New-build homes are really popular, largely because there’s something lovely about being the very first people to own a property. You can be totally certain of the provenance of the house and there’s no mystery surrounding things like the work that’s been done on the place.

The only thing that you generally sacrifice when you move into a brand new home is character. It’s only natural that an older property with a few past residents will feel a bit more lived-in. Those people will of course have had the chance to endow the place with a bit of personality – even though you can’t actually account for taste when it comes to the home improvements people make on their properties.

So if nobody has lived in your new home before, how do you go about giving it an injection of personality quickly? This is a particularly pertinent question given that Christmas is coming up and you’ll want to feel as settled as possible in your new home over the Christmas holidays.

Fortunately, you might be able to make use of the January sales and clearance offers to give those empty rooms a boost of character and make them instantly more hospitable.

Rugs bring readymade character

Rugs make up a very important part of the new home style equation. When you think about it, the decorative elements that occupy the largest surface area in any room will probably have the greatest influence and you’d be hard pressed to find more expansive features than rugs.

Laying rugs in each room – rugs that bring with them plenty of contemporary or traditional character depending on your personal preferences with regard to interior design – buys you more time as far as decorating is concerned. Rooms that are empty of other decorative features and just have the bare minimum in terms of furniture installed still look accommodating once the rugs are in place.

This is because they’re homely as well as being full of character. They draw the eye and provide that all-important visual impact that turns a space from something sparse and un-lived-in into something welcoming and interesting.

Modern or traditional?

Impressing a bit of character onto a room all depends on the type of look you are trying to achieve. If you want the place to feel like it has more history, more of a human story attached to it, then traditional rugs along with antique or second hand furniture are probably the way to go.

However, if you’re more interested in preserving the sense of newness, the cleanliness and modern appeal of a new-build home, then more contemporary furniture alongside modern rugs or natural fibre rugs will probably work a little better for your aims.