I’m struggling to explain this but my place looks “fine” on paper. It’s clean, neutral, and put together… yet it feels lifeless. Almost like a waiting room or a staged apartment.
There’s nothing obviously wrong, but it doesn’t feel warm or personal. I keep scrolling Pinterest and saving ideas, but then I freeze because I don’t want to buy the wrong thing.
Has anyone else felt this?
What actually made your space finally feel like home instead of a showroom?
by slynchwcu
38 Comments
I keep wondering if it’s because nothing really feels like mine yet. Everything is neutral and “safe,” but there’s no focal point or story. It feels finished but not personal. What was the one thing that made your place finally feel like you lived there?
Art! And I don’t mean random art from a shop that is bought because its “needed” because that will have the same vibe of being “impersonal”like a waiting room with random art. Wait it out and look for art that you enjoy and add that to the space. Don’t rush it and then when you find pieces you like it will feel personal.
It doesn’t feel personal because you didn’t personalize it. Get some items just because you like them, and for no other reason. Build around that.
See that color of the turquoise side table? That could be the color of one of the pieces of furniture. — or Curtains could also add charm and color/texture/pattern.
Agreed. I guess I’m overthinking it. What else besides art do you have in your living room?
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You actually nailed it yourself then Gwillikers summarized it. It feels like a waiting room because it looks like one. It will feel personal once you personalize it. That can happen relatively quickly but is best when curated over time from your personal experiences, travel and treasures you accidentally come across when not looking for anything in particular! When you stick to big box decor you’ll always get waiting room vibes. Take your time!
This looks straight out of the 80s. Carpet and furniture are super dated.
The lack of personality and personal items
Feels like a funeral home
I think it’s the combo of the green carpet with that wall color
From the corner visible, it looks like a larger room and not enough furniture so the furniture and placement is spread to take up space and not create a cozy conversational, inviting area. Are you able to share the other side of the room?
From this view, I’d suggest a longer console table or sideboard for this empty wall. It’ll fill in a lot of the visual space. You have great space for neat piece and a large piece to hang on the wall. With that space, I’d almost consider looking for art first and then buying furniture. I’m always so jealous of that kind of space! A large painting is so striking in a room.
I’d also stick to larger pieces because they need to compete with the fireplace and the windows. If the space is filled in smaller items, they’re going to get lost and the amount you need will start to feel cluttered.
The colors unfortunately don’t help. It legit looks like Mindy st. Clair’s house from the medium place. You need color contrast, and it’s alllllll pastels
You’re starting with a good base!
Do you already own anything that tells the story of “you”? A vacation souvenir, childhood toy, grandmother’s tea set? Do you knit, paint, or sew? What items would you never leave behind when you move? Can you find a way to display them in the space?
When shopping for something new, I look for things that make me smile when I see them. Don’t worry about it “matching” your space. You’ll be amazed at how the things you love will blend together.
I agree with others. I spend a long time decorating but in the end feels like “me”. I don’t buy things until I have the feeling “I have to have that”. And then don’t second guess yourself when you do feel it haha.
We also have alot of art from places we’ve travelled – but not always when we travellled. I’ve sometimes purchased art after I got home from something we saw or did there.
I also found that lighting at different levels makes a huge difference. Well-placed lamps and sconces or hanging lamps. A pair of Moroccan string lights. I now love my house more at night than the daytime. We hate ceiling or canned lights except at my entryway as they can also make it more sterile.
Drapes also make a difference if you don’t have a view.
It’s the carpet! Do you know what is underneath it?
It’s clean and spacious, comfortable and even stately. But it also looks a bit dated. We had sculpted carpet in the 70s and early 80s. I think sculpted carpet is nice, actually, but this one doesn’t have true color throughout so while it’s still functional, it’s looking tired. I’m not saying you need an entirely new living room. I’m merely suggesting that as you move forward, it may not be plants/artwork/personalization, etc., that provide the ultimate fixes. You will need some updating, unless the peach and seafoam green look has started coming back.
The paint color too
If it’s in the budget, I would start by replacing the carpet with wooden floors. That alone will make a huge impact!
Because you stole the photo from a Laurel Home blog post from 2018 where the actual resident was asking for advice on how to make it less bland.
