send an email
from
subject
to
message
 
I blog here: http://blog.designpublic.com/ and here: http://thebubbreport.blogspot.com/ I also have a Masters in Landscape Architecture from UVA. I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta.

Think Beyond Resale I: Colorful Cabinets (4 comments)

Share On:
View Slideshow
You know one thing that I find really annoying? When people make decorating decisions based upon resale value. It's one thing if you are a serial house flipper who only wants to live in the house while you fix it up with an impending big sale in mind. It's another thing when you think you are going to ride out a huge portion of your 30 year mortgage in the house - MAKE IT YOUR OWN! I prefer for a house to be an individual home, tailored in style to what its inhabitants like. It makes the owners happy, and it tells visitors a lot about the homeowners' personalities.

One area where things can get really resale-minded boring is the kitchen. You don't have to blow the budget on trendy high-end granite counters, stainless appliances, and travertine floors (unless of course that is what you love, in which case, go for it!). In fact, if you pick based on today's hot trends, it's very likely everything will look dated within a few years! On the other hand, individual choices are more likely to stand the test of time.

These kitchens in particular have chosen to go outside the "fix it up for resale" neutralizing rules and instead use beautiful colored cabinets that risk making a home stager blanch. If you're in a home with dated cabinets but you can't to spend $25K+ in the cabinet section, use these images for inspiration when you visit the paint section. Don't be afraid to let your colorful cabinet freak flag fly!

eclectic kitchen by Susan M. Davis
This deep teal cabinet with glass doors really catches ones eye in this otherwise neutral palette.
by Susan M. Davis
eclectic kitchen by Susan M. Davis
Here's a close up of this lovely cabinet. I am in love with those counters as well - I think they are soapstone, but I'm not sure. Anyone?
by Susan M. Davis  
contemporary kitchen by ladimoradesign.com
GO! BIG! ORANGE!
by ladimoradesign.com
modern kitchen by Koning Eizenberg
Here's big orange used a little more subtly than it is in the image above.
by Koning Eizenberg  
mediterranean kitchen by KIYOHARA & MOFFITT
Here, green antiqued cabinets, Fortuny-esque light fixtures and a harlequin pattern on the floor all add to the Mediterranean flavor of the house.
by KIYOHARA & MOFFITT
mediterranean by KIYOHARA & MOFFITT
This is from the house featured above.
by KIYOHARA & MOFFITT
modern kitchen by European Cabinets by Design
Here the pop of sleek red gives the space a futuristic, sort of automotive look, without overwhelming the room. I think if all of these cabinets were red, it would look like a giant bottle of Opi "I'm Not Really a Waitress" nail polish had exploded in here.
by European Cabinets by Design
eclectic kitchen by Anik Pearson Architect, P.C.
Here, the deep blue mixed with gray and stainless steel really does serve as a neutral, while adding lots of style to the space.
by Anik Pearson Architect, P.C.
contemporary kitchen by Original Vision Limited
Now if this is not someone's unique individual style, I don't know what is! I bet this person is a big B52s fan.
by Original Vision Limited
contemporary kitchen by Architecture in Formation, P.C.
Here, red combined with stainless steel cabinetry gives the kitchen a Jetsons meets workbench edge.
by Architecture in Formation, P.C.
contemporary kitchen by Buttrick Wong Architects
These green cabinets lend a farmhouse/cottage feel.
by Buttrick Wong Architects
contemporary kitchen by Studio Sarah Willmer
Actually, the more I look at it, the more blue can serve as a neutral in terms of retail, without being boring. Who doesn't love a blue kitchen space, especially one that is still this bright and cheery?
by Studio Sarah Willmer
traditional kitchen by Steeldaisy Associates
Light wood mixed with this pleasing light turquoise adds a Scandinavian flair to the room.
by Steeldaisy Associates
contemporary kitchen by James Wagman Architect, LLC
Here the red is modern perfection. Also, check out how gorgeous those luminous tiles are! The rougher slate floor balances out all the shine in the room.
by James Wagman Architect, LLC  
traditional kitchen by Gast Architects
This slate blue/gray color works well with the butcher block, beadboard, and Victorian style of the home.
by Gast Architects  
contemporary kitchen by Snaidero
I love this apple green lacquer. If you did need to sell and others weren't as green-happy as you, you could have them re-lacquered or powder-coated in a more neutral resale color.
by Snaidero
traditional kitchen by awarchitect.com
Here a slightly lighter shade of apple green is used with a much different style kitchen. I love to compare and contrast pictures like this one and the one above.
by awarchitect.com
Share On:

comments

I couldn't say it better: people should create a house that will be individual and make them happy. Like your selection for this ideabook. Great kitchens.
becky says:
Thanks sweetdreams! I'm so tired of seeing everything painted neutral for some hypothetical, vision-less future buyers ;)
whimages says:
I totally agree, if your family is the type to get transferred every 18 mo to 3 years I understand, otherwise...PERSONALIZE!
whimages says:
We are in the process of painting our natural oak cabinets BLACK. There is a tiny bit of distressing here and there that shows a lovely Robin Egg Blue. I'm totally LOVIN' them!
would you like to comment?

Browse over 30,000 home design photos and save the photos you like to your own ideabook!

Subscribe for Weekly Design Ideas and Tips:
email rss twitter facebook
Browse over 30,000 home design photos and save the photos you like to your own ideabook!
"It's the Flickr of design idea sites"
"The best showcase of houses on the internet"
- Baltis Architects
Embed this Ideabook's Badge on Your Site
copy this code
120px
160px
200px
240px
300px
380px
480px
620px
Today's Ideabooks
Houzz Interview: Kasey's Charming Illinois home
A couple of months ago, we've asked you to recommend home design bloggers for the Houzz interview series....
 
Four Tips for Creating a Kids' Craft Space
I was woken up this morning by my three year old using me as a shelf for his pipe cleaner collection....
 
Brought Up in a Barn
I was waxing nostalgic about Laura Half Pint Ingalls the other day and it inspired me to seek out pictures...
 
The Soothing Effect of Symmetry
A hallmark of traditional design, symmetry always does a great job of adding "visual calmness" and balance...
 
Bringing Symbols of Luck into Home Design
Your home is a place where you should feel lucky. If the home is filled with warmth, love and things...
 
Modernizing the A-frame
Ah, the A-frame house. Quirky, as simply geometric as architecture can get, sometimes a bit impractical,...
 
8 Easy Ways to Bring 'Toile de Jouy' Into Your Home
One of my very favorite patterns/designs for fabrics, wallpaper or even china is, Toile de Jouy, more...
 
Designing for Couples: Tips for a Cozy & Content Home
Discovering how to please both partners in a relationship is one of the best tools I've acquired as an...
 
What's In Your Wine Cellar?
When I first joined Houzz, way back in November 2008, I was trying to figure out how to organize and...
 
Flower Arrangement: Making Florals Work
Florals. Growing up in Texas, my mind naturally reverts to a sort of eighties country red-white-and-blue-long-live-the-republic...
 
Open Photo in New Window
Add to Ideabook
add to my ideabook
what do you like about this space?
post this message to the buzz board
make comment private
existing ideabook:
or new ideabook:
 
home | houzz on your site | about houzz | terms of use | privacy policy | help