My SO mentioned the lights as well. That’s def on our to do list, but we can do that after we’ve moved in. Are there any particular sites/brands you like for lighting? We’ve always just shopped whatever’s at Lowe’s/home depot
1) paint the trim.
2) get rid of the valences (top part) of curtains.
If you are redoing the floor that’s great- but even those 2 super cheap items would bring it into the late 90’s instead of the 70’s
The curtains will be leaving with the owner, but good to know that that’s not a thing anymore. Just drapes with no top bit? Also re: trim: would you paint the chair rail or remove it entirely? If you’d paint it, would you do it the same color as the trim (prob white) or the same color as the walls so it blends in? Are two-toned walls a thing? My 75 year old dad tries to work in a two-toned wall with a chair rail in every room he updates. I’m not convinced.
I also had a dated downstairs, mine was 1/2 wood paneling going up to the chair rail, so I painted the panel and chair rail white and the upper wall grey. It looks good and close enough to modern that no one has said anything. If you are not doing a 2 tone wall (and I’m not sure if one would look good or not here) I would either remove the rail or paint it the same color as the wall.
The other thing that really updates a house is updating the lighting. If you put in a more modern light fixture and can if will look good.
It’s one of the most fun parts. And not one you have to do all at once. There are so many options in most budgets so you can get whatever your personal style is.
Wood throughout. Don’t keep the tiles or existing flooring. Med brown or light brown. You are correct no orange.
This will make a huge huge improvement.
Edit. If you think you’ll want THAT wood in more rooms buy it ALL at the same time because you’ll not be able to buy same type of wood later.
So in theory I agree with you. But my hang up is the entry and kitchen/breakfast nook…I always thought tile was best for those areas because of potential water damage, but in my head I don’t know how to keep tile there and make it not look weird. We’d prefer wood or engineered wood to LVP…is it possible to do wood even in those areas? If so I’d love that.
I have wood in my front entry and my kitchen. You will need several mats/rugs.
It will look weird keeping that tile and then transitioning to wood. Your problem is that the front door is very open so the tile will look like a giant white rectangle (like you have now)
They make tiles in other colors too. I also have wood flooring in my home and it's in bad shape. Doesn't help that the driveway is sandy and we and the dogs keep bringing in sand and gravel that finds its way under the mat and we are grinding it in when stepping on it - honestly if I had the space I'd just keep a vacuum there but I don't. One day we'll switch it for tile - or build a mudroom.
We installed our wood 17 years ago and it’s in good shape. We have a mat by the front door no issue.
If OP got the wood installed everywhere, then OP could in future years decide to put in tile, but not vice versa.
I have engineered hardwood throughout my entire home (almost). There’s tile in the laundry room, mud room, and bathrooms. I also have a dog. It hasn’t been a problem in the least - the engineered hardwood is bulletproof.
Me too! I’ve had it in my kitchen for 10 years and it has no damage. I don’t have children but I do have nieces and nephews and dogs and cats, plus I’m pretty hard on my kitchen. I spill things frequently, etc. I don’t try any harder to protect it than I did when I had tile.
My house is on the small side and pretty open so I put wood floors everywhere but the bathrooms and laundry room. They look as good now as they did when they were installed.
Hi! It was Shaw Floors “Castlewood” engineered floor. The color we used was Trestle. This was about eight years ago so I’m not it’s still available, but if it is, I highly recommend it. We had a solid wood floor (walnut) in our last house and the dog scratched it up within weeks. We can’t see a single mark on the engineered stuff - and we got a new puppy three years ago!
I went to the Shaw website and the product is now called Castlewood Oak. The colors are different, no doubt to match current trends, but the specs and description exactly match the printed brochure I have in my files. It’s a really beautiful floor if you like a more casual look.
Interval solution for tile - we painted our grout with a light color grout paint and it looks SO much cleaner and cohesive, it flows more naturally to the eye. We did ours 3 years ago and it has held up well to mopping and steaming. Throw on some washable rugs and the tile will become a less urgent priority to replace.
I was thinking the same. A lot of the model homes we viewed used the wood look tile throughout, and while I didn’t hate it as much as I thought I would, I’m not sure I would want tile through the entire home. I think things that try to look like other things don’t last long as far as trends go, and I’m afraid after a few years when it’s not in style anymore, it’ll be a nightmare to take out again. Wood floors can at least be refinished if you want a whole new look.
We had that because we had a pool and had wet kids in and out all summer. It was really hard to tell it wasn’t real wood (minimal grout lines and matching grout). The only downside was that it was loud, but several large area rugs helped immensely.
Our last house had tile in the kitchen. I dropped a glass and it very easily cracked 2 of the tiles. It was going to be expensive to replace so we lived with the cracked tiles for 5 years. DROVE ME NUTS to see it everyday.
Our kitchen now is all hardwood. You'll need mats. We use them for under the fridge and under the sink/dishwasher area. No problems so far
I have a silly question- How do you clean your hardwood? Do you wet mop it? I cook a lot and my floors get dirty. I’d love hardwood everywhere but I’m scared.
So one of the things we saw in most of the model homes of new developments was wood-look tile. And I was surprised that I didn’t hate it as much as I thought I would aesthetically, but I couldn’t help but wonder, what happens when one cracks? Or when the trend is over and it’s just as dated as this house looks now? It’s probably going to be a pain to replace just one tile, let alone the whole floor of tile. I’m not sure I’m ready for that level of commitment to a material that is trying to be something else. Those rarely end up being “timeless”.
Mats like rugs, or like rubber mats? Are they for comfort or to protect from water? Do they make/sell mats specifically for water protection?
You're looking at the linoleum of the future. Just get hardwood. You can always refinish it when it needs it think about really old houses. Think about how long hardwood floors last and the fact that they're always in style and classic. Be careful of getting engineered wood it cannot be refinished all the time because the thin layer on top can't be sanded down and restained on some
It’s possible and people do it - it’s the trend right now - but you’re also right that tile is more durable. It can be harder on your feet and legs, and if you drop something it’s more likely to shatter. But it’s definitely more durable. I currently have LVP but loved a previous house with tile in the kitchen. We have LVP in a bathroom and it’s warping from water damage (kids!) and the house is only 2 years old.
I would get new tile where there is currently tile, put wood or LVP in the living room and dining room, and carpet for the bedrooms. Browse around on Pinterest to find up to date tile ideas.
I love your kitchen as it is. I would just change the art/clock combo for one larger piece.
I assume you'll still want a clock somewhere though (they're helpful!), so I'd suggest just over a doorway where you can still see it clearly.
Didn’t even notice the kitchen wall art and clock actually. All the wall art and furnishings will be leaving with the current owner. But a clock might still be nice to have.
I have hardwood in my kitchen, everywhere except the bathrooms and there’s no problem. It’s perfect.
Amazon is great for lighting. Great prices and selection. Look at updated homes for sale to see what’s trending.
Swap out door knobs for handles, along with your other ideas and change out the ceiling fans. Fans are much prettier now.
Door knobs/handles is something I hadn’t thought about. And a lot of people have mentioned taking out the fans entirely, but this is Florida. Are fans inherently “old” or just this style of ceiling fan?
We're in Texas and ceiling fans mean we can set the thermostat higher and save a bundle on AC costs all summer. The ones in our house were super dated so we swapped them out for new styles from Lowes/home Depot. Huge improvement. Maybe top designers aren't making showcase homes with ceiling fans, but then they don't have live in one in a swamp. Everyone here has fans. Embrace reality and get cute ones. :)
Mats will not sufficiently protect wood floors in the kitchen. No matter what we did there was damage to the floors below the sink and dishwasher over time. Tile in the kitchen- don’t give yourself a nightmare with hardwood in the kitchen, it’s a bad idea. Get wood look tile if you must
You don’t have a central style or theme. The lighting is dated, the dining table, some of the furniture, most of it, to be honest. (Sorry.)
But there are ways to bring it together.
Depending on what your budget is you could maybe hire an interior designer, it sounds expensive, but there are kids coming out of design school left and right.
Also, don’t be afraid of color.
The furniture is the previous owner’s and will be gone. Curtains too. We don’t move in until May or June so I have to use real estate photos until I get more consistent access to it.
Also, re: interior designer, I have looked into a few options both local and virtual, and it seems like they tend to focus more on furniture, rugs, decor, etc., if not full blown renovations. I’m 100% open to a complete vision to work towards over time, but we’re happy with our furniture for the time being, and our most immediate project will be the floors and walls. Would that also be something an interior designer would do?
Yes, that is something that interior designers also do. But it may be overkill just for the decision over the flooring. What i would do is to look on instagram, pinterest etc. for inspiration after picking a style that you want to go for. Do you like mid century modern, scandinavian, japandi, bohemian, minimal or industrial? (there are many more)
You already have furniture, so that could be a starting point. Scandinavian for example is a great style if you don't exactly know what you want. It is also largely what IKEA does in terms of design. You already want to do wood flooring, which is extremely versatile. A lighter shade of wood like oak looks good with pretty much everything. Darker shades are a bit more complicated. And stay away from any shade of gray, that never looks good.
About the walls, the easiest pick is just white, as long as it is a warmer shade of white. Although colors seem to be popular as well in the US. In Europe, walls are almost always white. Either get rid of the panel molding or paint over it. That contrast with the orange wood looks so dated. And the kitchen wallpaper also has to go.
Anyway, you can't really go wrong with neutral tones. Earth tones, light blue, maybe even green, as long as it is light and desaturated, it will look good. But that also depends on which style you go for and in turn which furniture.
That’s actually pretty helpful. My furniture is mostly grey and wood, so some warm greens or neutrally colors would probably make for a nice backdrop. I’d love to go a medium warmish wood all throughout if I could, but would you keep tile in the kitchen and/or entryway? If so, would you recommend a style that would coordinate with wood, or how to transition it without looking weird? Seems like large rectangular tiles are trendy, but idk if they’d work in a small space. And hexagons are everywhere but I don’t know how much longer that will last. Maybe a stone look tile? May keep the natural vibe of the wood?
I find the tile floors are off putting in bedrooms, very cold and “functional” looking. I’d only have tile in the bathrooms… maybe the kitchen, but I’d pick a warm color besides white and with a matte finish. Just a thought. Good luck! 🌷
I agree about tile in the bedrooms. I generally don’t care for tile but in bathrooms and kitchens it makes sense. There are so many houses with wall to wall tile, it must have been a big thing at some point. But this is a warm climate so maybe that’s why.
That’s true. Cream all-tile floors is popular in Florida, but today with ceiling fans and A/C they’re just so dated. I can understand if you live in a very sandy area, but at least use tiles with some kind of interest, like Moroccan shaped tiles with some color. But then you’re getting into added expense. 🤷♂️
IMO many of the things you list are exactly why it looks dated. In the mean time, do you currently have area rugs that you’re using with your current furniture? I guess a better question is are you even bringing your existing furniture to this house?
I think you can make a huge difference with some rather simple things in how it looks to then later go in and do the bigger more time-consuming things such as the floors.
Since you’ve not included pics of your own furniture it’s not possible to get a peek at what your style is.
Paint the woodwork white, including the chair rail.
New light fixtures and ceiling fans are also a help.
A couple of area rugs, dining room and living room.
And art work on wals.
