The average homeowner is ‘unhappy’ with the decor in three rooms of their home, a new survey has shown. Researchers found a large percentage of us feel dissatisfied with colours we picked and styles we implemented, with many admitting to opting for colours which they felt others would like rather than colours they preferred themselves.
Others admitted picking shades which they believed would improve the prospects of the property selling were it ever to go on the market.
A lack of confidence to make a style statement and splash rooms with bright colours also emerged – the study of 2,000 people found 75% went as far as to admit their home ‘lacked character’.
The trend emerged in a study carried out by ColourMatch from Argos in the run up to the launch of their homewares range.
Expert color psychologist Karen Haller, who analysed the results, said:
“People are often surprised when I tell them how important color is to everyday life.
“Homes are becoming more and more alike through a lack of confidence in adding our own personal touches.
“The easiest way to differentiate your home is through color – it has so many benefits from being aesthetically pleasing and lifting your mood, to reflecting your personality.
“Every shade of every color can be directly associated to a type of personality – it’s just about identifying what type of personality you are in the first place. Knowing which color is your perfect match, which reflects your individual home style, will make the process a lot easier.”
The research also revealed over half (56%) felt they’d chosen ‘unadventurous’ homewares because they had a lack of confidence in stamping their mark on their homes.
With this in mind it’s perhaps no surprise that 47% of people avoid adding color inside their home over the worry that it may affect the re-sell value.
Some 75% admitted they were more concerned with creating a home they thought others would love over one that actually represents their own tastes and personality.
61% admitted they were distinctly unhappy with up to three rooms in their home, while 43% worried adding too much of their favorite color could be too ‘dominating’ in the home.
The study also found when it comes to the feel of their home, nearly one fifth describe their look as minimalist- which may explain why so many believe their house lacks personality.
The intentions to experiment are there- more than a quarter have tried to decorate with a different look or color but lost confidence and abandoned their plans midway.
The absence of family photos, ornaments and an abundance of gadgets were some of the biggest reasons cited for affecting the feel of their place and causing a lack of character.
Paul Rees, Senior Own Brands Manager at Argos, said:
“What this research tells us is that people are worried about ‘getting it wrong’ in their home. There is a general lack of knowledge in how to successfully incorporate color into your home, despite all of the clear benefits in doing so.”
* ColourMatch from Argos offers a range of color co-ordinated homewares making interior design easy for anyone – simply by choosing one of the 16 available colours anyone is able to easily match products for any room.
