SPECIAL SECTION: TRANSFORMATION
NEUTRAL COLORS
3Ways to Use Neutral Colors and Still Stand Out HOW TO APPEAL TO ALMOST ANY BUYER WITHOUT LOSING YOUR SPIRIT OF DESIGN.
BOHO: Short for bohemian. This style is typified by designs inspired by the free spirits of the 1960s and 1970s and makes use of natural materials, earth tones, jewel-tone accents, and fringe.
TIP #1 THINK OF NEUTRAL WALLS AS A BACKDDROP TO YOUR THEME Neutral colors, be they greys, beiges, greiges (grey plus beige), whites, or off-whites, provide a welcoming, soft feel. This is a big sell and sets the stage for some “wow moments” that are likely to appeal to your buyers in a big way.
by Anita Corsini
blue cabinets? Green cabinets? Brick tile? Contemporary flooring?” Then, shake, shake, shake, and boom, the per- fect design plan would appear in that little window. Wouldn’t that be nice? And what a fun show to watch! Since I don’t have an 8-Ball, though, I rely on the architecture of the neighbor- hood and popular design trends to help guide the design plans for these homes. I will admit, it is not an easy task for me. I am someone who loves color and pattern, and an industrial, “boho” vibe in homes. I love color, mixing styles and pat- terns, and taking a “no holds barred” approach to design, but I am very aware that the majority of the home-buy- ing population is not with me. There is almost always a higher return on
comments and I see the critiques. I don’t mind them, however, because there is method to the neutral mad- ness. You just cannot necessarily see it, in its entirety, on a 30-minute reality house-flipping show.
investment when a home is designed well, but for investors, designing well includes designing thoughtfully and not quite as creatively as you might prefer. For me, designing well means things are thought through, cohesive, and current. Think of it as preparing a beautiful slate for the artist to then come in and paint with their Picasso. When a buyer can walk in and see their taste would fit well in what you have created, your property sells much faster and often for a higher price than it would otherwise have done, and, let’s face it, time is money in this game. So how can you design well (and using those all-important neutrals) while still standing out from the crowd? Here are three of my best tips:
Anita Corsini is an Atlanta, Georgia- based real estate investor and stars in the HGTV real estate hit, Flip or Flop: Atlanta, with her husband, Ken. The Corsinis have been investing in real estate since 2003 and presently focus on flipping and new construction. turn a property with great potential into a property with great attraction to the widest audience of buyers possible. My husband, Ken, and I have flipped a ton of houses in our past, but we never realized just how “neutral” our houses were until we started reading the comments after we began flipping on television. Yes, that’s right: I read the snarky A s real estate investors and flippers, in particular, our daily goal is to
What Works:
Invert the long-time “go-to” color scheme of white trim and grey paint on the walls. Use a darker trim and a lighter color on the walls to make a big statement. Paint the doors a different color than the trim. Charcoal shades work really well and will up the design game in any home. “Wow” Factor:
WHAT’S THE METHOD? I’LLTELLYOU:
First, a hard truth: That goal of making a house attractive to the widest audience possible is truly a guessing game. If I could invent a Magic 8-Ball that I could shake and shake until the little block would rise and tell me exactly what the buyer for a specific home would want, I would. How fun would that be? “Magic 8-Ball, would this buyer like
With warm neutral colors as a backdrop, tasteful staging creates a "Wow!" moment in this kitchen.
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