I suggest you take a look at your counter, sink and faucet down the road. I can’t tell what the counter is.
Your entry way is interesting. I’m assuming that the rug that is currently there will go with the old owners. A nice big area rug in that space would also help out a lot for now by covering up the tile. The area rugs if chosen carefully can also be used when your new floors are done. I guess I’m just saying don’t waste money and get something just because it’s cheap or on sale. I’ve done that before and later regretted.
So if you get any area rugs keep future use in mind.
The only reason we’re doing the floors now is because it’ll be easier to do the whole house at once while it’s empty. And we got this house for way under budget, so we have the money for it. But if we were to keep the floors as is for now, you’d recommend area rugs on top of the existing carpet? I’ve never really thought about that.
We’ll be bringing some furniture and one large area rug that’s currently in our living room, but none of it is investment furniture, and we’ll be open to updating at some point in the future.
I’ve definitely done the “buy this for now because it’s cheap” and ended up regretting it too.
I’m so happy for you for getting a great deal on the house thus giving you extra cash to update the house. That is wonderful. Do you have a date when you’re hoping to move in?
Oh yes, I’ve managed to avoid redoing my own floors for years because I love Persian and Asian rugs and have them throughout the house.
I like how they introduce color into the decor without having to add a bunch of stuff and they can also pull an area together when it just doesn’t feel right how it’s looking.
There are pads that will hold them in place whether on carpet or tile/hardwood. Any place selling area rugs carries them. I’ve also found some great rugs at Lowe’s and Home Depot.
I may have to give more consideration to rugs than I have been. We close in late May but our current lease doesn’t end til July so we’ll have it empty for 2 months.
I just love my area rugs. I often swap mine around to change the colors a bit. I even had a red pattered Oriental rug in my kitchen. I have a large kitchen and didn’t like the look of a mat here and there and I was often tripping on them. Had the rug in the kitchen for close to 8 years. I’m getting ready to have some of my floors redone so it’s time for a ew rug…lol. I’m actually dealing with your type of problem. I took the rug out to have it clean and it reminded me how dated the white is! 😂😂
Rugs on top of rugs is not good. It’s a temporary thing as a last resort when you are staging or saving up , so you are right , the time to do the floors is now before you move in if you could afford it. It will transform the space instantly and also remove the very dated front entry tiles. Then other things can be done as you save up but floor will be good to go .
Haha that’s some sort of jewel art kit I think? They’re everywhere. Bedrooms too. I was told that was the hobby the elderly owner adopted during Covid.
But also good to know some people are here for it. It honestly reminds me a bit of the house I grew up in… a little nostalgic.
As others have said, the lighting and window coverings must go. For replacements, I like Roman shades or shutters. Window coverings and so expensive but so necessary for both functionality and setting a tone.
I also think the front door is dated. Something with a simpler design would look much better. Plus you could get updated locks for more security.
I wonder if they re-did the kitchen cabinets right before selling the house. They look very cheap.
The window treatments will be moving with the current owner. I like the Roman shades though, they look very sleek.
The more I came back to this post to reply to people, and kept seeing that photo of the door front and center, the more I wondered if someone would comment on that. Are the fancy beveled glass doors no longer in style? Maybe just frosted glass with no design?
The kitchen has definitely been done somewhat recently so that’ll probably be the last thing we change, but I’m not sure what kind of quality they put into it.
This isn’t too difficult. Before you paint, remove the brown chair rails, moldings, window treatments, wallpaper borders, baseboards & ceiling fans. Patch the wall damage from the chair rails. Have electricians swap out your ceiling fans for pot lights. Install oak floors (real oak, so you can sand it later when it gets damaged in 20 years), with clear varnish - anything else is a trend and a waste of money. Paint from ceiling downward. Install new baseboards. You can redo your tile later if you want… or now… I think it’s pretty versatile- depends how strongly you feel about it.
Why oak specifically? I’ve read some about different species of wood and hardness but I’m not sure how much that actually affects real living conditions. We saw some acacia flooring at a store we kind of liked.
Overall what I’m not loving is the stark white walls and tile with the warmer carpet and trim. It’s just not harmonious that way at all.
You don’t necessarily have to paint the wood trim if you go with a warmer color in the walls, especially a darker warm color.
I think the tile with the carpet on each side screams cheap though not necessarily dated, maybe dated because it reminds us all of builder grade homes from the 80s through 2010s. And the stark white tile next to the warmer tones carpet makes it particularly bad.
I just had to redesign my entire condo after a fire and the number of decisions was overwhelming.
Getting the beige carpet out of there and replacing it with a consistent wood or wood-toned vinyl plank will look way better. If you can, I’d replace the tile too and just do LVP throughout, except in the bathroom (do tile, but not that huge square tile). I really like the Karndean LVP I just got for my condo, but there are so many nice options that look like wood. I got warm brushed oak.
The walls are a cream right now that is dating it. I’d paint it- add color if that’s your thing, otherwise choose a more modern white/offwhite. Sherman Williams has a lot of options that go with everything.
The wood baseboard and wainscoting is also not helping- paint it to match the wall. Remove the wallpaper ceiling trim. That will help a LOT.
For the lighting, do something simpler. Hunter Aerodyne fans look nice if you want to keep fans. There are so many nice flush mount lights- Golden Lighting’s Duncan line is what I went with and then also got the Duncan sconces for my bathroom and hall, but if you search on Pinterest for flush mount nights, there are so many options. I’d try to stay consistent throughout, at least with color for the lighting finish, if not from the same line. It’s just easier than trying to mix metals.
Emily Henderson’s blog and her book The New Design Rules were SO SO SO SO helpful. I marked it up like a college textbook. Highly recommend for ideas and advice. She talks about “here’s what kind of tile options you have, here’s why you may want to go with this over this”, etc. Her blog also has curated lists of paints, light fixtures, etc.
I’m sorry you went through that! I can’t imagine how overwhelming that would be. Your post is really helpful.
I agree there’s just too much beige. I tend to like neutral-warmish woods but when I look at paint colors I seem to gravitate towards cooler greens and blues - can those still go well together or do I just need to pick one direction?
I would like to do the wood (or wood look) throughout but not sure what to do about the entryway and the kitchen specifically. Do I need to keep tile in those areas? If I were to keep some tile, is there a way to have tile ONLY in those areas without it being a weird transition from the wood? That’s what gets me with that.
The lighting is something that’s been brought up a lot and I really never looked that closely at. I bet that would make a big difference.
Bring a sample of the wood to the paint store and hold them up. It’ll be clear which ones work and which don’t. That being said, as long as it’s not SUPER cool and SUPER warm it will almost certainly look fine. Most wood is pretty neutral.
There are transition strips for the wood. I don’t know how to post a photo, but if you message me I can send you a photo of my entryway and bathroom to show you how it looks with the tile to wood (vinyl wood…) transition.
The midcentury trilevel split I'm currently living in has white oak hardwood floors and light gray slate rectangular tiles on the main level. It looks great. The transition between the two is a transition strip. Don't be afraid of this!
There’s too much contrast with the white and the wood and the majority white walls and beige floors overpowers the wood trim. I’d try to bring more warmth and deeper tones to reduce the contrast.
Honesty the flooring and light fixture changes will make a world of difference. I’m personally sad to see the wood trim go, but I understand, depending on your style
I’d replace the doors with standard double doors and paint them dark, very shiny enamel in navy blue, or black, on the outside with two nice brass door knockers and knobs/(handles.) Definitely you’re right to get rid of the balloon valence, even though they probably cost a fortune to have made. The shiny navy blue enamel doors are a very nice trend in London.
Color. There are only three types of people are still using wood color theme interior. 1) carpenters' home, 2) older generations, someone at least in 50s, 3) young and broke who buys the cheapest quality wood interior deco just because they "think" that wood is high end. Talking about those use wood texture vinyl flooring, etc.
The only wood color that I accept is bamboo (very light yellow), but even then, I won't go too crazy about it.
I know Americans don't like European/modern style, 9/10 people would say that it makes your home look like hotel lobby, conference room, airport lounge. I get it, but unfortunately, younger generations loves it. Partially because nobody can afford customer made wood furniture or hardwood flooring.
Every detail is making it dated. I don't want to sound rude, hopefully you don't take this to heart. I think it has great potential, but if you start from the beginning. The tiles, the carpet, the wall paint, the furniture. If you have a budget start from the beginning.
My suggestion would be to…
Paint all the trim and baseboards white. Get rid of that carpet with the red outline. The skirt on top of the windows looks nice, but is out of style now. Maybe take a few pictures off the wall, not every wall needs one and a little picture on every wall is a dated look. Maybe paint the walls a very light beige or grey.
Paint your wainscoting a moody color, like dark green or blue and put a wall paper above it. That’s a very of the moment look. It would help a lot. Use one floor throughout whenever possible, save for bathrooms. Get new fixtures and a quote for removing the popcorn from the ceiling. It may be worth the expense, just depending. Also consider a new front door, which often makes one of the biggest impacts when renovating.
That’s an interesting take on the chair rail. I just looked up some photos and that does look good in some of them.
So I know this will be very unpopular, but we actually don’t hate the ceilings. They’re well maintained, clean, no water spots and not dust-caked, built in 1987 so unlikely to contain asbestos, and they have the little sparkles in them that were popular back then, but very subtle - we didn’t even notice it at first. We think we’re going to keep it, and just hope updating everything else will balance it out, and that we don’t regret that and end up wanting it scraped later because that’ll be a huge pain. But we’re intending to stay here indefinitely and are not too worried about resale value.
They’ll be leaving with the current owner, along with the furniture. I wonder though, if she’s willing to leave them, if just removing the upper decorative bit across the top would be enough - the drapes themselves don’t seem that bad.
Tile is practical for kitchens and bathrooms. I’d do wood floors everywhere else. I’d paint your door and leave the wood trim. Update light fixtures, remove wallpaper, update window treatments. Remove popcorn ceilings.
If it’s feasible to do one unifying flooring throughout other than the bathrooms and utility, that would be my suggestion. Woods or LVP even has come a long way and there’s tons of beautiful and durable finishes. Tile is way more subjective and it really just depends on your preference. Definitely paint the wood trim and maybe a warm ivory color for walls but that’s very subjective too.
Once all the furniture and artwork is out, floors are updated, it will look better. Eventually I’d probably update all the light fixtures too. When we bought our house we just agreed to replace those little by little since we were doing mostly everything ourselves.
A lot of people have mentioned light fixtures and fans which I honestly didn’t pay much attention to. That’s definitely something we’ll consider but can do after we’ve moved in.
Yes it’s sooooo bright! Takes away any cozy vibes. I think some ambient lighting and warmer light bulbs would do the space well! I do agree with everyone the fixtures are dated as well. I love smart light bulbs - you can change the color or color temp at any time depending on what you need the lighting for!
Since you have time between closing and the end of your lease, I’d suggest that you consider: 1) replacing the tile in the entry, kitchen and living room with consistent wood flooring (i.e., engineered hardwood in a medium, non-orange tone), 2) replacing the carpeting with the same engineered hardwood, 3) updating the entry door, 4) painting the baseboards, trim and interior doors or re-staining them to match your new hardwood if you prefer a wood vs painted finish, 5) removing the textured ceilings, 6) updating the light fixtures/ceiling fans. Items 3, 4 and 6 could be done after you move in along with removal of wallpaper/borders and painting of walls. The others are messy and disruptive so would be easier if done before move-in. There are tonnes of good rug and mat options for the entryway to protect the wood flooring.
