Like any reality TV show, The Block can rouse many emotions in me. From surprise to shock to frustration and many eye-rolling moments – I know that’s not an emotion, but it is an emoticon so I’m rolling with it!

Sometimes I agree with the judges and sometimes I wonder what styling planet they are from. Do they say stuff for the sake of having something interesting to say?

Take Sunday night for example. I loved Julia and Sasha’s room. Their use of black, blush and grey, featuring the rose gold poster bed was stunning. But the judges made the comment that Julia (who is a stylist by trade) was being out-styled by her competitors and the room needed ‘personality and soul’.

Gimme a BREAK!

Total eye roll moment right there.

The apartments are styled in a way for a buyer to want to purchase it. The people who buy the apartment will put their own soul into the room. It is a guest bedroom so to say the room had no soul was a little contradictory. I do enjoy listening to what the judges have to say, but sometimes I disagree with their comments.

And I made it a point to tell Julia and Sasha how much I loved their room.

@ThePlumbette @TheBlock Thanks Rebecca!!

— Julia and Sasha (@JuliaAndSasha) September 18, 2016

In saying that, styling and art are subjective. What may be someone’s cup of tea may not the right brew for someone else.

Of course the judges’ comments got me thinking about ways you can add ‘soul’ to a room. I’m no interior stylist and some of these tips are tongue-in-cheek. But I am a plumber and I have walked through many houses and display homes that have presented an aura simply from the way they have been presented and styled.

Here are 5 ways to add soul to your home – from a non-stylist.

1. Add ‘souls’ to your room. By souls I mean real living people. Fall in love and (get married – just what I believe) move in together and create a home. Have a family. I can guarantee your house will not be the same once you add kids to it.

2. If you prefer to live alone – why not add a pet ‘soul’ to your home. My preference is a dog but you may prefer cats. Pets can decrease the stress in your home and help your wellbeing.

3. Display photos of memories and people you love. I love homes that have their photos on display. A house with no photos feels too show-homey for me. Make sure you update the photos as the family grows and as memories are made. (Clearly we need to update the photo in the below image.)

4. Introduce live plants to your living spaces. Plants clean the air and their presence in a home can create a calming aura.

5. Mix antique and vintage heirlooms with modern décor. Some of my favourite homewares are not the pieces bought from Kmart – but the pieces that have a story behind them. Like the vase that my grandma gave me which I used to admire all the time when I went to her house. Or the black and white pictures of the generational weddings in our family history. Or the décor pieces bought from overseas travels.

I’m sure there are more ways to add soul to a room – which could make for another blog post. But I think you’re on a good start if you can add these 5 things to your home. And most of us have and do.

How do you add ‘soul’ to your home? Did you agree with the judges’ comments on Sunday night? Did you like Julia and Sasha’s room like I did?

If you’re a DIY, home organization, building, renovation, home makeover, home decorating, home maintenance or trade related blogger we’d LOVE you to link up with us below. Here are the HIT rules for how to link up and what you need to do once you have linked up.
Linkable posts, must centre around the topics of DIY, Renovations, Home Organisation, Home Improvement, Home Makeovers, Home Styling, or Home Maintenance.
You can share 1 post each week. Please make sure they are new to the “Home Improvement Thursday” party.
Linking is simple, find the little blue button at the end of the post that says, Add Your Link, and then pop in your URL, and follow the prompts.
Your link only needs to be added once and it will automatically show up on both of our blogs… it’s that easy! Grab our #HIT button and pop it on your sidebar.
Don’t forget to share it with others. Follow the blogs of your fellow #HIT family, and leave a comment.
Please visit and comment on at least three blogs that are near you on the list.
Leave a comment on the post below so we can return the favour and comment on your post.
Don’t forget to follow The Builder’s Wife and The Plumbette.