How to Create a Timeless Kitchen

How to Create a Timeless Kitchen

Courtesy of The Scout Guide

As house-hunters and longtime owners alike know well, there’s nothing like a beautifully updated kitchen to make a home feel fresh, current, and functional. And while it can be tempting to embrace the latest trends in your remodel, sometimes the best approach is to balance timeless elements with personal touches and perhaps an unexpected twist. For those who might be considering a kitchen project in the near future, we reached out to interior design experts throughout The Scout Guide network for advice on creating a room that will stand the test of time. From tips on material selection to details that will go the distance, here are their recommendations.

Factor the rest of the house into your design. It’s important to hone in on the space you’re creating and ensure it complements its environment, says Kathryn Sandlin, designer at Campbell Cabinetry Designs in Sarasota, Florida. This is something to consider in particular when choosing your flooring, backsplash, and hood. Selecting elements that naturally blend in with the rest of the home, from a style and color palette standpoint, will create a sense of cohesiveness and calm.

Embrace the beauty of natural stone“The slab yard is one of my favorite and most inspirational places to visit,” says Mel Bean, Interior Designer at Mel Bean Interiors in Tulsa, Oklahoma. “A stunning slab can launch an entire design!” Emily Culley, senior designer at Kitchen & Bath Galleries of North Hills in Raleigh, North Carolina, seconds the importance of stone, and recommends clients pay a visit to the yard to see how the veining and patterning looks on a large piece, and suggests running a slab up the backsplash as a beautiful way to enhance the overall design aesthetic with an element you won’t soon tire of.

Create a beautiful foundation through flooring. Especially when working with an open concept kitchen, Culley recommends select one flooring material and flowing it throughout your space. She prefers hardwood flooring, as it is one of the most timeless materials, easy to maintain, and nice underfoot. When selecting a stain, she recommends spreading multiple color samples out on your floors and using a matte top coat to conceal wear and traffic patterns. For a classic choice, she says that medium stains like Jacobean will stand the test of time, but notes that lighter and natural wood tones are having a resurgence.

Don’t be tempted by trendy finishes. While rose gold may feel fashion-forward at the moment, if you want your selection to stand the test of time, stick with classic finishes like nickel, brass, and oil-rubbed bronze, advises Melanie Gowen, owner and interior designer at Melanie Gowen Design in Nantucket, Massachusetts. In addition, Gowen suggests opting for unlacquered or “living finishes” in these metals, as they will develop even more character over time.

Always prioritize organization and function. The most timeless kitchen is one that is fully functional. The first order of business is to imagine where everything you need will be stored, which zones it will be needed in, and even the details of in-cabinet organization. “In my own home, I prioritized deep drawers alongside vertical pull-outs near the range, full-height cabinetry for dish storage to be more easily accessible than upper cabinets near the sink and dishwasher, and an island with pass-through storage accessible from either side (the cleanup zone and the cooking zone),” she says.

Have fun with soft furnishings. Just because you decide to keep your kitchen primarily neutral for the sake of longevity, that doesn’t mean you still can’t have fun. If you want to inject a little personality, “Add pattern and color in window treatments and counter stools,” Andrea Britt Pietragallo, interior designer and owner of Britt Design Studio in Ridegewood, New Jersey, recommends. Just remember to consider the best fabrics for your family. For example, clients with young children might want to invest in a wipeable surface like faux leather for stools, etc.

Remember that even monochromatic kitchens can have dimension. “An all-white kitchen can have so much depth when the materials and textures are layered,” Bean says. Think smooth white cabinets, honed countertops, sleek faucets, cabinet hardware in mixed metals, reclaimed beams, light fixtures in unique finishes like aged brass or alabaster, and textural rugs. “This diversity defines the experience of what it means to live in the space.” Along these lines, Pietragallo, whose favorite paint color for a white kitchen is Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace, recommends breaking up a white kitchen with a wood tone on the island or range hood, which will not only bring in a natural element, but allows the eye to take a break.

Consider cabinet details. Taking the time to research cabinet options, like “full overlay” and “flush inset,” is worth the time, according to Bean. “A shaker style door on a full overlay cabinet style has been used exhaustively, and not in a way that would have been historically authentic,” she explains, while “The same shaker door in a flush inset frame is absolutely timeless.” She notes that full overlay cabinets are still a beautiful choice, but encourages clients to elect a door style with a bit of simple embellishment, such as a flat panel with a simple cove detail—and cautions them to avoid anything too built up or complex.

Add a twist to classic subway tile. While subway tile continues to be a popular choice in kitchen backsplashes, Culley recommends adding a spin on this classic option by selecting an undulated style with a handmade look or using a herringbone pattern to add dimension to a kitchen amongst all of the linear lines of cabinetry. Additionally, she suggests laser jet mosaic patterns that can offer the ability to bring in softer lines to the kitchen space.