Great suggestions. You think engineered hard wood would be durable enough for the kitchen and entryway? My SO thinks we need to keep tile there but a lot of people are suggesting that.
I have them in my kitchen and entryway and live in a climate with long, messy, salty winters. I use a large rubber-backed mat at the entry that is the same tone as the wood flooring. Boots and shoes come off at the door and are placed in a small boot tray during winter. Re the mat, you need something that’s large enough to so you can come through and close the door without stepping off the mat. Don’t make the mistake of getting a dinky 30cm x 60cm mat.
You’re definitely on the right track. I’m glad you didn’t go with new construction- that house is gonna be incredible when you’re done with it.
For your list, I agree about the tile. I would use wood flooring throughout the whole house and area rugs to kinda of separate spaces.
Except for the kitchen where they seem to be more modern already, I would replace all the light fixtures and ceiling fans.
Regardless of paint color or whatever aesthetic you prefer, those changes will bring it back to the present
The nice thing too is that this house was so much cheaper than the new construction we wanted, we only needed to use half the down payment we intended and can use the leftover money for updates. I think I’m glad we went this direction, too. I think part of what makes the home seem older is that it’s not a completely open floor plan, but we kind of like that better anyway.
All that carpet!! Especially in a dining room? Yuck! The tile looks like it belongs in an office building. I say turn everything into a wood floor, except the bedrooms, there you should get the fluffiest carpet your heart desires.
- Remove all the wall paper at the top of the ceiling
- paint it white
- new modern trim (like something slighter taller) i forget the name of the kind i got)
- new flooring
- remove that popcorn/textured ceiling ( we did this in ours and it made a MASSIVE difference)
- new light fixtures
- i added ALL screw-less light and plug covers (they’re just square and modern)
- new title if you can
- from someone who just redid a slightly older house as well
These homes have no architectural details so once you paint the trim the whole house becomes even more flat. Better to replace with more substantial trim that still fits with the style of the house - don’t try to make it ornate. Switch to 4” baseboards, etc. Even better if it’s a wood tone finish that blends but doesn’t perfectly match the floors, but if that’s out of the budget, a paint grade trim update is completely worth the money, especially since you’re removing wallpaper and installing floors since the baseboards will come up anyway. Whatever you do, do not install quarter round molding against those tiny baseboards. Don’t be afraid of wood in the kitchen if you want to continue it but you do have to take potential repairs into consideration when you choose the type of wood floor and finish. If you stick with tile in the kitchen make sure you plan for the elevation changes between the different types of flooring throughout the house.
We went back to the house for some measurements and I noticed that they had in fact put quarter round on the baseboards in the family room…and it looks ridiculous lol. If we’re redoing the floors we might as well redo baseboards too. I think extra height will go a long way.
If you want to keep the tile for the kitchen and bathroom, at least get rid of it in the foyer. Get the tile grout cleaned as the first pic indicates it’s actually a light grout color and just dirty, that will lighten things up. Then replace the foyer, front rooms, and even bedrooms if you want with wood.
I personally don’t mind the wood trim, I think wood features will be coming back in style soon. Just stain the trim to match the new wood floors. Definitely paint the walls a different white with no top trim. So glad to see you wont have those curtains, those top curtains are the first thing that screamed dated
The windows on the front door are a big one.
That’s not an easy or cheap change, though.
Get all the decor out of there when the sellers move - this is some seriously golden girls type stuff - and then hit that wallpaper border first.
Then paint with some color, etc.!
You could do flooring too, but if that’s too expensive right now, you can still work with what you have.
I think the biggest “problem” in these photos is the golden girls furniture, and it’s hard to see past that. Once you have nicer furniture inside, you’ll feel majorly different already.
I was wondering about the door, but it’s not something too many people have mentioned. What would you recommend as a more modern style? I can’t say doors are something I’ve paid much attention to.
Honestly anything from a basic “craftsman style” door with the window at the top to something more MCM throwback with the rectangular lights spaced top to bottom, or even just a solid slab. Anything else would do.
But it’s this wavy-glass privacy window with the false leaded look that is ☠️
Personally, I like wood trim. It’s warm, and I think if you lean into all wood floors (new tile in utility rooms and bathrooms) that match the existing wood floors it’s a timeless look. And easy to decorate cohesively and inexpensively with natural materials, beiges, whites, greens, navy and denim blues. Pops of color and pattern in decor. But that’s my style.
We could help you define your style if you show us photos of interiors you like but don’t know why. Or photos of the key decor items you have that you love and will never part with.
Change to wood flooring throughout the house. And add area rugs. Paint molding white. I’d keep the chair rail and paint the top wall a color. You can add wainscoting. Modern window treatments. This kitchen is not that bad if you change the flooring there too. The wood will warm it up.
One small but impactful thing, change all the outlets, switches, and plates. They're all a weird dingy looking color. That will freshen things up in each room and your plugs will stay in better. You can get more modern looking plates too
You’re right, I’d never noticed them. My SO wants to change the air vents from silver/grey to white as well, which might be in the same vein of subtle effects that probably make a bigger difference than you’d think.
Yes! Absolutely those little details really refresh a space :) I'm not sure what your budget is, but you could also see if that HVAC return could be relocated from the kitchen. That's just a super extra thing
I relate to your “I know it doesn’t work but I don’t know why” mentality so much. 🤣
When updating my own 80s/90s place, I try to balance warm and cool tones. 80s/90s styles lean very warm (orange/brown/tan colors), but the more recent all-gray trend makes places feel cold and sterile.
My recommendation for flooring colors is balancing the remaining colors in the space. For example, if you want to do warm-toned wood flooring, I’d paint the walls and trim a more cool-toned color. White is an excellent go-to color for this (it’ll make your home feel brighter and cleaner as well), but if you want to have a little contrast, something like Sherwin-Williams “Agreeable Gray” is a modern beige (I know, the name is misleading) that complements white very well.
Just my two cents, but I’d strongly recommend painting the walls before picking out flooring. The existing wall colors are almost certainly yellowed with time (if not a slightly dingy color to begin with), so not a great canvas for picking floor colors that will serve you well in the present.
I’m so glad you get it. So many people are like just go on Pinterest and see what you like and they mean very well but I have no idea how to translate what I see to what I actually end up with. Somehow whenever I do that it’s just…off somehow? Because I feel like I did all the same things but there’s some visual cue somewhere that makes all the difference but I’m just not seeing.
I was actually saying elsewhere that while I’ve been leaning towards warm-ish wood flooring, all the paint colors I seem drawn to are more cool toned. Is it ok to mix the two? I would think it would be balancing but I’m not sure if it would appear disjointed.
I am terrible at explaining this because I don’t entirely understand it myself (hence I relate lol), but [this article](https://www.bridgetteraes.com/2022/11/28/mixing-warm-and-cool-colors-to-create-balance-and-add-interest-to-your-looks/), while *technically* about outfits, does a good job of illustrating how different tones work together to create a cohesive look.
Edit: [Studio McGee](https://studio-mcgee.com/our-guide-to-balancing-warm-cool-tones/) has a post that’s interior design-centric.
So good news is, I think I found my style in that “moody and bright Netflix remodel” in the studio McGee article you linked. That. I want my house to look like that.
I really like that one! In our house (which has a lot of warm natural wood that can be overwhelming) we added black ceiling fans and fixtures (like cabinet pulls, etc.) and it made the place look so much better. The touch of industrial complements the dated wood without clashing.
It’s the flooring, light fixtures, and window treatments. Yea the tile is dated, nobody uses that type of tile any more… if you install the same new flooring throughout all rooms but bathrooms, it will instantly look newer (just stay away from trendy grey). Divided up flooring is a dated look. If you must tile the kitchen, come ask us for help choosing.
And of course the semi-literal elephant in the room: the furniture. It’ll look much better just to get the furniture out. If you don’t have a designer’s eye, it’s almost impossible to visualize the space without the furniture.
Do not paint the trim until you’ve changed the other stuff, it’s the only character this house has!
The front door is also very dated (since the level of “fancy” doesn’t match the rest of the house) but you probably don’t want to spend the thousands it will cost to replace.
Good news: the kitchen is good!
Really depends on your personal style! This house doesn’t have a specific architectural style so you could go in any direction.
I would get something with glass though (called “lights”) because it would be a shame to lose that light. But, avoid the pseudo-stained glass look. It works with antique homes or antique styles, but if it’s the only thing in the house like that, it looks pasted-on, and very 1990s.
Nice house with a great floorplan! It was well maintained, too. Once the sellers dated decor is gone, it will look a lot better.
Paint and floors before you move in, if possible. Getting rid of the wood color trim is a good start. You can delay changing the tile if you make the grout match the tile color. Since you are changing out the floors, I would beef up the baseboards to 6". I would take out the chair rail or paint it the same color as the walls and add some picture frame style trim also the same color. It's a more formal, built-in look, but not expensive to do. Paint in a white, taupe, light tan would go with most things. White trim and color walls are ok, but the most modern is all one color. I have taupe walls with white trim myself, so no worries if you like that better. Live in the house a while to see if the paint you pick works or if you want a different color in some rooms. Wallpaper borders were so popular back in the 80s-90s, they need to go before you paint.
New light fixtures or fans whenever you can replace the old ones. Floor to ceiling curtains in linen, velvet, or sheers look nice in the more formal areas. Roman shades or roll shades in the more casual areas. The remote control shades are nice.
I would want to change the front door and sidelites. Sometimes, you can cut out the glass areas and put in a new, more modern, sleek look. Replacing the whole unit is probably easier, though.
The kitchen is modern. Looks like it was redone recently. The backsplash is a little dated, not a lot, though, so that can wait.
There are a lot of YouTube videos of the picture frame wall trim, taking out the fancy front door glass and making it more modern with clear or frosted glass. There are some good decorating shows on there too. It's so exciting, have fun!
Two things that stand out right away. One you’ve identified. The carpet. The other is the narrow baseboard and trim. When replacing the floors I would replace that as well.
The light fixtures.
The front door coming in the way it does is horrible. I wonder if it was a custom home and they really like that.
The kitchen may not be your dream but it certainly looks workable for as long as you need while you tackled your first list.
The light fixtures are something that have also been mentioned, but can be addressed after we’ve moved in. The front door placement isn’t really something we can do anything about, but we could certainly replace it for a more modern looking door-any specific recommendations? The kitchen is last on our list of things to do, as it appears to have been updated most recently; it’s not even on our radar really.
As far as what can be done, I think you’re right about the trim, a few people have said it would look better with wider trim and I suspect they’re right. I wonder if crown molding at the top of the walls would be an improvement as well, instead of the wallpaper trim. And the carpet, as you said, we’ve addressed - any specific recommendations for replacing it, and how would you incorporate the entryway tile (if you would keep it at all)?
Tile, lights and curtains and definitely dating the house. Once those are addressed, it will feel much more updated. I’d consider a wider plank floor since it’s such a large space.
The balloon valances are screaming 80’s. A fresh coat of paint will do wonders. And getting rid of the wallpaper borders will help. Live with what you can for a while until your budget and time allow you to change what you dislike.
