What bores me? Neutral colors. Beige, beige, and beige.
If you watch HGTV, you know that they always advise folks that are selling their homes to make all the colors “neutral.” “People want to see themselves living here. De-personalize.” While I understand taking down the wedding and baby pictures, wouldn’t someone rather see a home with a little personality?
Sure, de-clutter. I don’t need to see your Teddy Bear collection. Or your Yankees posters. But I’m not afraid to see a little color, a little warmth.
My dining room has wallpaper. Yes, we bought it that way. It did NOT send us screaming into the night. In fact, we have more compliments on that room than any other room of the house. People say it’s “classy.” And I guess it doesn’t hurt that most humans I know LOVE wine–the wallpaper has grape vines, and lots of them.
At Christmastime, I hang ornaments from the chandelier (also not in “style” anymore) and it gives the room a warm holiday feeling.
My husband and I were getting ready to put the house on the market, and the Realtors walked into my dining room, groaned, and said, “Get rid of that wallpaper!”
If the reason that someone does not buy our house is because of the wallpaper…..well I just don’t understand. We did get an estimate from a contractor of $500 to remove it. But for now, it stays.
What do you think? Should the wallpaper stay or go?
SueAnn Porter 
I’d keep it, probably never see it, but miss it if it were gone. Feature walls still live on in my world. Big fierce reds, greens, yellows, anything other than the beige hell people think other people want. People threatened by a feature wall? Posers and fools. Show them the door.
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Hi Lee, My contractor told me to paint it light beige on top and dark beige on bottom. yuck!! we almost went for it, but ran out of money…I guess it was a good thing in this case. The rest of the house is pretty ‘neutral’ so I think we can have ONE room with some color!? thanks for your comment.
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One of the things that really attracted me to our previous home was one bathroom with wallpaper. I loved it and left it when we put that home up for sale. I agree with you, if the house doesn’t have some sort of personal touches; people can’t see what they can do with it or how they can use the room. We didn’t paint any walls in spite of living in the house for over 10 years. The walls were a “Sahara sand” brownish color which was really very neutral and looks great with all other colors. While wine or grapes might be everyone’s personal taste; it certainly will blend into the background once furniture is in the room. Good luck.
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thanks. I hope the house sells quickly once we finally put it on the market!!
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Stay!!! I love houses like this, and as a matter of fact the two houses we have bought both had rooms like that! The one we are currently in even had a bedroom door painted with the name Eden emblazoned on it with bright paint, and painted hand prints all over it, and we’re keeping it just like that! We are quirky and weird though. š
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There is nothing wrong with quirky and weird — that equals INTERESTING!! I like to see the older houses too, with wallpaper in every room. It speaks to the times and gives the house more personality. Thank you for your comment. š
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It’s really strange that I like your blog so much! We are so different. I’m one of those people you would pray for behind my back, but that’s OK. I loved your story about the swastika house. Keep going!
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Thank you penjedi….That is so nice of you to say. I’ve had a very strange life. It’s nice to meet you!
Sue
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