I am one of the world's slowest home decorators. I do a nice job but am mainly a do-it-yourselfer and prefer to do things inexpensively (!) and so it can take me years to finish one room.

We are looking at selling our home in a few years but I don't want to have to re-decorate before we sell -- that would really stress me out if I had to hurry!

So my question is, what never goes out of style? What types of decorating styles were popular 20 years ago that have remained consistently stylish over the years?


Thanks in advance.

Well, as they say, everything old is new again......

Now, when you talk of "redecorating" , do you mean the colors of your walls and furniture, or do you mean accessories???

You say are going to sell in a few years.....I would paint the walls a fairly neutral color like light tan or beige, nothing too serious or bold colored. As for accessories, I have read that less is more......not a lot of "stuff" all over the place.

Sorry, I don't think I'm very clear on what you are looking for. Can you elaborate?

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I think it all depends on your style. I prefer modern/contemporary design, so it changes more frequently I think. However, I have family and friends that decorate in country, rustic, traditional and cottage....their trends seem to change less often.

I say buy neutral colored furniture and add color with pillows and throws. Buy pieces you love and are practical not only for your current house, but will transition to your new living space. With DH being in the military we have moved A LOT, so I have learned to buy all my wood pieces in the same shade so they can work in any room. I personally think photography of landscapes, buildings, places, etc. are timeless and work with any decor ( I do prefer them in black and white). I am not a knickknack person....but finding vases, candlesticks and frames in same color or style can make things look more organized and pulled together. When we sold our house 6 months ago, all my neighbors and friends told me to paint some of my walls since I am not afraid of color...I thought about it but decided to ask what the Realtor thought. She told me to keep everything the same, since it was designed to go with the decor of the house and the furniture I was showing the house with. So I did, we had 5 offers...sold above asking price and closed 5 weeks and 2 days after listing. So what I am trying to say, if you have good taste (and by the sound of it you do) don't go trying to please future buyers. Now if you have hot pink and electric blue painted walls you might consider toning them down But if your house is clean, uncluttered, well kept up it will sell.

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I personally think some good old bright blue or lime green shag carpet would be great!

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I don't know.....ours was orange and it was to die for!

cj/

(Sorry for goofing with your thread, Cuthie! I think a neutral wall is teh way to go...not white or off-white, but something with a little color that goes with lots of stuff)

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I'm leaving this wide open for interpretation just to see what kinds of replies I get...

The basic neutral backdrop (ie walls and floors) are here already.

If you are planning on selling sometime soon, neutral elements are best, so no matter what the new owner has it will match.....

off whites, tans, etc. also around here wood is big .....hardwood floors, trim, etc.

sorry about the shag carpet comment! Just couldn't help myself!

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Oh, I know about shag! We had the rust in our last house. It was already a dark house and it felt like a cave with the rust shag. You silly girl -- I laughed out loud when I read the carpet posts above!

Are you also redoing the floors? I imagine carpets won't look as nice in a few years as they would now.

You'll have to live with these things for a few years though so I say you decorate with what you love. The care that goes into assembling a years project room will shine through.

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ours is the "boys live here" look. I told em I'll have a nice home once they've all moved out and there's not marbles on the floor and legos, and duplos and knex and.....

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You can't go wrong with antiques. They are always classy and if you get tired of something you can usually sell it for more than you got it. Also, just a few really nice pieces will make a huge impact.

I think the only things that don't go out of style are the classics. If you stick to classic styles, nothing to modern or flashy, you can make anything work with whatever the "new" thing is. I always stick to neutral furniture and lots of classic antiques then change the look up with new drapes or artwork, my weakness.

We have all oriental rugs (that we paid next to nothing for) and then beigh carpet for the bedroom and hallway, again that being the classic color that wouldn't really go out of style. We ripped the mauve carpet out of here when we bought the place, that's the 80's version of the shag imo. ANd I have seen some shag carpeting trying to make a comeback, it was really soft and nice actually, but I would never buy something that specific unless it was a throw rug.

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REAL wood floors will never go out of style IMO
Farmhouse sinks. I've loved them since I was a kid (seeing them in 100 year old farmhouses in OK) and I still love them now in modern kitchens.
Anything with simple lines seems to stay "in" longer

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Avoid trendy materials ex// black granite counters, microfiber couches, stainless steel appliances, anything tht will date the house to a certain time period. ( I know, so what does it leave you with)
its hard because you want the house to have modern updates too - I think corian sinks/counters are timeless, but I could be wrong on that too.
go with traditional decor- I used to thinkThomasville was good at that- look through their catalogs then try to copycat for less through discount stores.
I think a basic sofa in tan , white, or beige would be nice and accent pillows you can change to freshen up the look later if need be.
Hardwood floors and wood cabinets- plain walls- off white- antique white, linen colored hues, you can use accent pieces through the house to jazz it up.

