A plain 1990s semi doesn't have to stay plain. You can give a bland home real character with paint, pattern, art and a few well-chosen older pieces, and you don't need to knock down a single wall to do it.
That's the lesson from a Melbourne townhouse recently featured by Homestolove (via HomeDecor). Interior designer Alexandra Brownlow turned her own bland 1990s semi into a richly layered, art-filled home that blends English country-house references with colourful maximalism. The result, per the report, is a personal, lived-in city retreat.
You probably aren't redoing a whole townhouse. But the approach scales down to a single room, a hallway or even one wall. Here's how to borrow it.
Start With Decorating, Not Demolishing
The most useful idea in this story is the order of operations. A dull house is often treated as a reason to renovate. Brownlow's home shows another route: treat the plain shell as a blank canvas and let colour, pattern and objects do the heavy lifting.
Before you price up a renovation, ask what a room would look like with:
- A bolder wall colour
- One statement wallpaper
- A gallery of art you already own
- A few older pieces mixed in with what you have
If the room still feels wrong after that, you'll at least know what the layout is really costing you.
Use Bold Colour to Set the Mood
Colour is the fastest way to give a room atmosphere. The piece highlights chartreuse, wallpaper and art as the elements that transform bland rooms. Chartreuse, a punchy yellow-green, is not a timid choice, which is the point.
If that feels like a leap, try this:
- Pick one room you use often but don't love, such as a hallway, dining room or study.
- Choose a colour with some personality instead of another off-white or beige.
- Test large swatches on the wall and look at them morning and evening before committing.
- Commit to the whole room, walls and perhaps trim, rather than a single accent patch. Colour tends to feel more intentional when it surrounds you.
A small room is a low-risk place to be brave.
Let Wallpaper Do the Pattern Work
Wallpaper brings instant depth, and it nods to the English country-house look without requiring a country house. One patterned room, such as a powder room, entry or dining nook, gives you the layered feeling at a manageable scale.
Keep it practical: measure carefully, order a little extra, and pair a busy pattern with calmer elements nearby so the eye has somewhere to rest.
Build an Art Wall That Feels Collected
Art is central to this home, and contemporary pieces sit alongside the traditional references. You can copy that mix on any budget.
- Gather what you have. Prints, paintings, photographs, a framed postcard or a child's drawing all count.
- Lay it out on the floor first. Arrange the pieces until the spacing feels balanced, then hang.
- Vary the sizes and frames. A mix looks gathered over time rather than bought as a set.
- Fill the wall. Maximalism leans toward generous, not sparse.
The goal isn't matching. It's a wall that tells people what you love.
Mix Antiques With Contemporary Pieces
The English country-house influence shows up in the way older pieces share space with newer art and personal objects. That mix keeps a traditional look from feeling like a museum.
A few ways to try it in a city home:
- Put one antique piece, like a side table, chest or mirror, in a room that is otherwise modern.
- Hang a contemporary artwork above something traditional.
- Display personal objects such as books, ceramics and souvenirs on that older furniture, so it feels lived in.
Secondhand shops, markets and family hand-me-downs are all fair game. You're looking for pieces with some history, not a perfect period set.
Why This Look Is Having a Moment
Per the report, maximalism is gaining momentum as a reaction against minimalist, beige interiors, with homeowners embracing personality, heritage and collected objects. It's our read that this appeals because rooms layered over time feel emotional and storied in a way a single-trip furniture buy rarely does.
That also means there's no finish line. A maximalist room can grow one piece at a time, which suits a budget and a busy life.
A Simple Plan for This Weekend
You don't need a full plan to start. Pick one room and do these in order:
- Choose a bold paint colour or wallpaper for that room.
- Gather every piece of art and framed memory you own and group it on one wall.
- Add one older piece, borrowed, thrifted or inherited, and style it with personal objects.
Then live with it for a few weeks before deciding what to add next.
The takeaway: before you consider ripping anything out, add colour, art and one piece with history to your plainest room and see how much character was waiting to come out.