Should you worry about updating your home to fit with current trends? It’s up to you, but stop for a minute and think about a home you may have seen…or maybe even owned…with pink bathroom tiles or orange shag carpets.
Those features dated the home immediately…without question.
And if you purchased that home, you probably spent thousands of dollars (perhaps tens of thousands of dollars) bringing your “new to you” home into the modern age. And it was very likely an expense that you factored into account when you made your offer to buy.
Whether it was the seller or his predecessor who slapped shag carpets on the floor and the walls or not, at some point the home’s owner decided to follow the trends of the day in their decor.
And that decision, many years later, was deemed a poor one by today’s tastes, perhaps even leading to a below market sales price.
But what about your home? You’ve spent time and energy creating a safe and comfortable place for you and your family, but you don’t want to end up selling for less than you can get simply because you followed the trends of the day.
Right?
Fortunately, there is a way to keep your home “up to date” without “dating” it, and you don’t have to break the bank to do it.
Keep it simple
Keep your kitchen cabinets, bathroom and kitchen tiles and other large features such as furniture and wall treatments neutral and classic.
Don’t spend thousands of dollars on a big floral couch (yes, big florals are in this year) that will fall out of style before it’s worn out.
If you want the latest “look” in furniture fabric a slipcover will do the trick – at a fraction of the cost.
Wall planks?
Only if you don’t mind removing them in a few years when you no longer love them!
Use paint for the simplest, easiest way to change up the look of a room.
Use accents
Simple changes such as changing out the towels, wall hangings, shower curtains or even painting the walls and/or cabinets in the bathroom(s) and/or kitchen can easily – and inexpensively – add fresh appeal to your home.
Other things that will easily and inexpensively freshen up the look of your home include:
- – Light fixtures
- – Plumbing fixtures
- – Throw pillows
- – Candles
- – Art
For example, brass is making a comeback this year. If you’d like to add this feature to your home, an easy – and inexpensive – option is the addition of a brass framed mirror and light fixtures. (Or you could simply paint your mirror and light fixtures)
It’s your home
It’s your home and nobody should try to tell you what you can do with it.
If you like bubble gum pink tile in the bathroom…own it! Remember, however, that if you ever decide to sell your house, the chances of finding someone else who loves the tile as much as you do are limited.
But if you choose classic and neutral designs for your home decor, you greatly widen your chances of finding someone else who will be able to see themselves in your home…which is, of course, exactly what you want to happen when you’re trying to sell.
Bottom line, trends in home design come and go, but good design will always be eternal.
