What makes a house feel "lived-in"

[Santaisblue]

I've heard a lot of people talk about how a house can feel like nobody lives there, not that it's dirty but more that it's too clean. I wanted people's opinion on what makes a house feel cozy/lived in.

 

[Hans.Trondheim]

I've heard a lot of people talk about how a house can feel like nobody lives there, not that it's dirty but more that it's too clean. I wanted people's opinion on what makes a house feel cozy/lived in.

A cozy house for me is one with a loving family.

 

[Representing_Tromba]

An actually good color for the walls. Eggshell white is awful and makes the place feel like a claustrophobic doctors office or psych ward!

Old or interesting furniture

Plants

Dishes drying or soaking in the kitchen

There is an air that feels clean but blended with something else unidentifiable that won't come out.

Comforting people

Pictures on the walls that are of people or places

 

[BouncyCactus]

Purposeful items, and just, well I hate to say it like this, but environmental storytelling.

Think like family pictures. Or a bookshelf that is not neat or orderly which means that whoever here likes to read and does not really care about how the display looks, but instead the books were often taken off the shelf, and then put back on wherever they fit. A desk that is filled with paper items, but also has just enough space for writing or daily work activity. An unfolded throw on the sofa, and the remote TV next to it on the coffee table. An unmade bed because someone was in a rush that morning. A slightly dusty shelf where nothing is placed, compared to some that are cleaner, where they have things that are often used.

 

[HelloHound]

vibes

 

[Deleted member 84247]

Half-dusty magic tomes on the mantle. The coffin lid is slightly ajar. My personal favorite is dried blood at the bottom of wine glasses. So wasteful some of these houses are.

 

[BlackKnightX]

When a house is too clean, it looks like a new house. A house that feels lived in is usually more dirty and messy. Doesn't mean a clean house doesn't have anyone living in it—they can just be very neat—but it's just the vibe it gives off.

 

[Tyranomaster]

Generally, I think a house feeling lived-in basically means that simple shores are done, but there are obvious larger tasks that need doing.

There aren't dirty dishes and clothes piled up everywhere, but there may be stains in the carpet, a cluttered garage, or a wall that could use a new coat of paint. Something the current residents haven't had a chance to get around to. Though too many of those means it is in disrepair, and shows signs that the family is under stress of some kind. You can expect two to four projects of that size to come up in a year, and the more of them that are around, the more stressed the residents are.

This is a reason that wealthy people's residences don't feel lived in. Those tasks are paid for and fixed nearly immediately. Same goes for places for sale. Those are generally fixed before sale.

 

[RepresentingCaution]

Kid's toys all over the floor.

 

[Plantorsomething]

I've heard a lot of people talk about how a house can feel like nobody lives there, not that it's dirty but more that it's too clean. I wanted people's opinion on what makes a house feel cozy/lived in.

There’s a thing called environmental storytelling. Basically you look around a place and see that it was interacted with in certain ways. There are cup stains all over the table because this person doesn’t use cup holders, while the other table does. Seperate people maybe used the different tables. There are lines on a wood beam for height markers. Couch is ripped up, probably had cats. The doorknob for bathroom is slippery and so is one side of the counter, so one of the kids who used the bathroom put on lotion a lot. The trash has things the ppl in The house bought a lot. How to books for gardening haphazardly in different places, and light circles outside the house show they used to garden, maybe had potted plants. A light rectangle over a kids’ drawing or crack showing a painting was put there to cover it up.
You can kinda think about it like those detective stories walking through crime scenes and figuring out stuff about the house owner.

 

[miyoga]

Signs of life. There doesn't have to be anything wrong with the house/room, but a few pictures here and there or toys on the floor (if there's kids or grandkids). The reason that a large portion of mansions and celebrity homes feel unlived in is because the owners of the house don't actually live there. It's kinda like going to the White House or Buckingham Palace. What everyone gets to see on the tours are some famous rooms that don't get used for much these days (so they feel kinda dead since people who used them regularly are also dead) and possibly the entrances to more commonly used rooms or offices. The President (or monarch) lives in a separate part of the building, thus it would feel more like someone was actively living in and using the place.

 

[ThrillingHuman]

Police yellow "keep out" tape

 

[BearlyAlive]

Police yellow "keep out" tape

Nah, that's "lived-out".

A few items laying around, this not being perfectly clean or where they belong. Signs of wear on doors, chairs, and tables. The feeling of the place.