How would you solve this situation?
You are decorating your entire house for someone you’ve never met. You have no idea if they are male or female, a family with 7 kids, or an elderly couple. You have nothing to go off of as far as likes or dislikes, you literally know NOTHING about them. You also have no idea when they will move in. But you think about them. You think about them every time you want to be brave enough to change a paint color. You think about them when you pick out your lighting. You think about their opinion with every single home decision that you make.
Sounds sort of insane right? THAT’S BECAUSE IT IS!!
Helloooooo its hard enough to make up our own minds when we know every single thing about ourselves.
One of the biggest things that come with homeownership is the resale value of your house right? I get it. But here’s the thing. Those people? They don’t live there. You do!
Whenever I think about this future homeowner I always picture a nerdy guy with a comb over and a sweater vest tapping me on the shoulder saying (in a nasally voice) “But I don’t liiiike brick.”
He kind of looks like this guy from our family Christmas pictures:
(Ironically this is a picture of my husband who actually does own our house…)
People have bad taste, its just the way it is. What if the future owner of your home has horrible taste? Does that mean that you have to live in a place that caters to his sad sad world? In order to not do anything to offend the maybe future homeowners we feel like we need to do things that are inoffensive.
Vanilla.
Heartbreaking.
The boob light.
WHYYYYY?? You know what is offensive? Boobs. On your ceiling!
How about beige?
(Source)
Southern Utah is full of beige builder grade houses. Trust me, I bought one.
So in a effort to keep our homes in the pristine beige world that they entered as, we just leave it? So that Joe Blow will maybe want to live there someday?
You guys.
Think about your favorite room that you have ever seen (in person or online). I am willing to bet that it’s not builder grade neutral with boob lights. I am also willing to bet that there are people that fiercely love it and people that hate it. That’s not bad!
There are so many things that you can do to inexpensively update your house and not decrease it’s value. Like paint. Its just paint, you (or the new homeowner) can always take it back to its beige-y beauty if it is so desired.
But more importantly, what can you do to make your home a place that you love? There is something that needs to be said for understanding that yeah, this might not be your dream home. But still doing your best to make it that way is ok!
Everything is going to offend someone, and guess what? You’re the only one that has the power to change what offends you in your own home.
I was talking to some friends this week, one of them is building a house and asked if it would be a horrible idea to paint the kitchen cabinets white because it is on trend and it will go out of style eventually. Here is what I think, if you love it DO IT! Everything will go out of style. Except Taylor Swift, she never goes out of style (now you have that song stuck in your head, sorry.) Everything you put in your house has a timestamp on it. It’s what makes the world go round. It’s what gives you nostalgia. Think about it, classic styles still evolve and that is not only ok, its AMAZING!
So lets make a pact, if you have beige walls and boob lights, and hate them lets change it!! Don’t be scared, come into the light! It’s way funner over here!
And tell that intrusive future maybe homeowner to shush it.
Cute post! I like that perspective!
This is perfect.
Your point is a good point. But the ugly “resale ability” has to be mentioned when a client wants to do blue or mauve grout. True story.
MANDI!! THANK YOU for writing this. Thank you. Sharing all over the place. xoxo
I love it! The boob lights… my parents wanted 2 in a small hall way and I died laughing at the fact it was going to be boobs in there. I stick out in my family like a sore thumb, I want to be constantly evolving and changing and they feel if it ain’t broken then don’t change it. In the end they end up loving it.
Oh, the boob light. I have one in my (rented) bedroom and have been wanting to swap it out for something easy. Do you have any suggestions for us renters on inexpensive replacements for that thing? My approach in the rest of the house has been swapping out the glass bowl for the mid-century milk glass ones so they have a little more character without needing to change the entire fixture. I’m ready for something more dramatic that won’t break the bank!
I would check out the thrift store! Changing out lights is SO easy and then you can always put the boob light back in when you leave and take your awesome light with you!
Change them out and replace them when you go. But, just be forewarned… the landlord might like the change and decide that you’re genius. True story, happens all of the time.
