If you’ve ever embarked upon a home improvement project that involves tile, you know how daunting it can be to select material both you and a future buyer will like. People have gotten more and more afraid to express some personality where tile is concerned–after all, the stuff is cemented down, so it’s not as easy as a paint color if you want to make a change, and who wants to wreck their return on investment? I understand that fear of commitment and why it leads to so many homeowners playing it safe with ubiquitous travertine or white subway tile. Not that there’s anything wrong with travertine or white subway tile, but believe it or not, there are plenty of buyers out there who see something “safe” or “basic” and are disappointed. There’s a huge part of the homebuyer pie who yearns for something distinctive. So if your taste runs toward the funkier side of life, here’s how some homeowners are having their cake and eating it, too:
![white penny tile fireplace surround cherry mantel Austin TX Room Fu](https://roomfu.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/fireplace_detail.jpg)
Room Fu – Knockout Interiors
What makes these spaces both fun and resale-proof?
1. They’ve literally neutralized fun shapes with earth tones, making them less threatening to a broader audience.
2. All of these spaces look high-end. People recognize and appreciate good quality when they see it.
3. They’ve isolated the crazy–that is, they’ve strategically surrounded their fun element with other finishes that are generally considered “safer.”
4. They’ve had their fun in a small space, for the most part. The kitchen pictured above notwithstanding, these examples show how you have more latitude in areas of the home like a wet bar or powder room, because you’re not talking about a bazillion square feet of the material in question. You just get a hit of funky flavor–it doesn’t overwhelm the space or largely dictate how a future buyer will decorate.
5. They’re distinctive. You would remember walking into each of these spaces–they make an impression. Can you say that about the last ten open houses you’ve attended? There’s so much mediocrity out there, it’s no wonder it all runs together. Getting potential homebuyers to remember your house is half the battle when you’re trying to sell. These homes undoubtedly haunt homebuyers–in a good way.
We’ll continue to illustrate other ways you can have fun with your home decor while maintaining resale value, so stay tuned!
If you’d like to have a designer’s help or input on your own tile selections, call or text us at (512) 797-5821. We can make this daunting process a snap!
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