You have just one chance to make a first impression as they say right? Then sock it to them! Beige has its place but you need some WOW factor, just a bit when you’re selling your home.
Like I said in a previous post, you don’t have to go crazy with color but you do need color. Do a little research or hire a Professional Stager or Color Expert as myself but do your homework.
- What are the most sought after colors right now?
- What are your options other than beige?
- Should I use one of those “color of the year” hues?
- Should I put color on my walls or in my decor?
- What should I be doing to update my home to sell it?
- How do I know which room to focus on?
Crazy questions right? But they are ALL important when it comes to selling your home or just picking color for your home in general. Like anything else, you want to invest your money wisely so should it be on the paint color? Decor? A Stager? A Color Specialist?
Really, yes to just about all of the above. Here’s what I would do if I were helping someone sell their home.
FOYER: For the most part, the homes here in South Charlotte have a very impressive, two-story foyer. This area is the first spot your potential home buyers will see so get the WOW factor nailed right here in this area. What to do?
Get rid of the beige. Why? Because 9 times out of 10 every single home that your buyer will be looking at will have a beige foyer trust me on this one. I’ve been in dozens of homes and they all have beige foyers. If you choose a different color such as one of these, YOUR home will now be the one that will stand out. THIS is what you want to happen. You want your home to stand out in the mind of the buyer at the end of the day after they’ve been in 10+ homes. They may say, “Remember that home with the gray-blue foyer? I liked it. It was different.” You now have the leading edge above all the other homes on the market.
design by Donna Frasca
Here are some other colors to consider for your foyer.
- Try a soft, warm gray, very inviting
- A pale yellow is good only if you have poor lighting in your foyer
- Gray-blue is an excellent choice and a VERY popular color now. Take advantage of that!
- Pale green – a little more of a color commitment but look how pretty it can be! (see photo below)
designed by Donna Frasca
Decorating by Donna • Intuitive Color Expert 
Very good advice, Donna! It’s so funny – two nights ago I developed the color palette for my current home (a townhouse style condo), for after we move out and put it on the market. I never thought about making it stand out in the crowd, but that makes total sense. We figured the house needs painting anyway, might as well update the colors and make it as beautiful as it can be with mass appeal. The builder has *blessed* us with Brazilian cherry hwf on the first floor, and classic golden-yellow oak throughout the rest of the house, including the staircase where the two woods meet. Oh, and natural maple cabinets in the kitchen (on first floor). It was a challenge!
A menagerie of color! When you have so many flooring colors and styles, less is more on the walls – a lot less! I bet your condo looks great 🙂
I love that shade you suggest for the living room. 🙂 When I sold my townhouse, the first thing the buyers said is that they chose our house over the others because they didn’t need to paint over the ‘builder beige’, as we had already painted every room in contemporary, but pleasing, colors.
Of course the true color didn’t convey well here on the monitor but it was a dark, rich mulberry color, almost a cross between a dark purple and a burgundy. I’d have to look up in my files to see the exact name but it was beautiful and the best part, the clients wanted color so I went for it!
It read as an aubergine on my screen (a color I love).
Yes, stand out in a good way! Great post.
Thank you!
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Great topic Donna. You are right, it doesn’t have to be beige and please don’t do beige, it is an instant date stamp.
Love that Lisa! Date stamp – good one!
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Staging your home for sale? A fresh interior paint job is the best way to make a great first impression to potential buyers. Realtors will commonly suggest you stick to neutral colors: you don’t want to turn away any potential buyers because they don’t like the paint color in the bedroom. On the other hand, you don’t want your home to look boring. Like Donna Frasca, interior designer and color expert, says below: 9 out of 10 homes for sale will have a beige foyer. If your home is one of those 9, you’re not going to impress any buyers. Be the 10th: stage your home for sale with an appealing, neutral paint color scheme. Read Donna’s article below for ideas and instructions on how to make a great first impression. Then forward the article to your realtor.
Why don’t you give the brand and names of the colors to help people? Then, I might be interested in your blog. Nobody likes a tease.
I offer color consultations that will provide any color information that you need. That is how I make my living. The blog, is free information about many topics of color 🙂
I love the color palette you chose- especially the living room- rich and pleasing to the eye!
You like the plum color? It’s is a rich color and a nice change from all the typical colors one would use in the living room. My LR is a patina green – very awesome too!
Thank you Donna! I can see maybe using this plum color in a dining room- it is just lovely!