In our guide ‘10 ways to add character to a new build home’, we explored simple ways to create individuality in your interiors. A brand-new home can sometimes feel more overwhelming than inspiring, but as we explored, the answer isn’t necessarily in big, dramatic changes. Sometimes, it’s about the layers you add over time.
Nestled in the Scottish countryside, Jules Hughes (@juleshugheslife) has created a distinctly personal new build home. Her style is rooted in classic, cottage and vintage influences, with reclaimed wood, a muddy green colour scheme, natural fabrics and carefully sourced pieces throughout.
From taking inspiration from the surrounding countryside and period properties to finding unexpected ideas in film and TV, Jules has created a home that feels truly unique.
Join us as we take a closer look at her beautiful interiors and explore how taking a slower, more thoughtful approach and allowing her home to evolve in layers has helped create warmth, character and personality in her new build home.
Start with a vision when decorating your new build home
A new build home is often described as a blank canvas, with a fresh starting point and the freedom to make it your own. From the moment you get your keys, you have many opportunities to create a home that reflects yourpersonal style.
But a blank canvas can also make it difficult to know where to begin. With an empty house and so many decisions to make, it can be tempting to rush interior choices to fill the space.
For Jules, the answer was to allow her new build to evolve gradually through layers of natural colours and textures, traditional details, and considered pieces, while drawing inspiration from the countryside surrounding her home.
“I’ve always liked making something my own, particularly a home,” she says. “I always wanted to bring the outside in, including the surrounding countryside but also the traditional details that can be found in nearby older properties.”
That vision has remained consistent, even as individual rooms have evolved. A muddy green colour scheme runs throughout the house, complemented by natural fabrics and plenty of reclaimed wood.
The result is a home that feels connected to its surroundings, with a character and personality that is distinctly Jules’ own.
Take a slower approach to new build interiors
When decorating a new build, the temptation is to make quick decisions because the rooms feel empty and lack clear direction. But one of Jules’s most useful tips is to give yourself time.
Rather than rushing to fill every room, which often leads to so much waste, live in your home first. Notice how you use each room; see where you naturally sit, where you need more storage and which spaces need to work harder. Letting your personal style develop naturally will also create a home that feels more considered.
For Jules, taking a slower approach was also partly driven by her love of vintage pieces.
“I definitely have a particular taste, and often that’s for older pieces, rather than newer, so hunting those down is more difficult,” she says. “But I love the thrill of that hunt, and once they’re found, they’re even more enjoyed. Those older pieces also tend to be more timeless.”
This slower approach has helped Jules create the kind of lived-in interiors that can be difficult to achieve when everything in a house is brand new.
Which rooms to prioritise when decorating a new build
So, where should you start when decorating a new build home?
For Jules, it was the kitchen: “It’s where I spend the most time, so that was important.”
The vision was clear from the start, and she even made changes during the build stage to achieve it. “The layout of the kitchen is completely different from the original plans, and I worked hard to bring that to life, incorporating a larger island, hand-painted tiles for the backsplash and a traditional Rangemaster to replace the standard electric hob and separate oven.”
But for other rooms, such as the lounge, Jules wanted to wait until the house had been ‘lived in’ before making any of the bigger decorating decisions.
The lounge is around seven metres long, and rather than trying to fill the large space immediately, she spent time working out how the room would actually be used. “It’s now split in two, with one part a dining area and another a sitting room, and it has been a long process in being furnished.”
This is an important lesson we can all take. A room doesn’t have to be finished immediately. Sometimes you need to live with the space before you know what it needs.
Take inspiration from period properties
For the lounge, her favourite room in the house, Jules looked to older properties: “I didn’t use mood boards to plan the space, but I did take inspiration from period properties to bring in traditional characteristics.”
The fireplace is based on the height and width of a traditional Victorian fireplace, with materials sourced from suppliers across the UK – the hearth came from a stonemasonry in Wales, the handcrafted mantle was painted in Farrow & Ball and brickwork slips were used to create a herringbone effect.
It’s a thoughtful example of how inspiration from traditional architecture can be reinterpreted in a modern space.
Decorate your new Build home in layers
The main character of a home often comes from what you add over time.
A more layered approach lets your home develop naturally through considered furniture, textiles, colour, lighting, artwork, and accessories.
This slower approach can also mean buying fewer pieces, but choosing things you genuinely love.
“I love the smaller details in a room, and never feel like any room is quite finished,” says Jules. “I’m always on the lookout for new dishes, trinkets, frames and pictures. There’s a joy in that, and I love constantly adding to the house.”
Perhaps the secret to adding personality lies in the pieces collected along the way.
Layer colour, texture and lighting
Colour, texture and lighting are some of the simplest ways to add personality to your home.
Although no two rooms are the same colour, a muddy green theme flows throughout Jules’ home, creating continuity between the spaces. Natural fabrics are also layered throughout, including tweeds, linens and cottons, alongside reclaimed wood and antiques.
“I also try to add lamps and wall lights wherever possible to bring warmth to the space,” she says. Showing us that subtle layers can create just as much warmth in interiors as relying on lots of bold colour or pattern.
Mix old and new to create character
“There is no reason that a new build house has to look like a new build house,” says Jules. “It’s a blank canvas, and there’s plenty of opportunity – from tongue-and-groove panelling, reclaimed trestle tables, older lamps and traditional fabrics – to make your home feel unique.”
Carefully chosen vintage pieces can sit comfortably amongst modern finishes, creating interiors that don’t feel tied to one particular period.
For anyone looking for new build décor ideas, this is a useful place to start. Look beyond the obvious new build styling and consider what older pieces can bring to a space.
The New Homebody Q&A with Jules Hughes
Where do you look for interior inspiration?
Lots of places. Magazines like House & Garden and Wildflower; homes and hotels I’ve visited; Instagram and TikTok; YouTube channels such as Homeworthy; and period films or TV shows. I took inspiration for a corner of the hallway from Persuasion.
What is your favourite homeware store?
I’m not sure I have one favourite place. I’ve found lots of great pieces on Vinted recently, including artwork and trinkets. It’s also a great place to buy fabric remnants that you can turn into cushions or blinds at a lower cost.
If you could give someone moving into a new build just one piece of decorating advice, what would it be?
Take your time, and don’t think like you’re decorating a new build house.
Follow Jules on Instagram and TikTok to see more of her beautiful home and garden, as well as outfits, lifestyle and delicious recipes from the Scottish countryside.