Preach It Gurl! I freaking hate it when I make changes in MY house and Practical Sally (we all know THAT person) gives me an earful and her opinion why she would have NEVER done that! I don’t live at your house and you sure as H-E- double hockey sticks will never live at mine, so shut-eee! Down from the soap box, into the sink full of dishes. #ineedadietcokenow
Just to clarify, Mandi. I wasn’t trash talking you. I enjoyed your post and I’m even going to share it with Practical Sally. Maybe I can paint, tear out walls and pound as many nails in MY walls in peace if she knows I don’t live for the future homeowner. I feel the strong desire to tell you that Practical Sally is my mother-in-law. #nowyouknow
hahahaha Kerry I just love you!!
Yes! I hear this comment all the time among my friends and it’s infuriating! Thank you for straightening that out!
I always just figured that by the time I’m ready to sell the walls are going to need a fresh coat of paint anyway. Might as well have them be something I like until then.
Genius! I feel the same way. We only get so much time on this planet, why make decisions based not only on some wavering future but on someone else’s OPINIONS in the future?! Enjoy your lives people!!
I love every word of that post and it’s so true
i love this post!!! and the attitude behind it, thank you!
I love this post!!! So true! But, as someone currently looking at houses, I don’t understand why homeowners who are brave enough to do whatever they want to their homes while they’re living in them won’t spend a few hundred bucks making their houses boring beige again before they sell! I admit I’m not someone who can look past fuchsia paint to see good bones–and most of the homes I’m seeing that have been on the market for a while have crazy paint and wallpaper. I say do what you want while you’re in the house…but change it back if you want to sell quickly.
I agree with everything you said. My house choices have always been a bit unique and I have always left them that way when we put the house on the market. I think it helped that we were not the beige house and people remembered ours. I kept up with the new owners of our previous houses and the only rooms they changed were the ones that were different from their child’s gender. I guess girls don’t want a red, white, and blue bedroom and apparently boys don’t want pink, purple, and yellow. 😉
We just gutted our master bathroom and redid it and it is NOT what you will see in any other bathroom in Utah and I love it!
Yes! And those boob lights, could not agree more. I thought I was the only one who thought that – thanks for making me feel normal! 🙂
I’ve taken down so many boob lights over the years in EVERY house we’ve lived in!!! And repainted every room a million times! You are so right on here, I am so much happier in my houses when they’re what I want, and you know what else, I have sold all of them at huge profits because the buyers thought they were so unique! Down with the boob light!!!
What an awesome post. Thanks, I needed this little talk.
I REALLY want to take down a wall between two bedrooms and make a crazy-awesome master bedroom walk-in closet BUT that would mean our home would be a 3 instead of 4-bedroom house. I *think* we’re still going to do it (fearless DIY!), but I think it will definitely affect resale. Good thing I’m NEVER MOVING! 🙂
Hahaha boob lights. That was funny.
Mandi! Now I feel like a “practical sally” because of what I said in your loft post, but I really didn’t mean to be! Maybe just a little envious that you are so fearless in your choices and don’t care what others think. Don’t pay attention to me. You go girl.
Great post…totally agree as far as paint and lights go, but it is MUCH harder when trying to decide what to do with larger, expensive items (like taking out walls to change the layout…or putting in new floors or counter tops etc.) How do you balance what you love with what you ‘think’ a future buyer might or might not love, when the item in question is SO expensive and not easy to change?
Hi Amanda, I hope you don’t mind that I am weighing in on your question. I am an interior decorator and home stager for a real estate investor (www.mbzinteriors.com/?p=4863). I encouraged the investor to decorate cleanly and modern. However, although I kept the colors in main living space fairly neutral, I used some warmer near-country furnishings with pop of color. I encouraged the r.e. investor to paint all the walls gray and even in the bedrooms and I was able to add very colorful yet different items for girl bedroom, boy bedroom and master bedroom, even tho they all had the same wall color. The house sold quickly and I believe everyone, whether they wanted Joanna Gaines Fixer Upper Style or modern style, was able to envision their own furnishings and color in the home. I guess my point is that neutral is fine but have a stager bring in pops of color and textures. Hope this helps you if you are too a real estate investor.
