A house with no personal things such as a small framed photo and also one with no texture or warmth brought in from a cushion or rug or throw.

I think a house should reflect the families personality. That is what makes it a home

Needs the owners personality stamped on it with some personal items; photos, books, items bought on travels etc.

Homes that have nothing personal in them. Homes are about people - they should reflect that

Hello Emmeline,

Well it's a funny one, I think that a home can have personality all on it's own without the need of occupants but it entirely depends on the structure, style and age... Now modern pared back or minimal can be striking too... I think it's not so much the idea of "white" "soulless" but bland and boring, stark and neutral, which is worse! .. A remarkable piece of design can be virtually empty but the bones of the space can speak and share their personality as can the colour choices... Equally grating is that which tries too hard.. or the "Luxury" look becomes ghastly due to the wrong choices, too much or a lack of taste!

Personally I want to reflect both the architecture of the space and its occupants.. Bringing out both their qualities to the fullest... A lot of people may choose to have their homes designed and filled readily with choice pieces... but can actually feel "bought" if they don't have a history with the owner. This also depends on the designer and their natural ability and knack for bringing it all together..

The biggest and easiest way to introduce personality is by the use of colour.. quirky arrangements or something that people don't expect.. Leaving off the design to the point whereby the space can evolve naturally.. : ))

For me it's often materials and use of colour. Too much grey with white I find cold (without the warmth of wood) and too many shiny shiny surfaces has the same effect. I also think interiors done on a budget often have more character and 'soul'.

Grey, grey and more grey!

Extreme minimalism. No art, photographs or personal items. Reproducing a store catalogue. Grey or beige everything.

When the whole building has been renovated and decorated in one go, the result can look soulless. Spaces which have been allowed to evolve over time always appear to me to have more personality infusing each room. I think this is partially because these latter homes are less likely to feature near identical/matching design choices in each room, and also that this approach makes it clearly visible that the owner has lived in and thought about each space, has made mistakes as well as good choices along the way. Essentially, their four walls are as human as they are. And none of us look like we've just walked out of the pages of a lifestyle magazine in real life.

Spot on I totally agree with csdechant.

Interiors without original art or books that reflect the personality of the inhabitants. And as mentioned by several people above, interiors that try too hard to look like something out of the pages of a magazine. A home is where the heart is, so live with passion.

Quite right whirlligig! : )) Period and modern work beautifully together whilst retaining the soul of the home... Too much renovation can be a detriment too! The house has to speak as much as the occupants character and the furnishings.. Working seamlessly.. : )) Also a note about books... I purposefully hide all mine.. So that people cannot try to get an idea of my character in this way which I hate, as I feel it's nonsense. Being well read or a lack thereof is only in part deciphering who someone is and if I only went to the library but was a scholar in a certain field... To me the books are not enough to lend character or speak to that extent about their owner.

I prefer to let my voice do the talking or my home... such as it is (as it's in transition) but it's interesting that people want to focus on books or what is placed for decorative purposes.... It's also interesting how people perceive a certain aesthetic preference.. I enjoy reading these posts and people's thoughts which is really illuminating...

I am not sure that I'd assume a zen or pared back interior means the occupant is lonely. Having a very composed home doesn't mean any more than a need for this aesthetic... A structured home is a benefit for it's occupant. Tidy, organised and regimented = maintenance minimal in some respects and it shows caring and interest.... It doesn't mean lonely, unfriendly, some sort of disorder or a lack of warmth or personality... Neither does it mean you cannot entertain.

I have seen it all... The real way to gauge how someone is, is to see how "they" interact with their home and how they make their guests feel... Also some furnishings from specific periods tend to dictate the level of layering needed or to be more succinct how much or how little.. It's how I see it anyway..

: ))

I have been house hunting for some time now and the homes that have appealed to me have always had personality coupled with taste (subjective, I know) - although they have been quite varied in style. I have loved homes with: fabulous wallpapers cleverly used; interesting, personal objets d'art and plenty of warmth & texture. The worst examples I encountered were the ultra bland, "appeal-to-anyone" (or nobody?) budget developments, where you were paying a developer's premium for a cheap make-over. Sooo cold and cheerless.

Am I the only one who would find it a bit traumatic to tear down a wall
of expensive wallpaper in order to neutralise the decor for selling? Example at link below:

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=osborne+%26+little+%2B+wallpaper+with+parrots&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0CDsQsARqFQoTCPuGi9Tny8gCFYpWGgodcUUBiw&biw=1252&bih=549#imgrc=pvKPL0spFzp0zM%3A

This is a genuine question as I'm just about to decorate my new home which I know will be a temporary one (3 years perhaps) and am so tempted by wallpapers such as the one in the link. From the above advice, I should probably be steering clear of such statement papers.