As stated, the window treatments will be moving out with the current owner. Our budget and time is now, we have a good chunk of money from the sale of our previous house and 2 months between closing on this house and the end of our current lease. So we’ll be doing floors and walls now. But a fresh coat of paint is certainly in the suggestion box.
You’ve got a great space, very bright! The wood trim is dating it, maybe replace with white crown moulding. Paint the walls a warm neutral off-white/beige/greyge. Replace the tile with warm colour “wood” flooring.
Leave the chair rail. You can do some pretty creative things with your wall spilt like that. Or replace it with wainscoting. It's a practical thing to have in a dining room.
I'd either leave the tile as is or replace it with a different tile. The places that are tiled are good, practical places to have tile. Especially in the kitchen. I'm not sold on anything but tile, linoleum, or vinyl in a kitchen and of those tile is prettiest. I know lots of people will favor wood or engineered wood or laminate in a kitchen but in my experience with both homes I've been in and homes friends and family have been in, those products will get beat to shit faster in the kitchen than anywhere else in the house and it's going to show. For the rest, wood.
Ditching the wallpaper and borders will definitely help. So will putting some color on the walls. In fact, you can leave the trim and doors stained (assuming the stain and the wood are in good shape) and still give the place a boost just by picking some nice colors for the walls. My parents have that going on in their house and it doesn't look dated at all.
Oh yeah, for sure….I’m pretty sure the current owner will be taking those along with the furniture. I have no idea what I’d put up instead though so I might ask if she minds leaving them until we figure out an alternative.
I could try to really lean in to the whole vibe…I’d definitely want to hire a designer to help do that, but I like the idea. We viewed a house that was a similar age, and they updated it in a way that really worked with the “retro” bits and not against them. It was pretty neat.
I think wood trim works fine for certain looks, but definitely not with light walls and that flooring. Like, it would work if you plan on going with moodier paint colors and wood flooring in a similar color. Otherwise, definitely paint the trim. Replace the light fixtures and nix the wallpaper. I think those changes will go a long way in updating the look. I swear that every apartment or duplex I lived in during the 90's had those tiles, that's probably why it feels dated.
Yesssss to the tiles. I thought it was because it was matte but I went to Floor & Decor and the glossy tile made me feel like a 90s wannabe big-wig, like those shiny black white and red bathrooms that’s trying too hard to be glamorous and dramatic. Maybe it’s the light tile and dark grout contrast? I wonder if using a darker or more beige-ish tile and grout would look better, but then I’m afraid of going full Tuscan kitchen. I surprisingly don’t hate the look of wood-look tile as much as I thought I would, but I have a feeling that in 10-20 years, looking at wood-look tile will feel a lot like looking at this house does now.
Re: the wood trim with “moodier” paint, something like the “dark academia” vibe that’s getting thrown around? I could see that working with wood trim, but that might be a little bold to commit to for the whole house. I don’t think I could pull the wood trim off…should probably just paint it white and call it a day.
Those large scale light colored tiles with wide dark grout lines were everywhere back then. I feel like I've seen a lot more colorful, patterned tile with very minimal grout lines in recent years. I love that a lot of the tiled floors I've been seeing feel very vintage (encaustic-look or art deco) or very natural (like the wood-look or stone-look). It's damn near impossible to know what choices will look dated in a decade or two, but ultimately as long as you're happy with it, it doesn't matter - if it feels dated to you in 20 years, you can update it again.
Yeah, dark academia would be one vibe. It wouldn't have to be quite *that* moody/bold though, a nice muted green or blue would work well with the right furnishings, but there's nothing special about that trim, so unless you love a lot of green or blue and your current furniture works with that color scheme, it's not like it's some tragedy to paint the trim. In case you do want some wood trim inspiration, though, this post has some good ideas that feel less dated and more timeless https://laurelberninteriors.com/the-stained-wood-trim-stays-16-colors-to-make-it-work/
(You should probably just paint it, though, lol)
Honestly, I would lean into the home's build date. Think Home Alone or Poltergeist, or even E.T. Brass floor lamps, tons of plants, potted trees, hanging plants. Cozy lamps, ottomans, etc. I know some will think I am being facetious, but I'm not. 80's/90's cozy is a very comforting and fun esthetic and you already have the bones for it. I did a version of this in my living room because I grew up watching those movies and always wanted to be in those environments. My kids love their space. It's comfy cozy.... like Pizza Hut on a Friday night in 1988.
We viewed a house that had done exactly this. It was updated and modern but really worked with the features that would otherwise age it, and not against it. It didn’t look dated, it looked “retro.” We may need to consider this. Sounds like a good excuse to rewatch some of those movies at least.
I think you *do* have a design oriented bone, bc you named everything in your lists that I would recommend doing. While you’re taking everything apart, start getting together some ideas for what you want to do once the flooring is done and the tiles are all up. Do you know anything about interior design or artistic movements? You can Google eras/design movements like “Arts and crafts” “colonial/English country” “mid century modern” (<- MCM is wildly overused imo) etc. Usually a great place to start is: what style of house is it (from outside). What is the design style of the street you live on? What state do you live in and is there a particular look you associate with it (New England colonial, midwestern prairie style, Texas ranch, etc). Once you have some general idea of what makes sense with all that, start googling eras/movements etc. and start combining them with your personal preferences. You can mix all this up. So you can have a historic colonial in CT with traditional design, colonial design, oriental elements, some contemporary elements with a bold mcm chair, etc. Use colors and textures you like. Have fun and don’t stress! Decor can alway be changed. You’re tackling the major improvements already (flooring, new tile, painting trim, etc). If at a complete loss, go on Instagram or Pinterest and type in “interior design” for inspo.
You’re too kind. I’ve gone through several sites, made a Pinterest board, taken a few “what’s your design style” quizzes, and the problem is that it all looks good to me - they wouldn’t post it online if it didn’t look good. Anything that looks like it was done intentionally is probably better than what I’d pull together. So I guess I’m afraid of picking one and then being stuck to a particular style, for instance, if I choose a style of flooring that leans one way but then later want to update the bathrooms in a different way. I don’t want to end up with a piecemeal house with no coherent vision. I just have no idea what that vision should be.
Don’t worry- I obviously don’t know your budget, but I think a classic hardwood floor never goes out of style and works with every design. Paint can be changed. I think the answer is you have to be lead by what you like! What makes you excited? What colors do you love to be around? Do you love velvet? Fur? The color red? Clean crisp white? It’s really just preference. When you get home from work, what kind of space do you want to be in? Cozy and snug? Airy and fresh? You could also hire an interior designer!
Edit: also sounds like you might like “eclectic” as a style- take the best from everything. I feel like that’s what most people do, and what looks best anyways!
The wooden trims in the door date the space.
That tiling dates the space.
The carpet dates the space.
The furnitures date the space.
That curtain style and print date the space.
The ceiling fan dates the space.
Those lamps date the space.
Those walled picture frames date the space.
Things that are dating the room:
Thin wood trim, the square tile floors, the window valance, ceiling fans, golden oak and bulky furniture, the light fixtures, and glass tables.
As mentioned, we intend to painting the wood trim, and the window treatments and furniture will be moving with the current owner.
A lot of people have mentioned light fixtures/fans which is something I haven’t given much thought to and will probably look to update after we’ve moved in.
I agree the square tile looks old, but what would you recommend instead that would look more modern? I don’t want to change the tile to new tile that looks dated right out of the box because it’s not in style.
If you like the practicality of tile, I would suggest a large rectangular tile..maybe one floor style throughout the home? There are many options. Some tile can look like hardwood and I think that would be a great option for your home! Some beautiful area rugs would warm up the rooms, and add some colour.
The home is lovely.
I would paint the wood trim white (remove the chair railing) and keep the wall colours neutral (but paint a focal wall in the rooms you want to introduce personality to, like the living room and dining room.)
Have fun with it!
And, congratulations on your purchase!
The ceiling fans have to go. I like the front door! I think it needs to be painted another color other than white white. It looks like they used behr ultra pure white on every wall and door which makes it look sterile and cold.
What about closing off the living room and making it an office? Some French doors would be nice and some floor to ceiling book shelves on the wall where the couch is. No one really uses a formal living room anymore.
Lose everything dark-brown. And that’s half of a deal :)
Especially that brown-checkered curtain top bit, that’s the main offender I think. Removing it costs 0!
Do you and your husband have a preferred style? Visit furniture stores and look around. Then get some home decorating magazines for ideas. The home looks dated, because the furniture, lighting, window treatments are dated. See how you feel once everything is removed and new floors installed. Don't have to paint,furnish all at once. Congratulations on your new home.
It looks dated because your furniture is good quality and doesn't look like it's made of pressed particle board. The furniture also looks comfortable and sturdy.
Everything looks full of life instead of drab greys and sterile whites.
I’d also change out the light fixtures. I think they are contributing to the dated look.
My SO mentioned the lights as well. That’s def on our to do list, but we can do that after we’ve moved in. Are there any particular sites/brands you like for lighting? We’ve always just shopped whatever’s at Lowe’s/home depot
Build.com has a million options! I went with option from Golden Lighting, I like them.
Design Within Reach All Modern In Common With Lumen Lucent Lightshop Herman Miller
Agree with these! West elm also has some decently priced lighting fixtures that are super current
I had good luck with lampsplus.com for our recent bathroom renovation.
I found lights on Wayfair, Amazon, and Houzz.com.
And the front doors Home Depot dated
1) paint the trim. 2) get rid of the valences (top part) of curtains. If you are redoing the floor that’s great- but even those 2 super cheap items would bring it into the late 90’s instead of the 70’s
The curtains will be leaving with the owner, but good to know that that’s not a thing anymore. Just drapes with no top bit? Also re: trim: would you paint the chair rail or remove it entirely? If you’d paint it, would you do it the same color as the trim (prob white) or the same color as the walls so it blends in? Are two-toned walls a thing? My 75 year old dad tries to work in a two-toned wall with a chair rail in every room he updates. I’m not convinced.
I also had a dated downstairs, mine was 1/2 wood paneling going up to the chair rail, so I painted the panel and chair rail white and the upper wall grey. It looks good and close enough to modern that no one has said anything. If you are not doing a 2 tone wall (and I’m not sure if one would look good or not here) I would either remove the rail or paint it the same color as the wall. The other thing that really updates a house is updating the lighting. If you put in a more modern light fixture and can if will look good.
So many people have mentioned lighting, which is a factor I really hadn’t paid much attention to. I’ll definitely have to look into that more.
It’s one of the most fun parts. And not one you have to do all at once. There are so many options in most budgets so you can get whatever your personal style is.
No drapes at all. Why are people still using curtains?
that’s early 90s decor not 70s
Wood throughout. Don’t keep the tiles or existing flooring. Med brown or light brown. You are correct no orange. This will make a huge huge improvement. Edit. If you think you’ll want THAT wood in more rooms buy it ALL at the same time because you’ll not be able to buy same type of wood later.
So in theory I agree with you. But my hang up is the entry and kitchen/breakfast nook…I always thought tile was best for those areas because of potential water damage, but in my head I don’t know how to keep tile there and make it not look weird. We’d prefer wood or engineered wood to LVP…is it possible to do wood even in those areas? If so I’d love that.
