How to give a new-build home more character

Smooth walls, white skirting boards, rows of spotlights and an oak floor that looks like the one in every other flat. New-build homes are rarely ugly — they are neutral. What is missing is character.

Replace what is cheapest and most visible

Handles, switches, ceiling fittings and wardrobe fronts are standard items in many new builds. They are also among the least expensive things to change and often make the biggest difference for the money.

Turn off the spotlights

Rows of recessed spotlights are one of the clearest signatures of a new-build interior. Add floor and table lamps and use the ceiling lights only for general illumination — or dim them down.

Paint something

Colour on one wall, a door or the architraves immediately breaks the built-in neutrality. If you want to start gently, paint the wall behind the bed or in the hall.

Add a material that has already aged

New builds contain almost exclusively new surfaces. An old timber table, an antique mirror, a worn leather armchair or natural stone gives the room something that was not made at the same time as the building.

Use textiles against hard surfaces

New flats often have hard floors, smooth walls and little sound absorption. A rug, floor-length curtains and substantial textiles change both the acoustics and the visual impression.