Brits are obsessed with room-scrolling but there are some design tips we can learn from it. Image Credit: Pottery Barn
Brits are obsessed with room-scrolling: 8 design tricks for your own interiors
Scooch over MAFS, Love Island and Bake Off, there’s a new guilty pleasure that looks set to replace our reality TV addiction.
Enter room-scrolling – the feel-good habit of browsing property listings.
So far, so innocent, but turns out it’s not actually because we want to move, but to have a good old nose around their interiors.
According to new research from Homesense, a whopping 86% of Brits are now doing exactly that, swapping glossy influencer feeds for something a little closer to home.
It seems Gen Zs are leading the room-scrolling trend, with over one third (35%) of under-35s saying property listings are now one of their main sources of home inspiration.
And our scrolling habit looks set to continue as over a third of UK adults spend up to an hour a week browsing, while more than a quarter of Gen Z dive in multiple times weekly, with some scrolling for as long as two hours at a stretch.
What is room-scrolling and why do Brits love it?
So what’s behind our collective obsession with properties we’ve no intention of buying?
After years of peeking into sprawling mansions in far-flung corners of the world, many of us are craving interiors that feel a little more achievable, homes that look like ours, maybe just a bit better.
“People want to see real homes and be inspired by something that is attainable,” explains interiors design expert Rebecca Constable, who has been working with Homesense to create a first-of-its-kind property listing takeover that transforms real homes on the market using in-store products.
“We’ve got a bit fed up with looking at mansions in Miami that bear no resemblance to our homes and lives.
“People want to see what might be possible to do with their home,” she adds.
There’s something irresistibly satisfying about seeing how someone with a similar suburban semi-detached or city Victorian terrace has made it work.
Add to that Brits long-standing love of a sneaky peek behind closed doors, and it’s little wonder property listings have become the ultimate inspiration source.
Rebecca says room-scrolling allows us to get inspiration for our homes often in properties that feel strikingly familiar.
“Our housing stock in the UK is not hugely varied in comparison to other countries, which means we can take inspiration from people who have really similar homes to ours,” she explains.
“On a property listing we can see how someone who lives down the road has decorated their house and the layout and style of the house is likely to be almost exactly the same as our own home.“
It also taps into to a shift in how we see our homes.
Since the pandemic, they’ve become more than just places to live – they’re offices, sanctuaries and social hubs rolled into one.
With more time spent indoors, Rebecca says it’s no surprise that we’ve become fascinated with thinking about how we can improve our homes and create our own little retreat from the world.
The best part?
You don’t need the budget for a five-bed forever home to indulge.
From savvy layout tweaks to easy décor upgrades, there’s a wealth of design inspiration hiding in plain sight, proving that even if you’re not planning a move, your next great interiors idea could be just a scroll away.
Here, Rebecca reveals some of the design tricks you can glean from a rainy afternoon room-scrolling.
Adopt the ‘chair/table/lamp rule’
While it’s easy to get swept up in the scroll, it’s worth looking a little closer because hidden in those dreamy listings are some clever design lessons that experts swear by.
Take the chair/table/lamp theory, for example, which involves making sure an accent chair always has a table and cosy light source nearby.
“One of the rules I follow when designing a space is ensuring that wherever you have a chair you have a side table or somewhere you can put down a drink or a snack,” she explains.
“And wherever you have a chair and table, you should also have some form of lighting, like a table lamp or wall light so you can see what you’re doing and also to add ambience.
“Chair, table, lamp. This ensures that you create a space that works well practically but also feels inviting.”
Mix up your textures
The second design ‘rule’ Rebecca swears by, and something to look out for when you’re room-scrolling, is making sure you have a variety of textures and materials in a space.
“A variation in texture in our homes stops that from feeling too contrived or clinical,” she explains.
“We are often drawn to rooms which have a variety of textures as they feel warmer, more inviting and also stop our eyes from being drawn to one particular thing.”
Rebecca suggests ensuring you mix up your materials so that everything isn’t all made from wood or metal.
“With your seating choose a variety of different fabrics like velvet, cotton and boucle, to create depth and interest,” she continues.
“You don’t want them all to have the same look and finish.”
When it comes to smaller styling elements again she suggests incorporating different finishes and textures.
“You could style your coffee table with a rattan tray, a glass candle, a coffee table book and a small metal bowl,” she adds.
“Even if you’re not drawn to lots of colour, having a variety of textures and finishes will ensure your room doesn’t feel flat or boring.”
Check out the room styling
While you’re getting your ‘for sale’ property fix, don’t forget to zoom in on the styling.
The way accessories are layered, colours are balanced and pieces are grouped together often holds the real secret why a room feels so effortlessly pulled together.
Rebecca says: “Look at how have they filled their bookcases, for example?
“Is it just full of books or full or styling items? With a bookcase often somewhere in between looks best. Some shelves filled only with books actually reduces the visual noise.
“But then it’s nice to punctuate that with some styling pieces.”
She also recommends looking at the sofas and armchairs in the rooms you are scrolling to check out what combination and number of cushions works.
“It’s nice to introduce patterns through cushions as you can have some fun without making a big commitment,” she adds.
