How to Achieve Instant Character

Character is something most commonly associated with period properties — quirky Victorian homes with original features that take you back to another era, wonky chocolate-box cottages and luxurious Georgian townhouses in all their finery. One fundamental reason period houses often have so much character is that they evoke a sense of what life there would have once been like. But is it possible to pack all this character successfully into a newly built home?

Character is essentially something which conjures up a particular lifestyle, be it a bustling family home or a more intimate space, and is certainly not something that can be bought from a showroom or easily copied from the pages of a magazine.

Character is achieved by allowing your home to appear lived in and to echo the personalities of those living there, rather than slavishly following a particular trend or, worse, just buying lots of ‘traditional’ furniture and plonking it down in the middle of a newly plastered square room, complete with PVCu windows and laminate floors.

Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to build character into new homes, at both the initial design stage as well as when putting the finishing touches to the house.

Living Room: Include a point of focus and a spot for gathering around, such as a warming fireplace.

The Rules

Joinery: Look for Details

Windows, doors and staircases should be high quality — or at least look as though they are. Inexpensive flush doors can suit very modern properties well, but really have no place in character homes, where solidity is called for. Windows and doors should be made of timber as opposed to PVCu or any other manmade material. Softwood is fine, but ensure it is stained or painted properly, as clear knotty pine can look cheap.

Pay attention to the details, too. Door and window furniture will set off your joinery choices, so once again, choose well-made items in metals such as brushed stainless steel, nickel and brass, or go for good old fashioned charm with wrought iron fittings.

Character kitchens

Character kitchens often conjure up images of social gatherings and family get-togethers, so include a central island or farmhouse-style table in the centre of the room, with low-level lighting positioned above it.

Lights and Fireplaces: Cosy is Key

The way warmth and light are introduced is vital. One thing that houses with character all have in common is a welcoming fireplace. Providing the style of fireplace you choose echos the style of your interiors and can take on the role of both a focal and a gathering point, you will be well on the way to a characterful home. With increasing emphasis on creating airtight, efficient homes, open fires are becoming less of an option. However, solid fuel stoves placed within fireplaces look fantastic, and even some models of gas fire can work well in the right fireplace. Again, use natural materials such as stone or timber for your fire surround and avoid materials with too refined a finish, such as polished granite.

When it comes to lighting, use it to highlight any interesting architectural details. Using recessed downlighters within an alcove is the ideal way to draw the eye to its shape; uplighters will bring out decorative coving. Wall lights can break up expanses of bare space well and make large spaces feel more intimate. Ensure you include free-standing lamps in otherwise bare corners in order to add warmth to the scheme. Low-level lighting over dining tables will add a sense of somewhere to congregate.

Flooring: Go Natural

The wrong choice of flooring can sap any character from a home. Natural materials are the way to go, so timber, stone, wool and fibres such as jute, sisal and coir are all perfect choices.

With wooden floors, choose boards that can be laid individually as opposed to those with tongue-and-groove edges. The former may be more time-consuming to lay, but the finished look is less deliberate. It is also worth considering buying reclaimed boards or those given a finish such as ‘burnt’ or ‘fumed’ for extra character.

Room Shapes and Sizes

Do not assume that character can be achieved by throwing a few cushions on the sofa and some flowers in a vase. New houses that succeed in oozing character have been planned to be that way from the start. The shape of rooms plays a huge role. Square and rectangular rooms are difficult to lend charm to, particularly those with no coving or badly chosen skirting boards. Include some architectural interest by incorporating cosy niches, intriguing alcoves and clever corners, and draw attention to them with well-designed lighting.

Varying floor levels or ceiling heights is also a good way to create interest, as is including built-in window seats, shelving and deep window cills. All avoid that ‘flat’ featureless finish common in new homes.

It is also easier to achieve character in smaller rooms. Vacuous, echoing spaces can dwarf standard pieces of furniture and small personal items can get lost.

Avoid ‘Show Home Syndrome’

One of the reasons that many people shun new houses in favour of old is that they look, well, just too new. Happily there are plenty of ways to inject an instant lived-in look and to avoid the dreaded ‘show home’ syndrome:

1 Buy reclaimed. Mix in some genuinely old materials, such as reclaimed floorboards, doors, fireplaces, flagstones and beams. The charm of many period homes lies in the fact that they are not perfect, so embrace the dents, patina and flaws in reclaimed materials.

2 for natural materials. This means real wood and stone floors or worktops as opposed to laminate look-a-likes, and timber windows and doors, not PVCu.

3 Include architectural interest, such as alcoves, window seats and split levels.
4 Opt for solid floorboards, reclaimed or new, when it comes to wooden flooring. They will give a more authentic, less deliberate look.

5 Don’t skimp on quality. It is hard to get a sense of character with obviously cheap or flimsy materials. Invest in well-made and reassuringly solid fittings

6 Show off your personality. Character is all about individual style, so ensure your home reflects your lifestyle, both in terms of its layout and in its furnishings.

FROM LEFT: Bathroom - Rather than buying a matching suite, choose one individual item to stand out, such as a rolltop bath, a stunning reproduction needle shower or reclaimed taps.
Circulation spaces - These need not be bland spaces. Draw the eye to sources of natural light with window seats and shutters, and liven up corridors with galleries of photographs

The Finishing Touches

Don’t leave the smaller details to chance. The finishing touches of your home have enormous impact on whether it has character

Window dressings

Draw the eye to your windows and add a sense of luxury with heavy full-length curtains, or a fresh feel with timber shutters

Switches and sockets

Forget standard white plastic fittings and opt instead for something a little more special and in keeping with the style of house. Brushed nickel and wrought iron usually work well in more traditional settings

Colours

Subtle paint colours in muted tones such as creams, greys, sage and fawn tend to work much better at creating a sense of warmth and charm than painting just one feature wall a bold colour. Whilst this sometimes works in more contemporary settings, it can look rather out of place in more traditional style homes, as can wallpapered feature walls.

Further Reading:

• A Guide to Internal Finishes
• The Hottest Interior Design Ideas
• Extending Interiors to the Outdoors