I often find myself stuck in the “resale” mode, being a retired Realtor. Why do I do this???? I love color, I love beige, I like it all, but am fearful of that word. My husband says we’re moving in a couple of years to a smaller house that would be better for us to manage. Really? Are we going to move, or is it just something he’s “thinking” about!! I’ve started pushing myself to change the house we are in, which is close to being a new build. One room at a time. Maybe he won’t notice… Thanks for the push, just what I needed.
Oh my goodness, thank you for writing this post. When a client at first conference points to that light fixture and says we just bought that, I cannot as their interior decorator, though would LOVE TO, say “what, that boob light”? I mean seriously, was there a 99 cent sale on those???? AND they call me AFTER they paint some pinky beige on the walls and ask “What can you do for this room?”. Turn off the lights, I think! Sarcasm aside, I don’t know why people buy or paint something and THEN call the decorator. Please call me before you make ANY decision. One style of light can dictate the whole room that you may not really want. So thanks for this post and saying what I can’t say for risk of losing clients 😉
OMG!!! I have had this conversation in my head countless times!!!! I couldn’t agree with you more. My brother has lived in his home for over 15 years and still has it painted builder beige inside because of ‘resale’. My hair caught on fire when he told me that. WHAT!!!???!!!!! You stated it perfectly: we decorate our homes with some future unknown home owner in mind. It’s crazy. I put green glass subway tiles in my kitchen 3 years ago and a friend cautioned me about resale. I chose green glass subway tiles because they made ME happy. Bravo!!!! You have a very specific design aesthetic that is all your own. Follow your heart.
Preach it sister. That thought has loomed over us and been “sweetly” brought up by relatives as we’ve made our house into our own. Thank you for making feel better about it! This was our living room (slash entire house) before we moved in. https://www.petitemodernlife.com/2015/02/02/scandi-living-room-reveal/ boobs all over that sad oatmeal paint. White paint and new lights were an insta fix!
Dangie!!! you found a photo of the boobEST boob light I have ever seen!!! Great points, Mandi… I love this post, and everyone should take heed of this great advice. Go for what YOU LOVE, it is currently YOUR environment – and you deserve greatness!!
I’m sorry, but that “hunka hunka burning love” just stole the spotlight on this post! Seriously, we’re getting ready to sell, and I was thinking about going TO the basic beige on the walls. Maybe I’ll keep it as is!
Boys or men can have opinions about sports and sports teams. They disagree and have strong opinions. However, if a woman has an opinion about decorating, we brand her, “offensive” and “rude.” This is called: REVERSE SEXISM. Where women are sexist towards one another, but it’s okay for the guy to do that. Take apart your house, make mistakes, go nuts, have fun. Opinionated women are not the difficult ones, it’s the stereotype that keeps them there that is difficult. My BFF Kim has the worst taste in the world, we’ve had really good laughs about it. She knows that it’s okay if I have an opinion about my line of work, just like the boys on ESPN can have their opinion about their line of work. This life is not a contest to be seen as, “the nicest.” It’s about doing the right thing, authenticity, failure and character.
Thank you for writing this post because it’s making me MORE AWARE of how that sneaky future homeowner is influencing my current decisions about my house. “Future Homeowner” has a lot less influence if I’m aware of him/her. This was a great reminder that I need to make decisions about what I love and how I will use my space, since I’m the one who lives here.
BOOB LIGHT!!!! YESSSS!!!!! What a great reminder to us all. Most of my furniture is vintage….craigslist, thrifted, and flea market found. I get many comments on both sides….but really in the end, it only matters what is comfortable for me and my family. I can’t say how many times I’ve hesitated to do something with “future homeowner” in mind. You are as always, a huge inspiration!
!!The BOOB light!! We are building right now and our PM nearly died twice over when I told him I don’t want a single BOOB light in my house! Thanks for validating my point… I’ll be sure to forward him this read! XO
Yup I got the song stuck in my head now. But I kinda always do because it’s my daughter’s favorite. Love this post. And I’ve also had a white kitchen for 15 years now and still love it 😉 Beige-yness not so much…it offends me haha
Ha! Love this post! Yes, I think about this stuff all. the. time. I don’t let it completely crush my design, but I do let it tone down my choices because traditional is where it’s at here in the suburbs of Nashville.