Don't get me wrong, I do admire the scandi pared-down look but, for me, it must incorporate the hygge factor - comfort, warmth & texture.

Any thoughts from the Houzz community?

Sorry, I posted under the wrong article! I will put it on: Styling: where to spend and where to save when selling your home.

It might be a sweeping statement but I think a lot of people create soulless houses when they feel the need to show off and display how wealthy they are. Rather than go with what makes them and any invited guests feel comfortable (texture, colour, the odd mismatch from childhood), they spend a small fortune on the latest gadgets which take prominence at the expense of the rest of the room. Whilst no-one enjoys a room where the owner has given vent to every passing emotion, these people have traded emotion for control. And who wants to live in a place like this? Sounds like a prison cell!

I sometimes call those houses 'dead', there is just something about a house that is not loved by whoever lives in it. You can tell almost straight away from the outside, and the garden. Shame. I'm talking about a home that is not cared for not personal style.

Morelikeit - I think the owners should have what they want & if they end up selling the home & it has a jazzy wallpaper then it is up to the buyers to look beyond people's personal decor. I hate some of the tv programmes I've seen where people say ooh I don't like the colour paint ..... well change it !

A lack of art and books....these are what put the soul back once the work is done.

'Sterility'. Lack of colour, total symmetry and everything being on its place. Especially books and toys. When they are all arranged on the shelves, and there is nothing 'in progress' around, it looks as if the house is just a pic, and all the people inside just accidentally fell there and are constantly trying to not interrupt the picture instead of just living there.

A home needs colour and personal items. Nothing worse than bland white walls, and an interior bought by a designer rather than yourself!

Soulless to me is emptiness. We all like a tiny bit of clutter as least!

It's funny when I think about a house with soul I automatically think of the house I grew up in. It was a 3 bed, nothing particularly special. However, it always feels like home...the smells, my mums furniture and family pictures. I often tease my parents about ALL the things you could do with it but the truth is I think a house with soul comes from memories and time spent in that home and filling it with things you love, save up to buy and spend hours procrastinating over buying. I now live in a new build and it is definitely lacking in soul, it's lovely and spacious and I consider myself very fortunate, but as for feeling like a home... We're not quite there yet. That will come in time...it is quite common today to always be thinking about moving or resale value. This could be the reason so many houses lack soul... If the habitants are detached from living in the house how can it ever feel well loved? Just my thoughts.

Vanadis Ward I agree about the money thing too. I know someone whose house has the 'best of everything' but they don't use all the rooms - they have formal ones for guests - and I cannot see the point of that. I suppose it's like the front parlour in the old days but it's such a waste to me.

I don't agree with the book comment though - not everyone likes reading so having books if you don't is a bit pretentious, surely?

I've just come across this thread and it reminds me of two incidents when I first moved to the rural market town I live in (about 20 years ago). I had been living in London and found it quite a culture shock, in an endearing way, as it was often like stepping back in time. Whereas many of my London friends had jobs, a lot of the mums at my daughters' new school did not and were very into coffee mornings or afternoon teas. The second day of dropping the girls off I was invited back to the home of someone who subsequently became one of my dearest friends. She was obviously incredibly proud of her home and gave me the grand tour, only problem was a) I didn't like it and b) I am the world's worst liar. It was a very valuable exercise in trying to find the good in any interior, even if it isn't to your taste. I was a bit worried that I blew it when we got to the garden, which was delightful, as I was able to really enthuse! The second was another mum who I used to chat to for ages in the playground but who never invited me back. Eventually just as I was starting to get paranoid she suggested I come back for coffee and then spent the whole walk there apologising for the lack of 'character' in her house. I had, by then, become known for my quirky taste in decor and she was worried that I would condemn her home for being too bland!!! What gives a house it's soul is the people who live in it, whether they have flamboyant taste, minimal taste or don't give a monkey's about design and those of us who are just a little bit obsessed with interiors should never forget it :)

No books, no photographs, nothing personal to show personality of occupants.

To me a “soulless” house is normally a new build with no history, no imperfections or character. Houses are made of mostly natural materials that seem to absorb energy- the Occupants, memories ect over the years gives it a “vibe“ about it. It’s own character, personality and soul. I fell in love with my houses “soul”. It’s 200 years old and most previous occupants

lived for decades in it. the seller had raised her family for 38 years there. So despite the fact that it was very shabby and badly decorated I loved it from the moment I walked in. Decor Wise I think soulless is when you go for a trend rather than the colours or style that you love and that suits the house. My kitchen is a stunning modern shiny kitchen but it’s the least favourite room of mine- because it doesn’t quite match the houses feel. My house is a friendly quirky old lady that Is a bit worn round the edges. its like I’ve got her wearing a suit and tie and it just doesn’t really go x