Who hasn’t just shut their eyes and let their kids paint their own bedrooms? Megadeth Black? Barney Purple? My Little Pony Pink?
We lived in Ontario before we moved to Saskatoon, and like all good parents, we let our kids choose the colours for their bedrooms. Grayson picked a beautiful ballerina pink. Sam was three and chose an abomination called Rubber Duck. And not just one wall. All four. The agent came through when it came time to sell and he said the house was great, except just one thing. We knew…. here it comes! ‘Seriously, you have to paint out that, uh, yellow bedroom!’
But now you’re ready to sell. The rule of thumb is any colours your kids picked when they were under 15 should be repainted.
If your colours work with the finishes and furniture, that’s great. Oranges and reds tend to be polarizing; people love them or hate them. A dark grey accent wall might work in a bright space, but a black room is off-putting. Kinda like Rubber Duck.
Today’s trends, yesterday’s trends
You don’t have to white-out everything, but if you do want to freshen up, take it easy. And remember there are today’s neutrals and yesterday’s neutrals. In the 90s, the neutrals were beige and a little yellow (no, not Rubber Duck yellow). The neutrals today are a bit cooler in the grey tones. It makes things feel a bit newer.
Look in some home décor magazines, or ask your agent. Go to the paint store and ask about what neutrals might be good if you’re selling. Not every room should be light grey, but don’t chop your home up with 13 different colours. Go for cohesive. Your house should flow.
Bedroom rules
If your bedrooms are in good shape and unless they’re hideous, just leave the colours. But if you’re doing some repair, patching and paint anyway, it’s best not to obviously gender your bedrooms. You have a daughter; the new owner might have a son. You want the potential buyer to feel at home and imagine their spaces.
Get noticed, in a good way
Paint is an inexpensive way to freshen your home and brighten it up for sale. But trust me, if you suck at painting, get someone who knows what they’re doing. It’s just one of those things. People don’t notice a good paint job, but if the lines aren’t cut in well, if you’ve slopped on the crown moulding, and bled onto the baseboards, that they notice!