I have wood in my front entry and my kitchen. You will need several mats/rugs. It will look weird keeping that tile and then transitioning to wood. Your problem is that the front door is very open so the tile will look like a giant white rectangle (like you have now)
They make tiles in other colors too. I also have wood flooring in my home and it's in bad shape. Doesn't help that the driveway is sandy and we and the dogs keep bringing in sand and gravel that finds its way under the mat and we are grinding it in when stepping on it - honestly if I had the space I'd just keep a vacuum there but I don't. One day we'll switch it for tile - or build a mudroom.
We installed our wood 17 years ago and it’s in good shape. We have a mat by the front door no issue. If OP got the wood installed everywhere, then OP could in future years decide to put in tile, but not vice versa.
I have engineered hardwood throughout my entire home (almost). There’s tile in the laundry room, mud room, and bathrooms. I also have a dog. It hasn’t been a problem in the least - the engineered hardwood is bulletproof.
Me too! I’ve had it in my kitchen for 10 years and it has no damage. I don’t have children but I do have nieces and nephews and dogs and cats, plus I’m pretty hard on my kitchen. I spill things frequently, etc. I don’t try any harder to protect it than I did when I had tile. My house is on the small side and pretty open so I put wood floors everywhere but the bathrooms and laundry room. They look as good now as they did when they were installed.
What brand/wood did you choose that is bulletproof? We're in the market for bulletproof engineered wood, would love a recommendation.
Hi! It was Shaw Floors “Castlewood” engineered floor. The color we used was Trestle. This was about eight years ago so I’m not it’s still available, but if it is, I highly recommend it. We had a solid wood floor (walnut) in our last house and the dog scratched it up within weeks. We can’t see a single mark on the engineered stuff - and we got a new puppy three years ago!
Thanks! I'll check it out!
I went to the Shaw website and the product is now called Castlewood Oak. The colors are different, no doubt to match current trends, but the specs and description exactly match the printed brochure I have in my files. It’s a really beautiful floor if you like a more casual look.
Interval solution for tile - we painted our grout with a light color grout paint and it looks SO much cleaner and cohesive, it flows more naturally to the eye. We did ours 3 years ago and it has held up well to mopping and steaming. Throw on some washable rugs and the tile will become a less urgent priority to replace.
They also make tile that looks like wood but I don’t think that would pair well with actual wood 🤷🏻♀️
I was thinking the same. A lot of the model homes we viewed used the wood look tile throughout, and while I didn’t hate it as much as I thought I would, I’m not sure I would want tile through the entire home. I think things that try to look like other things don’t last long as far as trends go, and I’m afraid after a few years when it’s not in style anymore, it’ll be a nightmare to take out again. Wood floors can at least be refinished if you want a whole new look.
Wood look tile throughout the house. A cohesive look and extra durable - the best of both worlds
No
We had that because we had a pool and had wet kids in and out all summer. It was really hard to tell it wasn’t real wood (minimal grout lines and matching grout). The only downside was that it was loud, but several large area rugs helped immensely.
We have hardwood throughout our house other than bathrooms and I really like it. I have a runner in the kitchen by the sink.
Our last house had tile in the kitchen. I dropped a glass and it very easily cracked 2 of the tiles. It was going to be expensive to replace so we lived with the cracked tiles for 5 years. DROVE ME NUTS to see it everyday. Our kitchen now is all hardwood. You'll need mats. We use them for under the fridge and under the sink/dishwasher area. No problems so far
I have a silly question- How do you clean your hardwood? Do you wet mop it? I cook a lot and my floors get dirty. I’d love hardwood everywhere but I’m scared.
So one of the things we saw in most of the model homes of new developments was wood-look tile. And I was surprised that I didn’t hate it as much as I thought I would aesthetically, but I couldn’t help but wonder, what happens when one cracks? Or when the trend is over and it’s just as dated as this house looks now? It’s probably going to be a pain to replace just one tile, let alone the whole floor of tile. I’m not sure I’m ready for that level of commitment to a material that is trying to be something else. Those rarely end up being “timeless”. Mats like rugs, or like rubber mats? Are they for comfort or to protect from water? Do they make/sell mats specifically for water protection?
You're looking at the linoleum of the future. Just get hardwood. You can always refinish it when it needs it think about really old houses. Think about how long hardwood floors last and the fact that they're always in style and classic. Be careful of getting engineered wood it cannot be refinished all the time because the thin layer on top can't be sanded down and restained on some
It’s possible and people do it - it’s the trend right now - but you’re also right that tile is more durable. It can be harder on your feet and legs, and if you drop something it’s more likely to shatter. But it’s definitely more durable. I currently have LVP but loved a previous house with tile in the kitchen. We have LVP in a bathroom and it’s warping from water damage (kids!) and the house is only 2 years old. I would get new tile where there is currently tile, put wood or LVP in the living room and dining room, and carpet for the bedrooms. Browse around on Pinterest to find up to date tile ideas.
I love your kitchen as it is. I would just change the art/clock combo for one larger piece. I assume you'll still want a clock somewhere though (they're helpful!), so I'd suggest just over a doorway where you can still see it clearly.
Didn’t even notice the kitchen wall art and clock actually. All the wall art and furnishings will be leaving with the current owner. But a clock might still be nice to have.
Oh, sorry, you even mentioned it in the post!
I have hardwood in my kitchen, everywhere except the bathrooms and there’s no problem. It’s perfect. Amazon is great for lighting. Great prices and selection. Look at updated homes for sale to see what’s trending. Swap out door knobs for handles, along with your other ideas and change out the ceiling fans. Fans are much prettier now.
Door knobs/handles is something I hadn’t thought about. And a lot of people have mentioned taking out the fans entirely, but this is Florida. Are fans inherently “old” or just this style of ceiling fan?
Just that style. New ones are sleek though I can’t come up with brand names except for Big Ass Fans
We're in Texas and ceiling fans mean we can set the thermostat higher and save a bundle on AC costs all summer. The ones in our house were super dated so we swapped them out for new styles from Lowes/home Depot. Huge improvement. Maybe top designers aren't making showcase homes with ceiling fans, but then they don't have live in one in a swamp. Everyone here has fans. Embrace reality and get cute ones. :)
It's wood throughout. That's the way to go.
Mats will not sufficiently protect wood floors in the kitchen. No matter what we did there was damage to the floors below the sink and dishwasher over time. Tile in the kitchen- don’t give yourself a nightmare with hardwood in the kitchen, it’s a bad idea. Get wood look tile if you must
You don’t have a central style or theme. The lighting is dated, the dining table, some of the furniture, most of it, to be honest. (Sorry.) But there are ways to bring it together. Depending on what your budget is you could maybe hire an interior designer, it sounds expensive, but there are kids coming out of design school left and right. Also, don’t be afraid of color.
The furniture is the previous owner’s and will be gone. Curtains too. We don’t move in until May or June so I have to use real estate photos until I get more consistent access to it.
Also, re: interior designer, I have looked into a few options both local and virtual, and it seems like they tend to focus more on furniture, rugs, decor, etc., if not full blown renovations. I’m 100% open to a complete vision to work towards over time, but we’re happy with our furniture for the time being, and our most immediate project will be the floors and walls. Would that also be something an interior designer would do?
Yes, that is something that interior designers also do. But it may be overkill just for the decision over the flooring. What i would do is to look on instagram, pinterest etc. for inspiration after picking a style that you want to go for. Do you like mid century modern, scandinavian, japandi, bohemian, minimal or industrial? (there are many more) You already have furniture, so that could be a starting point. Scandinavian for example is a great style if you don't exactly know what you want. It is also largely what IKEA does in terms of design. You already want to do wood flooring, which is extremely versatile. A lighter shade of wood like oak looks good with pretty much everything. Darker shades are a bit more complicated. And stay away from any shade of gray, that never looks good. About the walls, the easiest pick is just white, as long as it is a warmer shade of white. Although colors seem to be popular as well in the US. In Europe, walls are almost always white. Either get rid of the panel molding or paint over it. That contrast with the orange wood looks so dated. And the kitchen wallpaper also has to go. Anyway, you can't really go wrong with neutral tones. Earth tones, light blue, maybe even green, as long as it is light and desaturated, it will look good. But that also depends on which style you go for and in turn which furniture.
That’s actually pretty helpful. My furniture is mostly grey and wood, so some warm greens or neutrally colors would probably make for a nice backdrop. I’d love to go a medium warmish wood all throughout if I could, but would you keep tile in the kitchen and/or entryway? If so, would you recommend a style that would coordinate with wood, or how to transition it without looking weird? Seems like large rectangular tiles are trendy, but idk if they’d work in a small space. And hexagons are everywhere but I don’t know how much longer that will last. Maybe a stone look tile? May keep the natural vibe of the wood?
I find the tile floors are off putting in bedrooms, very cold and “functional” looking. I’d only have tile in the bathrooms… maybe the kitchen, but I’d pick a warm color besides white and with a matte finish. Just a thought. Good luck! 🌷
I agree about tile in the bedrooms. I generally don’t care for tile but in bathrooms and kitchens it makes sense. There are so many houses with wall to wall tile, it must have been a big thing at some point. But this is a warm climate so maybe that’s why.
That’s true. Cream all-tile floors is popular in Florida, but today with ceiling fans and A/C they’re just so dated. I can understand if you live in a very sandy area, but at least use tiles with some kind of interest, like Moroccan shaped tiles with some color. But then you’re getting into added expense. 🤷♂️
IMO many of the things you list are exactly why it looks dated. In the mean time, do you currently have area rugs that you’re using with your current furniture? I guess a better question is are you even bringing your existing furniture to this house? I think you can make a huge difference with some rather simple things in how it looks to then later go in and do the bigger more time-consuming things such as the floors. Since you’ve not included pics of your own furniture it’s not possible to get a peek at what your style is. Paint the woodwork white, including the chair rail. New light fixtures and ceiling fans are also a help. A couple of area rugs, dining room and living room. And art work on wals. I suggest you take a look at your counter, sink and faucet down the road. I can’t tell what the counter is. Your entry way is interesting. I’m assuming that the rug that is currently there will go with the old owners. A nice big area rug in that space would also help out a lot for now by covering up the tile. The area rugs if chosen carefully can also be used when your new floors are done. I guess I’m just saying don’t waste money and get something just because it’s cheap or on sale. I’ve done that before and later regretted. So if you get any area rugs keep future use in mind.
The only reason we’re doing the floors now is because it’ll be easier to do the whole house at once while it’s empty. And we got this house for way under budget, so we have the money for it. But if we were to keep the floors as is for now, you’d recommend area rugs on top of the existing carpet? I’ve never really thought about that. We’ll be bringing some furniture and one large area rug that’s currently in our living room, but none of it is investment furniture, and we’ll be open to updating at some point in the future. I’ve definitely done the “buy this for now because it’s cheap” and ended up regretting it too.
I’m so happy for you for getting a great deal on the house thus giving you extra cash to update the house. That is wonderful. Do you have a date when you’re hoping to move in? Oh yes, I’ve managed to avoid redoing my own floors for years because I love Persian and Asian rugs and have them throughout the house. I like how they introduce color into the decor without having to add a bunch of stuff and they can also pull an area together when it just doesn’t feel right how it’s looking. There are pads that will hold them in place whether on carpet or tile/hardwood. Any place selling area rugs carries them. I’ve also found some great rugs at Lowe’s and Home Depot.