Totally agree. Everything goes out of style even white cabinets! All the spaces we think are so amazing now will look dated someday but that is better than boring. We plan to stay In our home so I never worry about what someone else may like. My taste are always changing as it is so I can’t worry about someone who doesn’t live here!
omgosh, hahaha, i have never heard it called the boob light, but it is so true! Thanks for the post too. I am literally in that boat as I type because we bought a house knowing we’d only live in this city temporarily..maybe 3-4 yrs. I want and have done upgrades, but I also want what I want!! I love to decorate, and this is my first house..so there, future homeowner, deal. 🙂
Thanks for this post! We’ve lived in our house for only a few years, and it’s definitely “builder grade” in many ways. We aren’t sure if we’ll live here “forever”, so it’s hard to make very drastic changes to the pretty vanilla palette. We’ve definitely made some changes, but this is great encouragement to make US happy, since WE live here!
This is so funny, and SO TRUE!!! My entryway has a boob light — it MUST go AWAY!!! Thanks for the smiles, lady.
YESSSS! My husband just finished painting our beige ceilings-it took forever and he is super sore but now they are a pristine white and it makes me SOO happy! Next up, get rid of the beige walls!
I’ve changed out every light fixture in my house… so against the booblight! but as I continued reading I realized, holy cow, I think there is ONE BOOB still in my house! then I got up and found it. It’s in a small area, not visible thank goodness! But makes me realize, I’ve still got work to do!! Dang!
By the way, how many cabinet colors are there? Many shades of wood OR white. I kind of think white will never go out of style. It’s classic & neutral.
this is so perfect! my thoughts exactly!!!
That Guy! Why would you design anything with that guy in mind. Yuk.
Make it beautiful.
Live in it and love it.
Someone with taste – just like you – will snap it up.
There’s plenty of other places for That Guy.
I always say if you aren’t sure what to do, go with the time period of the house, then add in your personality bit by bit. My apartment is from 1928 and was renovated in 2003 with plenty of builder grade that I’m taking out to replace with period-appropriate paint and lighting (and more efficient closet storage, those wire shelves are done for). Now that everything is fixed up EXCEPT for the kitchen, it sticks out like a sore thumb from the early 2000s, wondering why Dawson’s Creek had to end and updating it’s AIM away status. Damn you, builder’s grade. You’re never a good idea, and you’re never good quality. Even if it’s not my style, I want to know that the home I’m buying has been cared for and the things that were put in were thought about and installed with purpose, not just because it was cheapest. But hey, that’s just me.
HI Mandy! I never comment on blogs, but this post got me motivated. You are completely right to inspire people to do what they love. Live in what they love. We did everything we dreamed of in our last house – totally suited to our own tastes. Then we posted on our house tour on DesignSponge. We even mentioned the DS post in our listing and our house sold in 3 days.
I always called them nipple lights! Hahahahaha
This really is great advice! My husband just built me an awesome kitchen island with a poured concrete counter top. I initially told him I wanted the island to be taller than a traditional kitchen counter and he liked the idea. Then I proceeded to waiver back and forth because of resale (even though I know we will be living her a good long while.) In the end we did make it higher and I love it! So glad I went with my gut and not some future home owner’s. I’m tall, my husband is tall, plus I have neck and shoulder issues and constantly bending over or looking down at my kitchen counters is, well, a pain in the neck. So, I guess we will just have to market the house to tall people. Oh well. I’m enjoying it in the mean time! 😉
As we got closer to moving we made everything more “new person” friendly then she saw the old pictures and said “why did you paint over all of that?” oops 🙂
I’m glad you mentioned this. I have lived in my current home for years, never really feeling it was mine because of the builder grade stuff and never having the money to change it. Then, getting divorced, and knowing now that I get to fix it up, it DOES have to be made as neutral and sellable as possible, because I am about to embark on a new home ownership adventure, where I will downsize a bit, outright own my home and land (no mortgage, yay!) and the best part? I get to make it ALL mine. But I need to sell this home ASAP after it’s on the market in order to make that happen.
Oh well. At least I have plenty of creative DIY “upgrades” and staging to have fun with in the meantime!
