When it comes to designing your home, some details are forgotten or overlooked because of all the other decision factors in play. These five ideas offer a level of design you (staying), or a potential buyer (flipping), will appreciate.
1. Quartz countertops
Low maintenance is quartz’s best-selling feature. In a busy family home you don’t have time to supervise what’s spilled on the countertop, so why not select a stone product that is stain and heat resistant. Quartz is available with the veining and look of granite or marble, but also simple clean textures and patterns.
Staying: Quartz is great as a long-term investment that boasts quality.
Flipping: Quartz is not the best for every flip because of price. However, a lot of buyers are keen on a stone product in kitchens and bathrooms.
2. Recessed shelving in showers and tubs
A necessity for all tiled showers and tub is to have built-in recessed shelving to store shampoo and soaps. Make a plan before framing begins, considering the size of the openings as well as accessibility while standing in the shower or sitting in the tub. Highlight the shelving with accent tiles to create an eye-catching focal point in the bathroom.
Staying: Recessed shelving provides a practical and aesthetic feature to a bathroom.
Flipping: Recessed shelving shows buyers that you didn’t forget the details and care about the future owner’s needs.
3. Mudroom storage lockers
Do your kids drop their bags on the ground when they get home from school? Lockers provide a place to store everything that normally gets dropped by the door and reduce clutter. Ensure each family member has their own defined space. Include drawers, benches, space underneath for shoes, hooks and some closed storage for off season items.
Staying: Design the lockers to best suit your family’s needs. Do you need additional space for sports equipment or musical instruments?
Flipping: You probably won’t know who will be purchasing the house, so keep the design and structure more generic so it would work for many different people.
4. Uninterrupted backsplash with hidden electrical
Install all electrical components (e.g. outlets, switches and lighting) under the upper cabinets to feature an uninterrupted backsplash tile you love. Success takes forward thinking, which means including your electrician and cabinet maker in the planning process. The cabinets will house the junction boxes and transformers for all components, so the cabinet maker will have to know sizes and make components accessible for maintenance.
Staying: Hidden electrical components provide a refined detail to a kitchen while still providing practical access to your electrical needs.
Flipping: Most buyers wouldn’t notice hidden electrical components right away. Weighing time and cost to execute, versus return on investment, this is a project to waive when planning to flip your home.
5. Walk in pantry or kitchenette
If you have the space, consider designing a walk-in pantry or kitchenette just off the main kitchen. This room could have counter space for small appliances, multiple shelves for dried goods, a small prep sink to fill the coffee pot in the morning and an upright freezer or second fridge. With the additional space, kitchen counters can be free of clutter and used with food preparation in mind.
Staying: With the aim to improve organization, think about features and how you would use the space.
Flipping: Kitchen storage will go a long way when it comes to selling. Simple shelving and a counter with electrical is all that is needed to impress a buyer.
Before you start your next project, designed for a flip or for you to stay long-term, make sure to consider the details that will make the home special and unique. They don’t need to be complicated or expensive; they just need to make sense for the home and the people living in it.
Adrienne Fedorowich is Director of Design at Studio 2.0 Interior Design + Photography in Saskatoon, Sask. She’s looking forward to sharing her knowledge of projects, design tips and products that will make your life more enjoyable and provide inspiration for that next project.
