a room, it can set the right mood and reflect your unique personality. But you can also use music as a stylistic element, whether it’s a retro vinyl player or a brand new sound system, these can create focal points in a room, especially if you pair them with relevant wall art such as classic album covers displayed in frames.

5. Pets

Is there anything as satisfying as cuddling up to your fluffy pooch or cat at the end of a long day? Not only are pets wonderful companions, they are also proven to be an asset to owners’ healths. Just stroking a cat can help reduce stress levels, and playing with a dog aids mental health. Having a pet to take care of improves life satisfaction and creates that all important feeling of ‘home’. Remember, however, that pets are a long-term commitment and can be a costly addition to the family, but a worthy investment all the same.

6. Create some art

Artwork makes any room look better, whether it has been chosen to tie-in with the theme of a room or used as a focal point, art work can really add the personality a decor craves. Why not add even more personality by getting creative and making your own? Simply and cheaply you can add a huge amount of character to your home even if you’re creatively challenged. Create your own artwork with any number of home-hold utensils, such as using a box of wax crayons, a pre-stretched canvas, and a hairdryer – simply point the hairdryer at the crayons and let them melt over the canvas. Afterwards, spray with hair lacquer and you’ll  have created some unique, colourful and cheap artwork to hang in your new home.  This one’s particularly good if each member of your family make their own, and then hang them as a collection.

7. Indoor plants

In a different vein to fresh flowers, indoor plants provide an all year round injection of life and vibrancy to your home. Whether you choose to have a wall mounted garden or something more bohemian like  an old set of wooden ladders with plants flowing down – plants are a great way to bring life into your property.

Then, there are the health benefits several studies found patients in hospitals surrounded by flowers or that have a view of a garden are more likely to recover than those not in the presence of plants or flowers. In a more day-to-day sense, plants within the home contribute to a feeling of wellbeing, affluence, and optimism. Plants are also a great way to resolve air pollution not only if you live in a city, or by a busy road, but also from indoor pollution such as air fresheners and candles – plants absorb these harmful chemicals and emit oxygen; cleansing the air you breathe.

8. Make a statement

Solid saturated blocks of colour in the form of rugs, wall hangings, or curtains certainly make a statement. A current trend for interior professionals is to liven up an otherwise neutral space with rich, saturated colours, that are either positioned on the floor or hung on the wall to create a gallery-styled look.

9. Play with textures

If you love walking on the beach, you might want to consider picking up some driftwood on your travels and adding it to your property – whether you choose to get creative and make furniture or driftwood frames or simply use it as a mantel dressing, the natural wood will bring in a sense of personality and story to your home. In this sense, you have memories attached to artefacts within your home which will add a lot of personality.

10. Photos

Having photos of yourself, your family and your friends will make a big difference in terms of adding personality to your new build property.  The key point is that you want your home to feel like a home, and in a new build property you sometimes need to make a little extra effort for it to feel that way. Adding a collection of photos can certainly add to a sense of warm personality and homeliness within a new build property.

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