Hey Mandi!
I’m so happy to see that you are going to make a serie of video’s! 🙂 By the way, I’m wondering if you know Robeson Design on youtube? She did make-overs of people that are sending her pictures of their bedroom and than she shows it in sketch-up (a 3D program) how you could transform your room. I don’t know if you use Photoshop or Sketchup sometimes for any of your projects? But I think you would go wild!! And it would be so cool if you did make-overs of followers with design problems, you’re style and smart ideas are amazing!
Mandi, how is it that someone so young is so freaking smart? I love you. But what I am really impressed with is that you got your hubs to be photographed like that. Awesome-sauce.
P.S. I think I would NOW love that $100 Home Depot gift card to change out my boob lights in the kids’ rooms ;/
WORD! So painting my new craft cabinets in pastelly colours. Thanks for the courage and kudos to your hubby for having enough self-distance to take that picture 🙂 Keep up the good work. You’re such an inspiration.
Hahaha we call them boob lights too. I HATE them. We’re finally done doing all our own lighting design and implementing it all and hell yes, no more boobies on the ceiling.
I loved everything about this whole post! Totally had me laughing and totally agreeing with you wevery step of the way!
Yessss. Unfortunately we really do have to think about that future person. We’re a military family living in a house that we’ll be out of in 4 years or less – it’s a big fixer. And I’m constantly weighing that other person in on our decisions. It’s such a short period of time! But I keep reminding myself that beautiful (and even appealing to multiple people) doesn’t have to be boring – no beige, no boob lights, no dull tile. Our house will be clean, well-kept, and functional. And I plan on enjoying it for every minute until I hand over the keys.
I just save my boob lights and keep a lot of drywall compound in my garage. I refuse to repaint to sell my house for less than I paid for it but I’ll be happy to nail things into white walls all day long.
I love you.
I live up in Mapleton and I *H A T E* it! Every house they build looks the exact same. WITH BEIGE WALLS. (Is that just a utah thing or just in general…)
(There are some houses a little north that are *almost* 70’s modern but not quite, and not attractive enough to matter.)
And then there’s the rich people up in the valley with their huge, generic houses.
Unfortunate.
I cry every time.
We have tons of the beige walled builder basic houses here in Florida as well. Makes me cry too.
It’s crazy! Every house on the outside is stucco and rock and they look the same and it drives me crazy.
White should really be the default.
Generic houses make me want to cry. Yet people buy them. I won’t ever understand.
When I was in college, my mom let me paint my room any color I wanted, and after growing up in beige city, I went with it. I took my pillow sham from my comforter set to the hardware store and matched the paint to the blue and purple in that sham. I then painted my walls a light periwinkle blue, and my ceiling and trim were painted a deep lavender. I absolutely loved that room, and showed it off to everyone. I think I am the only person that liked it, but I couldn’t care less. When my mom was trying to sell the house and I moved out of the room, it went back to beige walls and white ceilings and trim. Paint can easily be covered up, so I am all for painting whatever you want on the ceiling and the walls. Now the exterior, I might think twice about since I don’t want my neighbors to hate me.
I just bout a new townhouse in California and I Absolutely HATE my beige walls! You are right! I should do what I love and paint it white! Do you have any tips for painting a 1464 sq foot home DIY style? What’s the most cost effective / quick way to do this. Do you have any particular paint / primer suggestions?
Love your blog.
XO,
Lydia
I have those things in my house. Unfortunately, I also have a landlord and can’t change them. Any decorating tips for those of us who aren’t even supposed to put nails in the walls?
3m velcro strips worked wonders for us in our last apartment. When we did our exit walkthrough, the dude said the walls were the best shape of any he’d ever seen.
