Ideas for making a house a home
01 December 2024
Originally published in January 2024, refreshed and republished with new content in December 2024.
Few things are as exciting as securing a brand-new home – especially when it’s something you’ve been dreaming of for a while. But once the buying process is underway and completion day draws near, your thoughts might naturally turn to how you will want your new pad to look.
One of the reasons for choosing Places for People is that you know you’re buying a home finished to an exceptional standard. However, it’s still nice to put your own stamp on things, so that your new build house or apartment feels more like a home. With moving costs to consider too, it’s good to know there are plenty of personal touches you can add without blowing your budget.
But what makes a house a home? In this article, we explore some simple, affordable new home ideas to add character and visual appeal to your dream new home.
In this section:
- Introduce colours and textures
- Embrace plants and natural materials
- Add interest to interior walls
- Be sustainable with furnishings
- Experiment with lighting
- Choose items unique to you
Introduce colours and textures
The great thing about new-build properties is that they tend to come with a neutral finish. If you’re happy with your home’s clean, fresh look – and you’re not desperate to get out the paint roller – then great. But if you’re keen to create more of a cosy feel, adding a dash of colour is an easy way to warm things up.
Painting a feature wall makes a bold statement and can really transform your space, helping to add dimension to smaller rooms and accentuate larger areas, especially within an open-plan layout. But if a spot of DIY doesn’t appeal, there are other ways to inject colour without reaching for the paint, like opting for colourful furniture and accessories or bold pieces of artwork.
Mixing and matching textures for cushions, rugs, bed linen and throws is another effective and inexpensive way to add character to your new home. Switch between fabrics such as satin, velvet, linen and faux fur – the more variety, the better! You could even mix and match materials like metal, wood and glass for your furnishings as well.
Embrace plants and natural materials
You’ll be surprised at the power of nature to enhance the look and feel of your home. Indoor plants not only look good, but the extra oxygen they produce can even help lower stress levels! Place them in your living space, bedroom or even your bathroom for an extra calming effect.
At our developments, we design and build homes with private gardens and balconies so you can personalise your outside space as well. Otherwise, a few well-placed pots of seasonal colour at the entrance to your home – or a stylish door wreath – will add instant kerb appeal.
Incorporating natural materials is another way to create an effortlessly stylish look within your new home. Accessories such as rattan baskets, a wooden tray or a jute rug can all help to make interiors feel more homely – without breaking the bank.
Add interest to interior walls
Overlaying with colours and textures isn’t the only way to liven up your walls, especially given an interesting piece of wall art is often seen as the most powerful accessory to a room.
Luckily, artwork has become increasingly accessible in recent years and it’s easier than ever to choose things to buy that create a statement for your home. It’s no longer about spending eye-watering amounts on a well-known artist but finding pieces that resonate with you and your loved ones, which look good in your home.
Alternatively, why not hang some picture shelves and adorn them with beautiful, inexpensive pieces from the high street or unique charity shop finds? Shelving also doubles up as additional storage but if you’re buying a PfP home you’ll discover you have more than enough storage for your everyday needs, so you’re free to choose style over function!
Be sustainable with furnishings
Just because you’re buying a brand-new home doesn’t mean all your furnishings also need to be new. In fact, mixing things up with some vintage pieces can look really effective in a new build as well as being kinder to the planet – and your bank balance!
Look online or browse local antique shops and flea markets for original, pre-owned furniture that will make a real statement in your new pad. Depending on the condition, you could even have a go at giving your bargains a new lease of life by repainting and reupholstering worn-out items to add a personal touch.
When you choose PfP, you’re buying an energy-efficient home that’s designed and built to sustainable environmental standards so why not approach your décor in the same way? Our homes also feature generous room sizes – ideal for accommodating a larger, vintage find!
Experiment with lighting
Lighting is a key element in making a house a home. As well as being functional to help with tasks such as reading or preparing food, it also helps to create a comfortable atmosphere.
In a new build, you can expect rooms to be well-lit and – like PfP's homes – benefit from energy-efficient lighting to help you save on energy and running costs. But you shouldn’t rely on overhead lighting alone. To give your home a softer feel and brighten up areas that need it, try ‘layering’ lighting through a mix of floor lamps, table lamps, wall sconces and pendant lights.
You don’t have to spend a fortune either – revitalising existing or pre-loved lamps with inexpensive shades is one of several new home ideas to create a statement and add character to your home.
Choose items unique to you
When decorating your new home, it’s an opportunity to create a dream space with personal touches that reflect your own unique tastes. So, for minimum outlay and maximum effect aim to fill it with the things you love or feel a connection to – think a gallery wall of family photos or a vase filled with treasured pebbles and shells.
One way to achieve a distinctive look within your new home is to source furniture and accessories with a local connection, such as a pew from a former nearby church or a seascape if you’re relocating to the coast. Whatever you choose, it should be something that brings you joy.
If you’re buying with PfP and you reserve early enough, you may also have the option to personalise your home further, by selecting your preferred kitchen, bathroom and flooring.*
We hope these ideas help you in making a house a home and if you’ve yet to discover your perfect pad then why not explore our developments? Thanks to our range of buying options – and our award-winning Customer Service ensuring all the support you need – you could be planning your dream move before you know it...
*Development dependent. Terms and conditions apply.