Why Your House Didn’t Sell

Why Your House Didn’t Sell

If your listing expired and your house didn’t sell, you’re likely feeling a little frustrated. Not to mention, you're also probably wondering what went wrong. Here are three questions to think about as you figure out what to do next.

Did You Limit Access to Your House?

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when selling your house is restricting the days and times when potential buyers can tour it. Being flexible with your schedule is important when you're selling your house, even though it might feel a bit stressful to drop everything and leave when buyers want to see it. After all, minimal access means minimal exposure to buyers. ShowingTime advises:

“. . . do your best to be as flexible as possible when granting access to your house for showings.”

Sometimes, the most determined buyers might come from far away. Since they're traveling to see your house, they may not be able to change their plans easily if you only offer limited times for showings. So, try to make your house available as much as you can to accommodate them. It’s simple. If no one’s able to look at it, how’s it going to sell?

Did You Make Your House Stand Out?

When selling your house, the old saying matters: you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Putting in the work to make the exterior of your home look nice is just as important as how you stage it inside. Freshen up your landscaping to improve your home’s curb appeal so you can make an impact upfront. As an article from U.S. News says:

“After all, if people drive by, but aren’t interested enough to walk through the front door, you’ll never sell your house.”

But don’t let that impact stop at the front door. By removing personal items and reducing clutter inside, you give buyers more freedom to picture themselves in the home. Additionally, a new coat of paint or cleaning the floors can go a long way to freshening up a room.

Did You Price Your House Compellingly?

Setting the right price is extremely important when you're selling your house. Even though it might feel tempting to push the price higher to maximize your profit, overpricing can scare away buyers and make it hard to sell quickly. Business Insider notes:

“. . . the biggest mistake sellers make is overpricing their home.”

If your house is priced higher than others like it, it could make buyers lose interest. Pay attention to the feedback people give your agent during open houses and showings. If lots of people are saying the same thing, it might be a good idea to think about lowering the price.

For all these insights and more, rely on a trusted real estate agent. A great agent will offer expert advice on relisting your house with effective strategies to get it sold.

Bottom Line

It’s natural to feel disappointed when your listing has expired and your house didn’t sell. Let’s connect to figure out what happened and what to reconsider or change if you want to get your house back on the market.

Pricing Your House Right Still Matters Today

Pricing Your House Right Still Matters Today

While this isn’t the frenzied market we saw during the ‘unicorn’ years, homes that are priced right are still selling quickly and seeing multiple offers right now. That’s because the number of homes for sale is still so low. Data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows 76% of homes sold within a month and the average saw 3.5 offers in June.

To set yourself up to see advantages like these, you need to rely on an agent. Only an agent has the expertise needed to find the right asking price for your house. Here’s what’s at stake if that price isn’t accurate for today’s market value.

The price you set for your house sends a message to potential buyers. 

Price it too low and you might raise questions about your home’s condition or lead buyers to assume something is wrong with it. Not to mention, if you undervalue your house, you could leave money on the table, which decreases your future buying power.

On the other hand, price it too high and you run the risk of deterring buyers from ever touring it in the first place. When that happens, you may have to do a price drop to try to re-ignite interest in your house when it sits on the market for a while. But be aware that a price drop can be seen as a red flag for some buyers who will wonder why the price was reduced and what that means about the home.

A recent article from NerdWallet sums it up like this:

"Your house’s market debut is your first chance to attract a buyer and it’s important to get the pricing right. If your home is overpriced, you run the risk of buyers not seeing the listing . . . But price your house too low and you could end up leaving some serious money on the table. A bargain-basement price could also turn some buyers away, as they may wonder if there are any underlying problems with the house."

Think of pricing your home as a target. Your goal is to aim directly for the center – not too high, not too low, but right at market value. 

Pricing your house fairly based on market conditions increases the chance you’ll have more buyers who are interested in purchasing it. That makes it more likely you’ll see multiple offers too. Plus, when homes are priced right, they still tend to sell quickly.

To get a high-level look into the potential downsides of over or underpricing your house and the perks that come with pricing it at market value, see the chart below:

Lean on a Professional’s Expertise to Price Your House Right

So why is an agent essential in finding the right price? Your local agent has the skill and the insight necessary to find the market value of your home. They’ll use their expertise to determine a realistic listing price by assessing:

  • The prices of recently sold homes

  • The current market conditions

  • The size and condition of your house

  • The location of your house

Bottom Line

Pricing your house at market value is critical, so don’t rely on guesswork. Let’s connect to make sure your house is priced right for today’s market.