Nobody wants an ugly or weird looking house, but sometimes it happens.
Often it happens on accident, but other times it is caused by lack of taste or not giving enough thought to the home's overall aesthetics.
Here are 8 reasons why your home might look ugly or weird.
Note that tastes are subjective. You can decorate your house however you want. This article is based on general feelings of the majority of people.
photo courtesy of Brent Eckley flickr.com/photos/96831183@N08/24252559702
#1 Disrepair
It seems that once a home is 10-15 years old, things start to break.
Make sure to keep up with your home's maintenance and don't let it fall into disrepair.
If you are buying a home, make sure you set aside money each month in case something needs to be repaired so you have money to get it fixed properly and don't end up with the ugliest house on the block.
#2 Dirty
Just like your clothes, your house needs to be cleaned regularly.
Don't neglect cleaning your ceiling fans, baseboards, cabinets (inside and out), window blinds, air vents, and any other hard to reach area.
The corners of homes, especially at the floor, tend to not be cleaned very well.
Most people do a pretty good job cleaning the inside of their homes, but often the outside is not cleaned regularly.
Make sure to clean your siding, clean your windows, pressure wash your house, and sweep your walkways.
#3 Cluttered
A common problem in houses is an excess of clutter.
Clutter is the enemy of good design, causing visual chaos and making your home feel cramped and messy.
It can make even the prettiest homes look ugly.
Take a critical look at your belongings and declutter ruthlessly.
Make sure to have a designated spot for everyday items, such as mail, cell phones, your wallet & purse, backpacks, and other items that are often found scattered around your home.
Invest in storage solutions such as baskets, bins, and shelving units to keep items organized and out of sight.
Try to pick up clutter on a daily basis so it does not accumulate.
Consider adopting a minimalist approach to decor, focusing on quality over quantity, and only displaying items that bring you joy.
#4 Crazy Colors
Homes with bold colors can be interesting, but there is a difference between bold colors and crazy colors.
Your guests should think "wow - that is cool", not "ow - that hurts my eyes".
They should not have to wear sunglasses indoors.
Avoid large expanses of crazy fluorescent colors so your home doesn't look weird or ugly.
Consider how your colors complement each other and the furniture & decor in your room. Your colors should look intentional, not like you painted your room with some random discounted "oops" paint from the hardware store.
Choose a cohesive color palette and stick to it throughout your home, incorporating pops of color or accent pieces to add interest and personality.
#5 Poor Workmanship
Since all homes will need repairs at some time, ensure that the repairs are constructed well.
Many ugly houses are repaired or added onto using very poor workmanship.
If you do not know how to fix or build something properly, hire a professional so your home does not turn out ugly.
Don't just put a temporary fix on things that break - fix the issues so nobody knows that there was an issue at all.
If you have a leaky pipe, don't just fix the leak, but also fix the damaged ceiling professionally so nobody can tell it was repaired.
If you have a broken floor tile, replace it with an exact tile, not one that is kinda similar.
#6 Lesser Quality Materials
There are minimum standards that must be followed when building a home. Notice the word "minimum".
Homes in lower priced neighborhoods can use lesser expensive materials.
If your home is in a more expensive neighborhood, you should use nicer quality materials in it.
When all of your neighbors have hardwood floors in their home, you will have the ugliest home in the neighborhood if you install peel and stick tile instead.
Another common culprit is adding a tall metal garage or workshop in a neighborhood of nice brick garages.
Know your neighborhood standards and stick to them or exceed them. Never go below them, else your home might be considered ugly.
#7 Materials Pretending to Be Something They Are Not
Do not use materials pretending to be something else because it looks ugly and fake.
This includes laminate countertops that try to look like granite, faux painted walls that pretend to look like bricks, and ceramic tile that tries to look like marble.
Be authentic, not a faker!
#8 Mixture of Architectural Styles
Some people purchase a home in a style that they do not like, then add an addition or renovate the house in a different style.
This includes adding a fancy traditional scrolled metal fence around a modern style home or renovating a bathroom in a traditional home to look like it came out of a 1980's nightclub.
It just looks weird, so don't do it.
Embrace your home's architectural style or renovate the entire home in a new style.
If you decide to paint the stained moldings in your living room, also paint your stained moldings throughout your entire home to make it look cohesive and not like you remodeled one room in a newer style but the rest of the house looks old.
Having interior decor and furniture that is in contrast to the architecture can be quite interesting, however the architectural style should be continuous throughout the entire home.
This includes using modern furniture in an old traditional home and using traditional furniture in an industrial loft.
