New research by the House & Garden Festival has found that almost three-quarters (71%) of people in the UK admit to being secretly embarrassed by their home décor and interiors.
In fact, more than 1 in 5 people said that they are so embarrassed that they resort to banning guests from entering their homes at all. 1 in 10 people said that where they cannot shy away from hosting friends and family, they only entertain them outdoors in the garden, on the terrace or balcony, so guests don’t have time to ruminate on their indoor surroundings. Some people even go to extremes to avoid their interiors altogether with 1 in 100 people admitting that they find their décor so unbearable that they will often make up excuses not to go home at all.
But it seems that we are always on the lookout for more home decór ideas with almost 1 in 10 people admitting that they actively snoop around in the homes of friends and family for design inspiration. And many are quite the budding interior stylist with over a quarter (29%) of people saying that one of the skills they most would love to master is picture-perfect interior styling.
When asked what was holding them back from refreshing their interiors so they could love their homes once again, almost a quarter (24%) of people quoted the hassle of having to go from shop to shop to get everything they need. More than 1 in 10 (14%) said that the lack of ideas and knowledge about the latest design trends means they remain stuck in the past, while a similar number, over 1 in 10 (13%) said that they can never decide on anything suitable hence the continual procrastination.
Luke Potkin, Show Manager, House & Garden Festival says: “Despite being very house-proud and having good intentions for refreshing our decór, many of us just seem to be stuck in a rut. A lack of inspiration and accessible advice, coupled with busy schedules and the hassle of journeying to all the necessary shops means that most of us never get around to updating the décor that causes us so much unhappiness and embarrassment. Our homes are our havens - it’s important that we feel comfortable in and are proud of our décor, as so much personal time and social entertaining is spent indoors.
"We have launched the all new House & Garden Festival to help those seeking design inspiration and advice to take those necessary steps to refreshing their interior design. With a host of hands-on workshops, an unrivalled line-up of leading experts from the world of interior design from the likes of Farrow & Ball, British Institute of Interior Design, Rita Konig plus a unique collection of over 500 beautiful garden, interior and lifestyle brands together for just four days. It’s your chance to turn your home into a haven you can be proud of.”