When styling side tables and mantelpieces Rebecca says a variety in height is important so that you don’t end up with a jarring line.
“Odd numbers of things grouped together often look more organic than even numbers,” she adds.
“And look out for the different textures and materials used to style a space.
“It’s often the ones with more variety that feel more pleasing to the eye.”
Look out for consistency in design
As you browse, it’s also worth paying attention to the thread that ties a home together.
Whether you’re house-hunting for fun, listing-lurking or deep in a Rightmove rabbit hole, you’ll often spot a consistent colour palette or recurring materials flowing from room to room, proving how a subtle thread or theme can make an entire home feel more considered.
“You don’t want to be too predictable when styling a home but having a thread that runs through will help make a space feel cohesive,” explains Rebecca.
“For example, think about what metal you are going to predominantly use, brass, nickel etc. and then stick to that 90% of the time.
“It is nice to have the occasional contrast with a different metal but make it intentional and standalone.”
Rebecca also recommends considering your home’s colour palette and whether you are going to predominantly decorate with cool or warm tones.
“Keep that consistency throughout 90% of your home,” she adds.
Learn the high-end tricks
While scrolling through perfectly polished properties, keep an eye out for the subtle tricks that give homes that high-end feel.
From layered textures and statement lighting to clever furniture placement and professional-style staging, it’s often these thoughtful details that gently elevate a space from ordinary to expensive-looking.
“Layered lighting can make a huge difference to how a room feels,” explains Rebecca.
“Rooms lit by multiple low and mid-level lighting will always feel more expensive than a room which is just lit by a single ceiling light.”
She suggests using a mixture of table lamps and floor lamps.
“Use rechargeable wall lights if you don’t have wired in wall lights,” she continues.
“And make sure all your bulbs are a warm white not a cool white.
“Cooler toned bulbs can feel quite clinical and sterile, rather than warm and welcoming.”
Another tip for making your home appear more high end is piling your sofas and chairs with cushions and throws.
“A throw draped over the side of a sofa can not only hide stains, but will also provide another texture to add depth,” Rebecca adds.
Rebecca says empty rooms often feel smaller and also make it harder for people to imagine how they might live in a home.
“This is why some developers stage homes before they try and sell them,” she explains.
“So make sure you have chairs, side tables and pieces of furniture in a room that clearly show how that room is supposed to be used, even if you only use that room to store the exercise bike you no longer use.”
Don’t overlook finishing touches
When it comes to final flourishes Rebecca says it’s important to look at how a room has been layered.
“On a bed you don’t just want a duvet and pillows,” she explains.
“You want to add cushions, a quilt to add pattern and even a throw on top of that to add texture.
“Beds take up so much of a room so how we style them has a huge impact on how the space feels.”
In a kitchen she suggests looking at the lighting and styling accessories.
“It’s often nice to have a freestanding lamp in a kitchen, on the island or on the counter,” she advises.
“It softens a space, which is often full of hard materials.”
Even the things we use every day can become an opportunity for styling.
“For example, having lovely rustic chopping boards that you keep out will add warmth to the room,” Rebecca suggests.
“Candles are also a great opportunity to add fragrance and warmth to a room, and smell great even when unlit.
“Pop one on a side table or on your kitchen counter to stop the space feeling empty and bare.”
>Dressing your bed with throws and cushions can make it feel more layered and considered. Image Credit: Furniture VillagePay attention to the little details
It’s often the smallest details that make the biggest difference.
From a neatly styled coffee table, to notice-me hardware, these are easy wins you can steal to elevate your own space.
Rebecca says she thinks people notice the little details more than we realise even if we can’t put our finger on what we like about a space.
“A coffee table that has been styled instantly tells you that this is a space which is well cared for, so we have more of a positive connection with it,” she says.
Artwork can also totally transform how a space feels. “Blank walls often have the effect of telling us a space isn’t finished or loved,” Rebecca explains.
“Carefully chosen artwork adds colour, texture, interest and also tells us that this space has been properly considered.”
Lean into layout
It’s no coincidence we’re drawn to homes with good layouts when we’re property browsing.
Instinctively we notice spaces that flow well and feel easy to live in, and, by paying attention to these smart arrangements, we can take cues on how to make our own homes feel more functional.
“The layout of a room really affects how we see a space and how we use it,” Rebecca explains.
“A living room with a sociable layout, with sofas and armchairs that face each other, is more appealing than a room where the sofas and armchairs are all in a line facing the TV.
“Ideally you’d have seating on three sides of the room or more.”
Rebecca says when we’re looking at kitchens online we quite quickly pick up if something is laid out in a way that practically doesn’t make sense.
“For example if the dishwasher is not close to the sink, or the fridge isn’t close to the cooker (the kitchen triangle),” she continues.
“Everything in a kitchen should be laid out in a way that reflects the way we use the space.”
Want more inspiration? Read: Peaky Blinders interiors: 10 ways to get the Tommy Shelby look at home or 2026 trend: Unserious interiors – 10 ways to get the look at home. And check out: Wuthering Heights interiors: 8 ways to get the romantic gothic look at home
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