Designing a home, either when buying new construction or embarking on an interior decorating project, can be a lot of fun for the creative types. But in the process of putting together your perfect abode, you might run into a familiar conundrum: Do you indulge yourself in trendy finishes or stick to traditional favorites, with an eye on resale value in the future? How do you account for the fact that your own tastes might change in the coming years and decades spent in your home?
For your big-ticket, less replaceable items, sticking with the classics is best. Expensive furniture like sofas and bed frames should have staying power, with a focus on durability over trendiness. If you have a beige-colored sofa, but dress it up with pink velvet pillows and dot your neutrally-shaped coffee table with cute accessories, you’ll have the best of both worlds.
By contrast, follow your heart and pick out trendy pieces for things that can be switched out easily. Lighting is a great way to accomplish this—your interesting, flashy chandelier won’t be too difficult to take down once you get tired of it, and table lamps are a less expensive way to keep your living room up-to-date.
One key way to make sure your home really looks like you is through paint! Go ahead and coat your front door with a light lavender, or put orange walls up in your living room. Once it’s time to sell your home, or once you’ve decided to tone things down, it’ll only take a weekend to put up a more neutral shade.