I’m a renter in Los Angeles and the FIRST thing I do when I’m moving into a new apartment is PAINT! I don’t mind painting it back when I’m gone (my last landlord even asked me to keep it when I moved out last time because she was going to have to re-paint anyway since I had been there 3 years, and she said it showed better!)… I also always change out light fixture… just make sure you have a place to store the old one… that you will have to put back 🙂
“builder grade neutral with boob lights” I’ve been trying to find a name for my decorating style for so long. Nailed it! hahaha
Oh my goodness, Mandi, I so needed to hear this! I’m starting a redec of four rooms on our downstairs level, and I’ve been terrified of taking any leaps for fear of being too trendy and hence, wasting money. I made up my mind to go for it a week ago (even doing an Orla Kiely wallpaper!!!!), and this post help reinforce my moxie. THANK YOU!!! You rock! Love ya!
ugh the dreaded boob light. It is everywhere in my home. boobs everywhere and I have had it up to the boob covered ceiling with those ugly lights. And just because they have “decorative” ones doesn’t make them more appealing. Might as well stick some nipple tassels on them and call it a day. We have lived in our home for 5 years and for 5 years I have begged and pleaded with my husband to let me decorate and let me put my spin on it. In his mind it was a waste of money because it wasn’t a forever home. Thank god he changed his mind and i can get rid of those horrible things
I know! Mandi, how about a post on lights to replace your boob lights. The flush mounts I see in stores (online) are all the same!
I never really understood living in a generic house for years and years because you might move some day. I get that putting in blue countertops and wallpapering every room of your house might not be the best plan for eventual resale, but within reason, customize and enjoy your home while you live there. I’d rather do a little repainting before I sell (and since my bathroom is dark charcoal grey and my office is navy, I’ll probably have to)…..
Also, I just looked up and gasped in horror. I guess that’s what you get for becoming complacent. Good thing this isn’t my house! (On the other hand, I’m gonna go yell at my grandma for a few hours brb…)
AMEN. AMEN. AMEN!!!! I have rented for soooo long that I couldn’t WAIT to buy a house. It pains me to know that there are people out there who don’t know how MAGICAL if feels to LOVE YOUR SPACE – whether other people think it’s weird or not! And the NIPPLE LIGHTSSSSSSSSSSSS! Why? Why? Why do they exist? I mean, I’ve even done crazy stuff like use Sharpie paint pens on my walls! 😉 Thanks for the inspiration!
haha, i never thought of those lights as “boob lights” before, but i guess they do seem that way. we have one in our upstairs bathroom and it really doesn’t give off that much light.
A-bloomin-MEN!!!! The last time we painted my main living area – open concept cape cod house – I wanted to go with a light blue color. But EVERYONE fought me on it – but not one of these people actually lived in my house (except my husband). So I caved and painted it a neutral tan. Hated it for years. Finally I said no more and went with a color called White Diamond and now I LOVE IT. It’s bright. It’s cheerful. It lets color stand out. And to think I let people convince me otherwise. I love it and I live here, right?!
Catching up on your posts. Boob lights, a dead orange sofa and a laundry sofa. Don’t know if I can stand anymore my face hurts! Keep blogging and I’m learning, thanks!
Can I just say how much this post made me smile?! It’s been a while since I’ve visited VR, but made sure to bookmark it now that I’m back. Currently house hunting with my hubby and feeling inspired by your style. Thank you and keep up the great work!
You could write another entire post on decorating for now knowing it will all go out of style one day!
Not only do things go out of style, but personal tastes and circumstances change, such as adding a new baby and having to make the decor more family friendly. Decor should never be static, but that does not mean we can’t be resourceful, economically and environmentally responsible about wanting to change it up and re-personalize our homes again and again over time.
I would love to see more posts with tips and tricks for decorating to accommodate change.
Great post!
OMG! I’m glad I’m not the only one who calls them boob lights! My husband thought I was crazy when we were picking out lighting. And yes our new (non-builder grade) home is boob light free!
Great article!
Mandi,
Probably the most insightful thing you’ve blogged yet! I love all your fun and funky ideas and creativity! But bottom line for everyone: choose and decorate with colors and ideas that YOU love! Who cares what’s ” in” or what everyone else is doing?!
I woke up at 6:00 am this morning, unable to sleep, with thoughts of a home makeover on my mind. Everything is boob light and tan at my house. I happened upon this post and the heavens have opened up and this is my sign. I’m going to do it. I’m in. Watch out world — cha cha change is coming!!!!! Thanks!
Oh my god… this is hilarious, that pic of your husband above… it was what brought me here from Pinterest…:) 🙂
Cielo