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Soapland Styles
Gracing our screens every night of the week, British Soap Operas are loved dearly by the nation with many growing older with the characters.
We think we know families like the Mitchells or the Platts inside out, but how much do we know about their interior style?
What Do The Experts Say?
Interior experts have scoured the homes of some of our favorite characters in EastEnders, Emmerdale and Coronation Street to reveal what their style says about them.
At the end of 2020, data showed that asking prices in the UK were up 6.6% compared to 2019, so with this in mind, designers have given their tips on what they’d do differently to improve the value.
We spoke with Scarlett Blakely, founder of Ophelia Blake to critique the styles of our favorite characters.
Fiz Brown – Coronation Street
A firm favourite, Fiz Brown has been on Coronation Street for 19 years. Her home features coloured wallpaper, brightly decorated rooms and family momentous.
Scarlett Blakey comments “This interior is definitely chaotic. The style is dated and messy in places. If we had to guess we would say this character is unorganised and clumsy.”
Advising Fiz on how she could improve the style, Scarlett recommends “First thing is to replace the paintings and tone down the union jack patterns, remember, less is more. The patterned wallpaper is actually coming back into fashion so we would keep that as a feature and add in rich blue accents to complement the room.”
The Platts – Coronation Street
One of the most well-known soap star families, The Platts home is described by Scarlett as “quite a contrast” due to the mix of plain and patterned design.
She explains “The all wooden kitchen is quite bland suggesting that these characters are also quite plain and simple. Yet, the colourful, patterned living is the exact opposite – eccentric and bold. Perhaps simple people with crazy lives sums it up best?”
To update the look of the house, we recommend keeping the walls a natural plain color will allow for more bold accessories such as a coloured vertical radiator which will help modernise the room without being too busy.
Scarlett advises “We would start by replacing the cupboards with better storage capacities to free up the kitchen area. As for the living room, the carpet is certainly an eyesore, a more natural tone would work best.”
The Mitchells – EastEnders
Renowned for their dramatic storylines, does the drama continue into the design of their home? Scarlett explains “The overuse of green throughout this room says it all – insane and obsessive!”
“Please stop with all green! If you want to be bold, mixing color works best, especially in living rooms where you can choose contrasting colours for your furniture and soft furnishings.”
The Slaters – EastEnders
A home busy with family, interior experts comment on the familial touches “We can appreciate the efforts of the photo wall but it could be improved by mixing the size and shape of the frames and bringing them closer together to form a sort of collage” says Scarlett.
When describing what the room reveals about the family, Scarlett comments “This home is quite eclectic, especially the living room. We would have to guess that these people are stylish, multifaceted and complex.”
Aaron Dingle – Emmerdale
A stylish blue/grey living area, Aaron is praised by interior expert Scarlett “This person has great style and a keen eye for detail. There’s a great mixture of contemporary and Victorian designs.”
Advice for improving the property, Scarlett recommends “Although the house is nicely designed it feels quite dark and gloomy too. We would add in bigger windows, big ceiling lights and lamps to add a warm touch.”
Laurel Thomas – Emmerdale
With clashing patterns and lots of textures, the style of Laurel Thomas’s home says “This person is definitely all over the place, we almost have a panic feeling too. Nearly everything clashes and feels disruptive. This gives us the impression that this character is totally lost and tends to be quite scatty.”
To improve the look and feel of the home, Scarlett recommends “Replace the dark clashing wallpapers and focus on one patterned feature wall. The room itself is quite small and so it’s easy to feel crowded. We would totally change the layout of the room adding a TV and fireplace to the “red wall” as the focal point with a corner sofa and accent chair.”
Soapland Homes Won’t Sell
Research shows the interior style of your home can seriously effect the sale of it, with experts advising that certain colours and trends can increase the value, proving that paying close attention to these improvements could bring the character’s good fortune.
Although these soap opera homes are well-loved and lived in, it can be easy to update the spaces with modern touches such as SMART taps in the kitchen, vertical radiators and underfloor heating.
The design choices and messiness clearly coincides with attributes of the characters with many representing the chaotic and family-focussed storylines.
