Residential Design Services for Builders

Our Blog

September 23, 2024

Design Center Dilemmas: All New or Mimic Your Last Home?

“Do I stay with the color scheme of my current home, or do I want a new look and feel? “

Such is the dilemma of those buyers fortunate enough to be able to make their own interior selections.

A Fresh New Look

A design center manager I talked to found that many of her buyers choose to go a completely different direction with their selections. “If they have neutral tone, they switch to warm tones or cool down. If they have white cabinets, they tend to select anything but white cabinets.”

That last statement resonated with me. When we moved from our large family home – built in 1991 – into our first downsized home in 2016, we decided to select espresso brown cabinets in the kitchen instead of white. I loved the dramatic look of the espresso color and the contrast with the countertop. At the time, espresso was the second most popular color. And while my previous home had a solid surface “quartz” countertop – it was not granite – which my realtor said was a turnoff for buyers. So, my fresh new look was not only the dark cabinets but a granite countertop.

Big mistake! I discovered the dark cabinets consumed the light and I hated the high maintenance of the granite. After only a few years, I removed the granite and replaced it with a lighter quartz countertop – not only for the low maintenance aspect, but also as an attempt to brighten up the kitchen.

Return to a Classic

Last week we moved into our new three-story townhome (we’re still in the final stages of moving so bear with me on the photography!). We were fortunate to enough to purchase it when it was in drywall and “designer ready” for us to make our own selections. This time, I reversed course and went back to the white cabinets. I was told by an interior designer that “white cabinets will never go out of style.”

For drama, we selected a black quartz countertop with white veining and black cabinet pulls. We even have a black sink! I’ll save the espresso for my afternoon pick-me-up.

Exciting new finishes

We didn’t set out to abandon the color scheme of our primary bath, but when we saw this really cool wavy tile – we just had to have it!

Same is true for the quartz countertop with white, silver, and navy-blue flicks. And since the color scheme of the primary bedroom was blue – we selected navy blue cabinets, bringing consistency to the design. Of course, this means our towels, rugs, and artwork no longer work in the bathroom. What were we thinking?

Rinse and Repeat

Not all buyers abandon their previous color schemes. Especially if they liked their previous home. They wisely select similar colors in order not to have to replace all of their existing furniture, rugs, and soft goods. But sometimes, this thrifty approach backfires when they move their old furniture into their new house. Suddenly, their existing furniture looks old and dated! Oops! And when they go to buy new – the furniture stores are featuring the current colors – and nothing like what they had.

The Best of Both Worlds

Let’s face it, design centers are full of new and amazing finishes and narrowing your selections can be a daunting process. With a little discipline, you can select fresh and new finishes in your existing color schemes. And it is possible to blend these two approaches with a couple of select rooms with fresh new colors.

What are your thoughts on the best approach for buyers? Go with a fresh new look because it is a new home? Of stick with current look and colors?

Categorized in:

This post was written by Housing Design Matters