More than two thirds of Brits are ashamed of their home and as a result 47 per cent have avoided inviting friends or family over, a new study reveals.
Home and Garden on Female First
The average Brit is embarrassed of at least one room in their house to the extent that 66 per cent wouldn't allow this room to be seen by anyone else. 34 per cent were found to not want anyone to see two or more rooms in their home and one in 10 were found to not like a single room in their current home.
The study, commissioned by Dulux also revealed the rooms we are most embarrassed of are our bedroom, bathroom and living room.
One in 10 admit they have been too ashamed to show their parents where they live. Top excuses include 'we'd rather come visit you', 'I pretended I was out when they knocked at the door', 'I'm too embarrassed at the state of my house', 'I'm too busy with work'.
A quarter of Brits never host a social gathering in the property they live in because of how they feel about it.
The main reasons for why Brits are embarrassed of their home, were due to:
1) Dated or marked carpets
2) Faded paintwork
3) Cracked ceilings or walls
4) Ageing wallpaper
5) Bad wall colour and colour scheme
Despite Brits' discontent, the average household only undergoes a decorating task once every four and a half years at an average cost of £590 each time, per room.
54 per cent of Brits also admitted to leaving a decorating task they'd started unfinished for more than six months, with approximately 13.5million rooms currently left unfinished in the UK. More than one in 20 Brits also admitted to never having picked up a paint brush in their lives.
"The study reveals how the British are embarrassed by their homes and the impact this is having on their social lives. It's a shame that so much living space is left unused, when it's so easily rectified, without having to spend a fortune," says Dulux ambassador and interior designer, Jo Hamilton.
"I look back with fondness on a house I bought a few years ago. It was very dated and uncomfortable when I moved in and I had spent all my money on buying the property, so there was very little left over to renovate it with. I had to find clever ways to make the house look good. I took the wallpaper off and lifted the carpets, which gave me a wonderful blank canvas. I polished the floorboards and painted the woodwork the same colour throughout because I wanted to maximise the sense of space. I chose some beautiful neutral tones for the walls and then some brighter colours for a few accent walls. I spent very little on the house but it looked absolutely fabulous with such simple changes."
32 per cent of those polled said they felt a lot happier in life generally once they had completed a decorating task and 62 per cent were eager to show off their home's new look to friends and family. Three per cent even said it felt better than sex and five per cent of men said it made them feel better than their football team winning.
Colourful décor was found to be the key ingredient to achieving a home Brits are happy with, with 97 per cent stating bright colours on their walls uplifted their mood, made them happy and created a space they wanted to be in. This is despite 69 per cent of British homes being painted in white, cream and magnolia colours and the average Brit admitting to living for nearly four and a half years with a wall colour they dislike.
Jo Hamilton continues: "I believe everyone should live in a home that makes them comfortable and happy, and one that they can be proud of - I am passionate about helping people get the homes they long for. A little basic knowledge goes a long way in building the confidence to be bold with colour and to help create a beautiful living space that we can really enjoy. We all have an emotional response to colour and it has a huge impact on how we feel in our homes, so it's important to get the right shade to suit our personal taste."
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