House hunting used to be a fascinating exploration of an endless variety of personal tastes and styles. Homes were colorful places containing collections of books, art, weird hobbies, and evidence of the people who live in them. And then something strange happened. All of a sudden everything became white and grey and all personality was erased. All cabinet doors became white shaker style, and all faucets and handles became fairly identical in almost every house. All the fun wallpaper and eclectic decor went away. Of the myriad tiles in production, how come everyone somehow chose white subway tiles? It seemed the whole country had agreed upon an aesthetic devoid of any expression of personality, and in a home, that feels weird. Did everyone watch too many home remodeling shows? Did they hear too many instructions to “depersonalize” their houses? Surely not everyone stopped liking color and pattern all at the same time. Pale matte wood flooring is lovely, but is it the only allowable flooring? White walls can certainly look clean and fresh, but sometimes an all white house can also appear a bit cold and sterile. Is everyone now afraid to use color?
In recent years, home prices went up so much so fast that I think everyone is thinking about the investment quality of their home. They’re thinking of which improvements add the most value if they go to sell, and which choices a future buyer might really appreciate, more than thinking about which things they’d actually prefer for themselves. In heeding the advice to avoid making overly personal choices, homeowners have “neutralized” their homes and learned to fight the impulse to choose something that may only delight them personally.
We now have a lot of homes on the market that look very similar, and kind of boring. I think we also now have people who are afraid of showing their personal stories in their homes, and that’s a shame. You should enjoy your home, and surround yourself with things that feel special to you and bring you joy. When and if you are ready to sell, you can pack up some of your weird collections, but while you live in your home, allow it to be a place of self expression! Also don’t assume buyers prefer neutralized white houses; some of my most successful sales have been of very quirky and personalized homes and it turned out that they appealed to far more people than one would imagine.