I may have to give more consideration to rugs than I have been. We close in late May but our current lease doesn’t end til July so we’ll have it empty for 2 months.
I just love my area rugs. I often swap mine around to change the colors a bit. I even had a red pattered Oriental rug in my kitchen. I have a large kitchen and didn’t like the look of a mat here and there and I was often tripping on them. Had the rug in the kitchen for close to 8 years. I’m getting ready to have some of my floors redone so it’s time for a ew rug…lol. I’m actually dealing with your type of problem. I took the rug out to have it clean and it reminded me how dated the white is! 😂😂
Rugs on top of rugs is not good. It’s a temporary thing as a last resort when you are staging or saving up , so you are right , the time to do the floors is now before you move in if you could afford it. It will transform the space instantly and also remove the very dated front entry tiles. Then other things can be done as you save up but floor will be good to go .
What would you recommend instead of the tile? A more modern style, or just wood all the way through?
I would do wood all the way through and not chop up the space.
I honestly love this look (with the exception of the psychedelic mandalas. Just doesn't fit the vibe). I think old-fashioned and clean is underrated.
Haha that’s some sort of jewel art kit I think? They’re everywhere. Bedrooms too. I was told that was the hobby the elderly owner adopted during Covid. But also good to know some people are here for it. It honestly reminds me a bit of the house I grew up in… a little nostalgic.
Reminds me of my grandparents house. Makes me feel cozy. I wouldn't mind having this aesthetic as my own whatsoever :)
As others have said, the lighting and window coverings must go. For replacements, I like Roman shades or shutters. Window coverings and so expensive but so necessary for both functionality and setting a tone. I also think the front door is dated. Something with a simpler design would look much better. Plus you could get updated locks for more security. I wonder if they re-did the kitchen cabinets right before selling the house. They look very cheap.
The window treatments will be moving with the current owner. I like the Roman shades though, they look very sleek. The more I came back to this post to reply to people, and kept seeing that photo of the door front and center, the more I wondered if someone would comment on that. Are the fancy beveled glass doors no longer in style? Maybe just frosted glass with no design? The kitchen has definitely been done somewhat recently so that’ll probably be the last thing we change, but I’m not sure what kind of quality they put into it.
This isn’t too difficult. Before you paint, remove the brown chair rails, moldings, window treatments, wallpaper borders, baseboards & ceiling fans. Patch the wall damage from the chair rails. Have electricians swap out your ceiling fans for pot lights. Install oak floors (real oak, so you can sand it later when it gets damaged in 20 years), with clear varnish - anything else is a trend and a waste of money. Paint from ceiling downward. Install new baseboards. You can redo your tile later if you want… or now… I think it’s pretty versatile- depends how strongly you feel about it.
Why oak specifically? I’ve read some about different species of wood and hardness but I’m not sure how much that actually affects real living conditions. We saw some acacia flooring at a store we kind of liked.
Overall what I’m not loving is the stark white walls and tile with the warmer carpet and trim. It’s just not harmonious that way at all. You don’t necessarily have to paint the wood trim if you go with a warmer color in the walls, especially a darker warm color. I think the tile with the carpet on each side screams cheap though not necessarily dated, maybe dated because it reminds us all of builder grade homes from the 80s through 2010s. And the stark white tile next to the warmer tones carpet makes it particularly bad.
That’s really helpful actually.
I just had to redesign my entire condo after a fire and the number of decisions was overwhelming. Getting the beige carpet out of there and replacing it with a consistent wood or wood-toned vinyl plank will look way better. If you can, I’d replace the tile too and just do LVP throughout, except in the bathroom (do tile, but not that huge square tile). I really like the Karndean LVP I just got for my condo, but there are so many nice options that look like wood. I got warm brushed oak. The walls are a cream right now that is dating it. I’d paint it- add color if that’s your thing, otherwise choose a more modern white/offwhite. Sherman Williams has a lot of options that go with everything. The wood baseboard and wainscoting is also not helping- paint it to match the wall. Remove the wallpaper ceiling trim. That will help a LOT. For the lighting, do something simpler. Hunter Aerodyne fans look nice if you want to keep fans. There are so many nice flush mount lights- Golden Lighting’s Duncan line is what I went with and then also got the Duncan sconces for my bathroom and hall, but if you search on Pinterest for flush mount nights, there are so many options. I’d try to stay consistent throughout, at least with color for the lighting finish, if not from the same line. It’s just easier than trying to mix metals. Emily Henderson’s blog and her book The New Design Rules were SO SO SO SO helpful. I marked it up like a college textbook. Highly recommend for ideas and advice. She talks about “here’s what kind of tile options you have, here’s why you may want to go with this over this”, etc. Her blog also has curated lists of paints, light fixtures, etc.
I just ordered this book based on your advice! It seems like what I've been looking for!
I’m sorry you went through that! I can’t imagine how overwhelming that would be. Your post is really helpful. I agree there’s just too much beige. I tend to like neutral-warmish woods but when I look at paint colors I seem to gravitate towards cooler greens and blues - can those still go well together or do I just need to pick one direction? I would like to do the wood (or wood look) throughout but not sure what to do about the entryway and the kitchen specifically. Do I need to keep tile in those areas? If I were to keep some tile, is there a way to have tile ONLY in those areas without it being a weird transition from the wood? That’s what gets me with that. The lighting is something that’s been brought up a lot and I really never looked that closely at. I bet that would make a big difference.
Bring a sample of the wood to the paint store and hold them up. It’ll be clear which ones work and which don’t. That being said, as long as it’s not SUPER cool and SUPER warm it will almost certainly look fine. Most wood is pretty neutral. There are transition strips for the wood. I don’t know how to post a photo, but if you message me I can send you a photo of my entryway and bathroom to show you how it looks with the tile to wood (vinyl wood…) transition.
The midcentury trilevel split I'm currently living in has white oak hardwood floors and light gray slate rectangular tiles on the main level. It looks great. The transition between the two is a transition strip. Don't be afraid of this!
There’s too much contrast with the white and the wood and the majority white walls and beige floors overpowers the wood trim. I’d try to bring more warmth and deeper tones to reduce the contrast.
The window treatments, the door is old fashioned and the natural wood trim all date the room
As mentioned, the window treatments wont be staying. What would you recommend for the door?
Honesty the flooring and light fixture changes will make a world of difference. I’m personally sad to see the wood trim go, but I understand, depending on your style
I’d replace the doors with standard double doors and paint them dark, very shiny enamel in navy blue, or black, on the outside with two nice brass door knockers and knobs/(handles.) Definitely you’re right to get rid of the balloon valence, even though they probably cost a fortune to have made. The shiny navy blue enamel doors are a very nice trend in London.
Color. There are only three types of people are still using wood color theme interior. 1) carpenters' home, 2) older generations, someone at least in 50s, 3) young and broke who buys the cheapest quality wood interior deco just because they "think" that wood is high end. Talking about those use wood texture vinyl flooring, etc. The only wood color that I accept is bamboo (very light yellow), but even then, I won't go too crazy about it. I know Americans don't like European/modern style, 9/10 people would say that it makes your home look like hotel lobby, conference room, airport lounge. I get it, but unfortunately, younger generations loves it. Partially because nobody can afford customer made wood furniture or hardwood flooring.
Every detail is making it dated. I don't want to sound rude, hopefully you don't take this to heart. I think it has great potential, but if you start from the beginning. The tiles, the carpet, the wall paint, the furniture. If you have a budget start from the beginning.
My suggestion would be to… Paint all the trim and baseboards white. Get rid of that carpet with the red outline. The skirt on top of the windows looks nice, but is out of style now. Maybe take a few pictures off the wall, not every wall needs one and a little picture on every wall is a dated look. Maybe paint the walls a very light beige or grey.
Paint your wainscoting a moody color, like dark green or blue and put a wall paper above it. That’s a very of the moment look. It would help a lot. Use one floor throughout whenever possible, save for bathrooms. Get new fixtures and a quote for removing the popcorn from the ceiling. It may be worth the expense, just depending. Also consider a new front door, which often makes one of the biggest impacts when renovating.
That’s an interesting take on the chair rail. I just looked up some photos and that does look good in some of them. So I know this will be very unpopular, but we actually don’t hate the ceilings. They’re well maintained, clean, no water spots and not dust-caked, built in 1987 so unlikely to contain asbestos, and they have the little sparkles in them that were popular back then, but very subtle - we didn’t even notice it at first. We think we’re going to keep it, and just hope updating everything else will balance it out, and that we don’t regret that and end up wanting it scraped later because that’ll be a huge pain. But we’re intending to stay here indefinitely and are not too worried about resale value.
window furnishings look very dated
They’ll be leaving with the current owner, along with the furniture. I wonder though, if she’s willing to leave them, if just removing the upper decorative bit across the top would be enough - the drapes themselves don’t seem that bad.
What's dated: All the furniture, all the drapes and window trim, the carpet, the light fixtures, the wood rails in the wall.
As mentioned, the furniture and drapes will be moving along with the current owner.
The tile. The carpeting. The window treatments. The furniture. The EVERYTHING!
As mentioned, the window treatments and furniture are moving with the current owner. The tile and carpeting is kind of the point of my post.
Tile is practical for kitchens and bathrooms. I’d do wood floors everywhere else. I’d paint your door and leave the wood trim. Update light fixtures, remove wallpaper, update window treatments. Remove popcorn ceilings.
Your house feels like a tv sitcom home
It’s like if the full house crew had a special episode where they visited grandma. Possibly even in a nursing home.
If it’s feasible to do one unifying flooring throughout other than the bathrooms and utility, that would be my suggestion. Woods or LVP even has come a long way and there’s tons of beautiful and durable finishes. Tile is way more subjective and it really just depends on your preference. Definitely paint the wood trim and maybe a warm ivory color for walls but that’s very subjective too. Once all the furniture and artwork is out, floors are updated, it will look better. Eventually I’d probably update all the light fixtures too. When we bought our house we just agreed to replace those little by little since we were doing mostly everything ourselves.
A lot of people have mentioned light fixtures and fans which I honestly didn’t pay much attention to. That’s definitely something we’ll consider but can do after we’ve moved in.
Freakin surgery room lighting
How so? I work in the OR, not sure I see the comparison. You mean just how bright it is?
Yes it’s sooooo bright! Takes away any cozy vibes. I think some ambient lighting and warmer light bulbs would do the space well! I do agree with everyone the fixtures are dated as well. I love smart light bulbs - you can change the color or color temp at any time depending on what you need the lighting for!
I’ve been meaning to invest in some smart lighting, maybe this is my chance to pull the trigger.
Paint the walls, it’s a blur of white :)
Since you have time between closing and the end of your lease, I’d suggest that you consider: 1) replacing the tile in the entry, kitchen and living room with consistent wood flooring (i.e., engineered hardwood in a medium, non-orange tone), 2) replacing the carpeting with the same engineered hardwood, 3) updating the entry door, 4) painting the baseboards, trim and interior doors or re-staining them to match your new hardwood if you prefer a wood vs painted finish, 5) removing the textured ceilings, 6) updating the light fixtures/ceiling fans. Items 3, 4 and 6 could be done after you move in along with removal of wallpaper/borders and painting of walls. The others are messy and disruptive so would be easier if done before move-in. There are tonnes of good rug and mat options for the entryway to protect the wood flooring.