Google Lens brings up the blog post right away with all the advice the author gave.
You need things in your space that you have an emotional connection to. Things that evoke memories or that just make you smile.
My spaces have pieces, wall art, books, trinkets, plants, etc., that remind me of pleasant experiences. They may not strictly go together or follow the same decor vibe, but to me, they feel good and tell my story.
Unpopular opinion, but I actually love the carpet! Theres just a lot of it visible at the moment. I think some warm neutrals, and some accents higher up will draw the eye away from it a bit.
For that wall on the left, I would add a sideboard or maybe even a bar cart if thats your vibe (I think it would be really fitting in this space)
It looks like you’ve gone for very neutral beige and salmon colors overall, with blues as your actual pop of color so far (blue table, vases on mantel), so for starters, this isn’t what I would pick for a color scheme, i think it tends to look commercial (waiting room), not residential/homey.
However, like other folks said this really comes down to a true lack of personal touches to bring life and to tie together the colors. I would recommend searching for art that truly “speaks to you” that features some of these colors, or use the art hunt as inspiration to rework your canvas (room) altogether. Assuming the carpet would be too pricey to replace, try to have that color in or be cohesive with the art you choose, but you can still paint the walls and trim to revamp.
Once you have the art that calls to your soul and makes anywhere feel like yours, start picking accent pieces that compliment that art. Colorful throw blankets and pillows, small knickknacks that spark joy for you, some photos of nouns (people places things) that you love matted on colorful paper inside pretty thrifted frames, to further tie the space together and make it feel like “yours”.
Updateme! I’m so curious how it turns out!
Drapery, cord management and some height on that left wall (preferably a book case) would go a long way in improving this room.
You don’t have anything personal in there it’s all curated. I see you have a shade, but maybe curtains on the bottom windows would make it more homey. I’ve never been in a waiting room this nice so I disagree with you on that.
The carpet doesn’t work with the paint
Your personal space should bring you joy, serenity and reflect your own tastes. Sometimes this can be easier done by hiring a decorator.
The carpet color and texture is off, and the furniture is not the coziest. Everything together is giving nursing home
More personalized items. Family photos and heirlooms, things you’ve picked up at antique stores or flea markets. Items that resonate with you whilst ignoring what your interior colours and design are. Plants: big and small. Wall art that you love, not something generic or curated. Vases of flowers. Fun unique throw pillows, unique throw rugs – both without any regard to your chosen colour palette. Basically, I think you need to personalize your space to make it feel warmer and closer.
Definitely needing some art, maybe throw blankets and a rug. But the most important thing to remember is that decorating and interior design is a marathon, not a sprint! The personal items and things you like will come with time.
I recently moved too and know what you’re going through. I agree with posters that decorating should be personal. My mom who has passed used to paint, so I have a couple of her favorites on the walls. On a shelf grouping I displayed the musical instruments that family played in the past, like my father in laws coronet and my dad’s trumpet and my mom’s flute all from the 30’s and 40’s. A gallery of framed family photos from past trips. All of these things are comforting to me and my house now feels like my home.
I would add a rug in the center of the room as well. Waiting rooms don’t have rugs. Art, throw pillows or colorful blankets over the seating ca ln also help. Color palette is very early 90s so introduce some other colors.
The one while definitely needs artwork. When you said it looks neutral you’re right and that’s the problem. There’s no pop of any personality in that room.
Because it has no personal touches or personality.
It’s “beige” with bad generic art and a horrible carpet.
Because it looks like you’re 90.
Because the walls and the carpet are 80s-early 2000s hospital colors!
Needs COLOR on the walls and a floor rug. The corner plant could be a bigger one.
It is beige and nothing in it is personal. Where is YOUR personality and your life. More art on the walls would probably help.
Do you have a favorite color besides beige? Have you collected something from travels? Is there something you inherited or purchased at an antique store that has as story? If there an “artifact” from your childhood you can use as decor? What is your story and how can you reflect it in your “decorated” space. Devoid of YOU is not a decorated home.
You probably also need to rethink/reimagine your lighting, but there is not enough of the room in the photo to made a suggestion, but there is but the one floor lamp ai see most of seems too small for the space.