Easy Ways to Add Character to Your Home

Warning. Today’s post is controversial. Today’s post may mean you have to take a hard look at your home and change something. Yes, you might need to actually stop for a second, step away from that ‘farmhouse’ pitcher you were about to buy and consider DOING something, rather than bringing more stuff into your house. Which is why I’m going to share with you a few easy ways to add character to your home. Of course, some of them are not easy and they may cost money. But you can do this.

So, What is Character?

Some homes are filled with architectural details that instantly make them charming. From the moment you step onto the front porch, there’s a sense of individuality, comfort and welcome. The house itself might be a wreck (like ours was) but there’s something about it that makes you want to stay.

But what if your home isn’t like that? Many of us live in standard, modern homes and some of the designs were definitely NOT built with character and charm in mind. Many homes have had the character completely stripped in a ‘modernisation’ process.

Character is defined as ‘the particular combination of qualities in place that makes a home different from others. These qualities are interesting, unusual and unique.’

Character is an overall feeling produced by a house, architects say, a combination of emotional and physiological responses to the surroundings. In short, it’s what makes a house feel like home. It’s the little details that are built into or added to the house that make the home unique. The age of the home is not what gives it character (though that can help). Details are the important part.

So, How do You Add Charm to Your Home?

If the character is in the details, we need to have details in our home. I’m sorry to burst the bubble of those of you who have every surface in your home filled to the brim with collections. Details DO NOT MEAN CLUTTER. For the details to sing, you need to give them space to be seen. They need to shine. You need to draw attention to them in some way.

So, if your home lacks details one of the first ways you can add charm is to bring detail in.

Adding period mouldings to a seventies house is not a good way to introduce character. It’s like the people who modernised parts of our farmhouse by creating arches that were popular at the time. The details you add should be in keeping with the period of your home. 70’s character might not be your style but if you replace the details that were stripped away your home will repay you. If your house already has details, find the ones you love and enhance them.

How to Replace or Enhance the Character

The key here is to pick and choose. You want to enhance the character not make your house so overwhelming people need sunglasses when they visit.

• Replace the door knobs. Many houses have had original knobs taken out and newer, less pretty ones added. Change them for door knobs that reflect the age of the home. If you like the knobs but hate the colour, paint them!
• Put up cornice or moulding or replace door trims and skirtings. Make sure it’s in keeping with the period of your home. Character is not all about putting stacks of ‘farmhouse’ into an 80’s house. Likewise you don’t HAVE to put ugly bubble glass back in because it’s original to your home. Find period details you love

• Change your lights. This is one where you have a little bit of licence. Lights of different eras can create a real statement in themselves. We have 70’s pendants in our 1895 hallway. They’re totally unexpected and add a modern twist to the antiques in the space.
• Think about a WOW in each room. Just one (or maybe two if the room is big) What will make your guests go ‘wow’ in a good way. Is it your mantle? A piece of furniture you’ve upcycled and painted a bold colour? Maybe you have a grand mirror or a collection in a display cabinet that draws the eye in?
• Add or expose your timber floors (if timber is your thing). Nothing says charm and warmth like a timber floor.

Character You Can Create in a Weekend

Does not come in a box from a big shop!

• Paint brickwork or leave it exposed rather than covering it with plasterboard. This adds texture and depth to the room. Of course, this assumes it’s nicely shaped brick. Painting toilet breeze blocks will help but it’s not going to add a lot of character.
• Try timber feature walls. Board and batten or vertical timber panelling are quick and easy. They’re on trend, but as with other details, please consider if they are right for your home. Vertical panelling to create a coastal update might not be right for your home, even if you love the look.

• Paint your cabinets. If your kitchen is bland, give it a lift with some paint on the cabinets.
• Personal items. Think a piece collected on your travels, a baby’s outfit framed on a wall or a hat handed down from your grandmother. All these pieces tell the story of you and your family. They are individual and cannot be recreated in someone else’s home.

• Create a vignette of 3-5 items on your coffee table or kitchen bench
• Make your windows a statement with fabulous patterned curtains or blinds.
• Put up wallpaper or stencil a wall to create a wallpaper look.

• Display quirky items or handmade art. When buying art prints, look for things you love, not a generic piece you get at Target. Source them online and get them custom framed. It will cost more but the end result will be individual to you and your home.