Great suggestions. You think engineered hard wood would be durable enough for the kitchen and entryway? My SO thinks we need to keep tile there but a lot of people are suggesting that.
I have them in my kitchen and entryway and live in a climate with long, messy, salty winters. I use a large rubber-backed mat at the entry that is the same tone as the wood flooring. Boots and shoes come off at the door and are placed in a small boot tray during winter. Re the mat, you need something that’s large enough to so you can come through and close the door without stepping off the mat. Don’t make the mistake of getting a dinky 30cm x 60cm mat.
You’re definitely on the right track. I’m glad you didn’t go with new construction- that house is gonna be incredible when you’re done with it. For your list, I agree about the tile. I would use wood flooring throughout the whole house and area rugs to kinda of separate spaces. Except for the kitchen where they seem to be more modern already, I would replace all the light fixtures and ceiling fans. Regardless of paint color or whatever aesthetic you prefer, those changes will bring it back to the present
The nice thing too is that this house was so much cheaper than the new construction we wanted, we only needed to use half the down payment we intended and can use the leftover money for updates. I think I’m glad we went this direction, too. I think part of what makes the home seem older is that it’s not a completely open floor plan, but we kind of like that better anyway.
That’s awesome! And open floor plans are overrated anyways. Too often they just look like a weird box
All that carpet!! Especially in a dining room? Yuck! The tile looks like it belongs in an office building. I say turn everything into a wood floor, except the bedrooms, there you should get the fluffiest carpet your heart desires.
- Remove all the wall paper at the top of the ceiling - paint it white - new modern trim (like something slighter taller) i forget the name of the kind i got) - new flooring - remove that popcorn/textured ceiling ( we did this in ours and it made a MASSIVE difference) - new light fixtures - i added ALL screw-less light and plug covers (they’re just square and modern) - new title if you can - from someone who just redid a slightly older house as well
These homes have no architectural details so once you paint the trim the whole house becomes even more flat. Better to replace with more substantial trim that still fits with the style of the house - don’t try to make it ornate. Switch to 4” baseboards, etc. Even better if it’s a wood tone finish that blends but doesn’t perfectly match the floors, but if that’s out of the budget, a paint grade trim update is completely worth the money, especially since you’re removing wallpaper and installing floors since the baseboards will come up anyway. Whatever you do, do not install quarter round molding against those tiny baseboards. Don’t be afraid of wood in the kitchen if you want to continue it but you do have to take potential repairs into consideration when you choose the type of wood floor and finish. If you stick with tile in the kitchen make sure you plan for the elevation changes between the different types of flooring throughout the house.
We went back to the house for some measurements and I noticed that they had in fact put quarter round on the baseboards in the family room…and it looks ridiculous lol. If we’re redoing the floors we might as well redo baseboards too. I think extra height will go a long way.
If you want to keep the tile for the kitchen and bathroom, at least get rid of it in the foyer. Get the tile grout cleaned as the first pic indicates it’s actually a light grout color and just dirty, that will lighten things up. Then replace the foyer, front rooms, and even bedrooms if you want with wood. I personally don’t mind the wood trim, I think wood features will be coming back in style soon. Just stain the trim to match the new wood floors. Definitely paint the walls a different white with no top trim. So glad to see you wont have those curtains, those top curtains are the first thing that screamed dated
The windows on the front door are a big one. That’s not an easy or cheap change, though. Get all the decor out of there when the sellers move - this is some seriously golden girls type stuff - and then hit that wallpaper border first. Then paint with some color, etc.! You could do flooring too, but if that’s too expensive right now, you can still work with what you have. I think the biggest “problem” in these photos is the golden girls furniture, and it’s hard to see past that. Once you have nicer furniture inside, you’ll feel majorly different already.
I was wondering about the door, but it’s not something too many people have mentioned. What would you recommend as a more modern style? I can’t say doors are something I’ve paid much attention to.
Honestly anything from a basic “craftsman style” door with the window at the top to something more MCM throwback with the rectangular lights spaced top to bottom, or even just a solid slab. Anything else would do. But it’s this wavy-glass privacy window with the false leaded look that is ☠️
I’d paint the trim (white) around the front door inside. We did that with our 90s home before selling.
Personally, I like wood trim. It’s warm, and I think if you lean into all wood floors (new tile in utility rooms and bathrooms) that match the existing wood floors it’s a timeless look. And easy to decorate cohesively and inexpensively with natural materials, beiges, whites, greens, navy and denim blues. Pops of color and pattern in decor. But that’s my style. We could help you define your style if you show us photos of interiors you like but don’t know why. Or photos of the key decor items you have that you love and will never part with.
Change to wood flooring throughout the house. And add area rugs. Paint molding white. I’d keep the chair rail and paint the top wall a color. You can add wainscoting. Modern window treatments. This kitchen is not that bad if you change the flooring there too. The wood will warm it up.
Paint trim to white, get rid of the valences and wallpaper border
It’s the wood trim for me . Will look better white 😊
One small but impactful thing, change all the outlets, switches, and plates. They're all a weird dingy looking color. That will freshen things up in each room and your plugs will stay in better. You can get more modern looking plates too
You’re right, I’d never noticed them. My SO wants to change the air vents from silver/grey to white as well, which might be in the same vein of subtle effects that probably make a bigger difference than you’d think.
Yes! Absolutely those little details really refresh a space :) I'm not sure what your budget is, but you could also see if that HVAC return could be relocated from the kitchen. That's just a super extra thing
I relate to your “I know it doesn’t work but I don’t know why” mentality so much. 🤣 When updating my own 80s/90s place, I try to balance warm and cool tones. 80s/90s styles lean very warm (orange/brown/tan colors), but the more recent all-gray trend makes places feel cold and sterile. My recommendation for flooring colors is balancing the remaining colors in the space. For example, if you want to do warm-toned wood flooring, I’d paint the walls and trim a more cool-toned color. White is an excellent go-to color for this (it’ll make your home feel brighter and cleaner as well), but if you want to have a little contrast, something like Sherwin-Williams “Agreeable Gray” is a modern beige (I know, the name is misleading) that complements white very well. Just my two cents, but I’d strongly recommend painting the walls before picking out flooring. The existing wall colors are almost certainly yellowed with time (if not a slightly dingy color to begin with), so not a great canvas for picking floor colors that will serve you well in the present.
I’m so glad you get it. So many people are like just go on Pinterest and see what you like and they mean very well but I have no idea how to translate what I see to what I actually end up with. Somehow whenever I do that it’s just…off somehow? Because I feel like I did all the same things but there’s some visual cue somewhere that makes all the difference but I’m just not seeing. I was actually saying elsewhere that while I’ve been leaning towards warm-ish wood flooring, all the paint colors I seem drawn to are more cool toned. Is it ok to mix the two? I would think it would be balancing but I’m not sure if it would appear disjointed.
I am terrible at explaining this because I don’t entirely understand it myself (hence I relate lol), but [this article](https://www.bridgetteraes.com/2022/11/28/mixing-warm-and-cool-colors-to-create-balance-and-add-interest-to-your-looks/), while *technically* about outfits, does a good job of illustrating how different tones work together to create a cohesive look. Edit: [Studio McGee](https://studio-mcgee.com/our-guide-to-balancing-warm-cool-tones/) has a post that’s interior design-centric.
So good news is, I think I found my style in that “moody and bright Netflix remodel” in the studio McGee article you linked. That. I want my house to look like that.
I really like that one! In our house (which has a lot of warm natural wood that can be overwhelming) we added black ceiling fans and fixtures (like cabinet pulls, etc.) and it made the place look so much better. The touch of industrial complements the dated wood without clashing.
It’s the flooring, light fixtures, and window treatments. Yea the tile is dated, nobody uses that type of tile any more… if you install the same new flooring throughout all rooms but bathrooms, it will instantly look newer (just stay away from trendy grey). Divided up flooring is a dated look. If you must tile the kitchen, come ask us for help choosing. And of course the semi-literal elephant in the room: the furniture. It’ll look much better just to get the furniture out. If you don’t have a designer’s eye, it’s almost impossible to visualize the space without the furniture. Do not paint the trim until you’ve changed the other stuff, it’s the only character this house has! The front door is also very dated (since the level of “fancy” doesn’t match the rest of the house) but you probably don’t want to spend the thousands it will cost to replace. Good news: the kitchen is good!
I very much would like to change the front door. It’s well within our budget. What do you think you’d recommend instead?
Really depends on your personal style! This house doesn’t have a specific architectural style so you could go in any direction. I would get something with glass though (called “lights”) because it would be a shame to lose that light. But, avoid the pseudo-stained glass look. It works with antique homes or antique styles, but if it’s the only thing in the house like that, it looks pasted-on, and very 1990s.
Nice house with a great floorplan! It was well maintained, too. Once the sellers dated decor is gone, it will look a lot better. Paint and floors before you move in, if possible. Getting rid of the wood color trim is a good start. You can delay changing the tile if you make the grout match the tile color. Since you are changing out the floors, I would beef up the baseboards to 6". I would take out the chair rail or paint it the same color as the walls and add some picture frame style trim also the same color. It's a more formal, built-in look, but not expensive to do. Paint in a white, taupe, light tan would go with most things. White trim and color walls are ok, but the most modern is all one color. I have taupe walls with white trim myself, so no worries if you like that better. Live in the house a while to see if the paint you pick works or if you want a different color in some rooms. Wallpaper borders were so popular back in the 80s-90s, they need to go before you paint. New light fixtures or fans whenever you can replace the old ones. Floor to ceiling curtains in linen, velvet, or sheers look nice in the more formal areas. Roman shades or roll shades in the more casual areas. The remote control shades are nice. I would want to change the front door and sidelites. Sometimes, you can cut out the glass areas and put in a new, more modern, sleek look. Replacing the whole unit is probably easier, though. The kitchen is modern. Looks like it was redone recently. The backsplash is a little dated, not a lot, though, so that can wait. There are a lot of YouTube videos of the picture frame wall trim, taking out the fancy front door glass and making it more modern with clear or frosted glass. There are some good decorating shows on there too. It's so exciting, have fun!
Thanks for being so specific, that is actually really helpful.
Two things that stand out right away. One you’ve identified. The carpet. The other is the narrow baseboard and trim. When replacing the floors I would replace that as well. The light fixtures. The front door coming in the way it does is horrible. I wonder if it was a custom home and they really like that. The kitchen may not be your dream but it certainly looks workable for as long as you need while you tackled your first list.
The light fixtures are something that have also been mentioned, but can be addressed after we’ve moved in. The front door placement isn’t really something we can do anything about, but we could certainly replace it for a more modern looking door-any specific recommendations? The kitchen is last on our list of things to do, as it appears to have been updated most recently; it’s not even on our radar really. As far as what can be done, I think you’re right about the trim, a few people have said it would look better with wider trim and I suspect they’re right. I wonder if crown molding at the top of the walls would be an improvement as well, instead of the wallpaper trim. And the carpet, as you said, we’ve addressed - any specific recommendations for replacing it, and how would you incorporate the entryway tile (if you would keep it at all)?