I have to disagree with corian for counters. Corian is VERY 80's in m eyes and I know *I* (and probably everyone in my family) would tear them out. I'm not saying black granite rules but corian is really dated (at least around here). I do agree with traditional pieces

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Appliances and plumbing should always be white (the house I grew up in had pink and green toilets!), and walls and floors should be neutral (white-tan). Anything referred to as a 'new classic' should be avoided. Today's stainless fridges are yesterday's avocado green ranges. Basically, no one should be able to know much about you by looking at the non-removable elements of the house. It is okay to choose soft furnishings and accessories you like, since you can easily recover pillows, and put your Betty Boop collection in storage. Actually, anything very personal should be removed when it's time to sell, so people can imagine your house with their own touches.

Also, they're totally NOT timeless, but I really like wall stickers. They're cheap, easy to apply, and easy to remove. We got some from Ikea for our bedroom because we're not great at decorating. They take up one wall, but could be gone in five minutes.

I like the stuff at Global Bazaar - a few big well-placed items make a simple statement without overpowering a room - and you can get these nice things at the upcoming Target GB clearance event (late Feb/Early March)

I LOVE to watch the show "Design to Sell" on HGTV - you would get a lot of ideas from that - I think the important thing is that everything is clean looking and clutter-free. Update your light fixtures nearer to the time you want to sell.

But I realize these are not your concerns yet - I agree - buy neutral colors for any furniture replacement, and wall colors.

Very exciting, Cuthie!

I don't agree with that. I have never liked white appliances and I am almost 50. I prefer black appliances but I really like a combination of black with SS handles. As to toilets, I agree with neutral color - beige or white are my preference.

What?? No Avocado or Gold color shag ??

Too funny!

Hey! I just got rid of my pink and green toilets...but the sinks and tubs are still the originals.

I'm glad you started this thread because I'm planning on remodeling my kitchen...and I want a classic look. So...no corian, no granite. Suggestions for countertops or anything else?

As far as the OPs question, I would agree with neutral colors. I wouldn't put big money into anything like floors. Invariably, the buyer will prefer something else. If you're putting money into anything, update the kitchen and bathrooms.

When we sold our last house 3 years ago, the realtor wouldn't show it until I cleaned out all the cupboards and closets. For some reason, she was not impressed with a whole load of toilet paper in the guest closet...or any of my other stash!

We have a light beige colored formica in kitchen and beige marble in bathrooms. We will not replace either.

I can't see how it would make or break a sale mainly because it does go with everything and could be easily torn out and replaced by whatever the buyer wants or kept in! I keep it spotless with Mr. Clean sponges and it has very few scratches... Really nice condition. Accessorizing both so as to not make the counter tops THE only thing that buyers see, will be key here.

The thing is, if we started putting granite or other in this home, it wouldn't end at the kitchen... we'd have to re-do the floors, bathroom counters, etc. It could open a whole different can of worms -- cost thousands of dollars.

We live in a $250,000 home (appraised value -- we refinanced about 3 months ago). We have come to realize that buyers looking at homes in this range are okay with formica, marble and veneer floors.

We are very thankful that we came to this realization. If we'd have started going big-budget on renovating, we probably would have gone out of our buyer's budget and lost money and maybe even a sale! because we'd have to lower the selling price and probably not ever regain what we put into the renovations.

I am happy in this home. It is well-built (nary a crack in any walls), comfortable, neat, clean (for the most part!) and homey. Everyone who comes here comments on it!



Devinmom, I love the Design to Sell show. I get a lot of ideas from it! I think our home already looks like a lot of their *after* homes so I know that we're doing something right! BTW... it's nice to see you again and so sorry about the loss of your dad. You and your family have been in my thoughts.

Today there was an article in our newspaper about '08 predictions. One of them was that stainless steel appliances would go out ?

I always wonder how they know this?

The guy at our upscale home depot said stainless was going out but copper and brass will be the next big thing (warmer tones etc.). Ugh how would you clean it. I agree with white or black appliances and no tile counter tops.

I don't like white appliances either and never have. I like white toilets. Don't know why. I have a friend who udated her house and she had pink toilets, sinks and tubs. She sold them on ebay and made money on them. I was SHOCKED what she got. I didn't know it would hip to be square and have a pink toilet LOL

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