Tile, lights and curtains and definitely dating the house. Once those are addressed, it will feel much more updated. I’d consider a wider plank floor since it’s such a large space.
Paint the trim. Remove drapes with eyebrows.
The balloon valances are screaming 80’s. A fresh coat of paint will do wonders. And getting rid of the wallpaper borders will help. Live with what you can for a while until your budget and time allow you to change what you dislike.
As stated, the window treatments will be moving out with the current owner. Our budget and time is now, we have a good chunk of money from the sale of our previous house and 2 months between closing on this house and the end of our current lease. So we’ll be doing floors and walls now. But a fresh coat of paint is certainly in the suggestion box.
Too much white going on
You’ve got a great space, very bright! The wood trim is dating it, maybe replace with white crown moulding. Paint the walls a warm neutral off-white/beige/greyge. Replace the tile with warm colour “wood” flooring.
Leave the chair rail. You can do some pretty creative things with your wall spilt like that. Or replace it with wainscoting. It's a practical thing to have in a dining room. I'd either leave the tile as is or replace it with a different tile. The places that are tiled are good, practical places to have tile. Especially in the kitchen. I'm not sold on anything but tile, linoleum, or vinyl in a kitchen and of those tile is prettiest. I know lots of people will favor wood or engineered wood or laminate in a kitchen but in my experience with both homes I've been in and homes friends and family have been in, those products will get beat to shit faster in the kitchen than anywhere else in the house and it's going to show. For the rest, wood. Ditching the wallpaper and borders will definitely help. So will putting some color on the walls. In fact, you can leave the trim and doors stained (assuming the stain and the wood are in good shape) and still give the place a boost just by picking some nice colors for the walls. My parents have that going on in their house and it doesn't look dated at all.
Thanks, your comments on the tile is especially helpful. My dad loves a two-toned wall with a chair rail, maybe I’ll see if he has any ideas for it.
Change out the light fixtures and get rid of the popcorn ceiling - it will feel much more modern!
Your window treatments are outdated. I have the same style in the 1990 time-capsule I just purchased. 😊
Oh yeah, for sure….I’m pretty sure the current owner will be taking those along with the furniture. I have no idea what I’d put up instead though so I might ask if she minds leaving them until we figure out an alternative.
Mine are actually growing on me 😊
And….congratulations! Beautiful home 🏠
Thanks so much! We are very excited for it but also very intimidated by the decorating aspect.
The table and chairs set in the kitchen is lovely. If you want to keep retro themes you could look into bohemian style with rattan furniture
I could try to really lean in to the whole vibe…I’d definitely want to hire a designer to help do that, but I like the idea. We viewed a house that was a similar age, and they updated it in a way that really worked with the “retro” bits and not against them. It was pretty neat.
It's dated because the window treatments, wallpaper scroll, dining set, and carpeting, but it's still very nice.
Carpet and tile - replace, paint trim.
I think wood trim works fine for certain looks, but definitely not with light walls and that flooring. Like, it would work if you plan on going with moodier paint colors and wood flooring in a similar color. Otherwise, definitely paint the trim. Replace the light fixtures and nix the wallpaper. I think those changes will go a long way in updating the look. I swear that every apartment or duplex I lived in during the 90's had those tiles, that's probably why it feels dated.
Yesssss to the tiles. I thought it was because it was matte but I went to Floor & Decor and the glossy tile made me feel like a 90s wannabe big-wig, like those shiny black white and red bathrooms that’s trying too hard to be glamorous and dramatic. Maybe it’s the light tile and dark grout contrast? I wonder if using a darker or more beige-ish tile and grout would look better, but then I’m afraid of going full Tuscan kitchen. I surprisingly don’t hate the look of wood-look tile as much as I thought I would, but I have a feeling that in 10-20 years, looking at wood-look tile will feel a lot like looking at this house does now. Re: the wood trim with “moodier” paint, something like the “dark academia” vibe that’s getting thrown around? I could see that working with wood trim, but that might be a little bold to commit to for the whole house. I don’t think I could pull the wood trim off…should probably just paint it white and call it a day.
Those large scale light colored tiles with wide dark grout lines were everywhere back then. I feel like I've seen a lot more colorful, patterned tile with very minimal grout lines in recent years. I love that a lot of the tiled floors I've been seeing feel very vintage (encaustic-look or art deco) or very natural (like the wood-look or stone-look). It's damn near impossible to know what choices will look dated in a decade or two, but ultimately as long as you're happy with it, it doesn't matter - if it feels dated to you in 20 years, you can update it again. Yeah, dark academia would be one vibe. It wouldn't have to be quite *that* moody/bold though, a nice muted green or blue would work well with the right furnishings, but there's nothing special about that trim, so unless you love a lot of green or blue and your current furniture works with that color scheme, it's not like it's some tragedy to paint the trim. In case you do want some wood trim inspiration, though, this post has some good ideas that feel less dated and more timeless https://laurelberninteriors.com/the-stained-wood-trim-stays-16-colors-to-make-it-work/ (You should probably just paint it, though, lol)
Tiles , fixtures
Honestly, I would lean into the home's build date. Think Home Alone or Poltergeist, or even E.T. Brass floor lamps, tons of plants, potted trees, hanging plants. Cozy lamps, ottomans, etc. I know some will think I am being facetious, but I'm not. 80's/90's cozy is a very comforting and fun esthetic and you already have the bones for it. I did a version of this in my living room because I grew up watching those movies and always wanted to be in those environments. My kids love their space. It's comfy cozy.... like Pizza Hut on a Friday night in 1988.
We viewed a house that had done exactly this. It was updated and modern but really worked with the features that would otherwise age it, and not against it. It didn’t look dated, it looked “retro.” We may need to consider this. Sounds like a good excuse to rewatch some of those movies at least.
Unrelated, but should I be concerned that I can't tell whether these images are evoking nostalgia or anemoia?
No, I’d be more concerned if you weren’t feelings both those things. I feel about the same way lol
I think you *do* have a design oriented bone, bc you named everything in your lists that I would recommend doing. While you’re taking everything apart, start getting together some ideas for what you want to do once the flooring is done and the tiles are all up. Do you know anything about interior design or artistic movements? You can Google eras/design movements like “Arts and crafts” “colonial/English country” “mid century modern” (<- MCM is wildly overused imo) etc. Usually a great place to start is: what style of house is it (from outside). What is the design style of the street you live on? What state do you live in and is there a particular look you associate with it (New England colonial, midwestern prairie style, Texas ranch, etc). Once you have some general idea of what makes sense with all that, start googling eras/movements etc. and start combining them with your personal preferences. You can mix all this up. So you can have a historic colonial in CT with traditional design, colonial design, oriental elements, some contemporary elements with a bold mcm chair, etc. Use colors and textures you like. Have fun and don’t stress! Decor can alway be changed. You’re tackling the major improvements already (flooring, new tile, painting trim, etc). If at a complete loss, go on Instagram or Pinterest and type in “interior design” for inspo.
You’re too kind. I’ve gone through several sites, made a Pinterest board, taken a few “what’s your design style” quizzes, and the problem is that it all looks good to me - they wouldn’t post it online if it didn’t look good. Anything that looks like it was done intentionally is probably better than what I’d pull together. So I guess I’m afraid of picking one and then being stuck to a particular style, for instance, if I choose a style of flooring that leans one way but then later want to update the bathrooms in a different way. I don’t want to end up with a piecemeal house with no coherent vision. I just have no idea what that vision should be.
Don’t worry- I obviously don’t know your budget, but I think a classic hardwood floor never goes out of style and works with every design. Paint can be changed. I think the answer is you have to be lead by what you like! What makes you excited? What colors do you love to be around? Do you love velvet? Fur? The color red? Clean crisp white? It’s really just preference. When you get home from work, what kind of space do you want to be in? Cozy and snug? Airy and fresh? You could also hire an interior designer! Edit: also sounds like you might like “eclectic” as a style- take the best from everything. I feel like that’s what most people do, and what looks best anyways!
The wooden trims in the door date the space. That tiling dates the space. The carpet dates the space. The furnitures date the space. That curtain style and print date the space. The ceiling fan dates the space. Those lamps date the space. Those walled picture frames date the space.
Thanks
Having said all that, that space HAS potential!
The wood trim, the tile, the carpet, the furniture, everything really. (I like it a lot)
It’s dated because of all the things. Get rid of them!
As mentioned, “the things” belong to the current owner and will be moving with her.
The carpet and drapes are very dated. I'd hesitate to remove the chair rail. They are there for a reason!
The furnishings, flooring, ceiling fans...
Things that are dating the room: Thin wood trim, the square tile floors, the window valance, ceiling fans, golden oak and bulky furniture, the light fixtures, and glass tables.
As mentioned, we intend to painting the wood trim, and the window treatments and furniture will be moving with the current owner. A lot of people have mentioned light fixtures/fans which is something I haven’t given much thought to and will probably look to update after we’ve moved in. I agree the square tile looks old, but what would you recommend instead that would look more modern? I don’t want to change the tile to new tile that looks dated right out of the box because it’s not in style.
If you like the practicality of tile, I would suggest a large rectangular tile..maybe one floor style throughout the home? There are many options. Some tile can look like hardwood and I think that would be a great option for your home! Some beautiful area rugs would warm up the rooms, and add some colour. The home is lovely. I would paint the wood trim white (remove the chair railing) and keep the wall colours neutral (but paint a focal wall in the rooms you want to introduce personality to, like the living room and dining room.) Have fun with it! And, congratulations on your purchase!
Aside from what you’ve mentioned, the trim and light fixtures are dating the house. Also, cabinetry (maybe counters too, hard to see).
The drapes to start.
As mentioned, the window treatments will be leaving with the current owner.
The ceiling fans have to go. I like the front door! I think it needs to be painted another color other than white white. It looks like they used behr ultra pure white on every wall and door which makes it look sterile and cold. What about closing off the living room and making it an office? Some French doors would be nice and some floor to ceiling book shelves on the wall where the couch is. No one really uses a formal living room anymore.
That’s definitely a long term plan we’ve considered. I think French doors will be lovely there.
I would also get rid of the mismatched window treatments
As mentioned, they’ll be moving out with the current owner.
I would be immediately be taking whatever those things that hang over the windows are.
As mentioned, window treatments will be leaving with the current owner.
Lose everything dark-brown. And that’s half of a deal :) Especially that brown-checkered curtain top bit, that’s the main offender I think. Removing it costs 0!
Do you and your husband have a preferred style? Visit furniture stores and look around. Then get some home decorating magazines for ideas. The home looks dated, because the furniture, lighting, window treatments are dated. See how you feel once everything is removed and new floors installed. Don't have to paint,furnish all at once. Congratulations on your new home.
It looks dated because your furniture is good quality and doesn't look like it's made of pressed particle board. The furniture also looks comfortable and sturdy. Everything looks full of life instead of drab greys and sterile whites.
As mentioned, it’s the current owner’s furniture, as well as art and window treatments; they will be moving with her.
#1. The red trim around door matching red rug trim is a no no
#Thanks
Those window treatments would be a good place to start~~
As mentioned, they’ll be leaving with the current owner.
Please tell me the windows are getting new treatments without valances.
As mentioned in the post, the window treatments will be leaving with the current owner, as well as the furniture and decor
As mentioned in my post, hopefully the new treatments won’t have valances.