Making a Statement with Color
Sellers are wise to give buyers a “blank canvas,” but a pop of color can also make a home memorable
When a homeowner engages a Realtor to sell a house, there is often a pre-listing conversation about how to ready the property for the market. That preparedness may include decluttering, making repairs, even updating the décor. There is wisdom in the suggestion that applying fresh coats of paint to the interiors, in neutral color schemes, like shades of white, cream or gray, can make a house more amenable to a prospective buyer. Like a “blank canvas,” soft hues allow a buyer to flip through photos or walk through a home and envision their own décor and furnishings preferences in the space.
However, in the digital age, when most homebuyers begin or narrow their searches online — and especially during the pandemic, when in-person showings proved challenging — a little “pop of color” can also help a home stand out and be more memorable.
“It’s tricky with color,” according to Greenwich Realtor Jennifer Leahy, who heads up the Jennifer Leahy Team at Douglas Elliman Real Estate. “Buyers generally like neutral tones, but one or two ‘wow’ rooms, with color or wallpaper, can be fun and differentiate a house. It just needs to be done right and feel relevant to today.”
Leahy is currently representing the seller of 895 Lake Avenue, Greenwich, a seven-bedroom Georgian, with a wealth of amenities, that won a HOBI Award in 2014. The interiors have been more recently “refreshed,” according to the seller’s agent. Here, every room is a “wow,” but especially its elegant formal dining room, which Leahy said captivates the prospective buyers who have toured the property. The expansive space has rich espresso-finished hardwood flooring, a tray ceiling, deep custom moldings and woodwork painted white that contrasts beautifully with the wall color.
“It’s a beautiful, rich, deep blue,” Leahy said. “It makes the space feel inviting, warm and elegant. The white and blue create a contrast that is fun and unique without being overbearing. The colors play off each other, but still allow the stunning crystal chandelier and furniture to stand out. It’s many buyers’ favorite room!”
Jen Danzi and Tamar Lurie
of Coldwell Banker Luxury represent the seller of 928 Lake Avenue, a Douglas Graneto-designed residence on 4.46 acres in backcountry. The house spans 4,486 square feet of living space and luxury amenities, including a saltwater pool, tennis court and an outbuilding of particular interest to equestrian buyers.
“928 Lake Avenue’s owners were not afraid to make use of color in their interior design,” Danzi said. “Their primary en-suite bedroom has pink walls and carpet, which carries over to the pink-and-green primary bathroom. Many buyers have come through and mention the pink bedroom before we get upstairs. Color influences people and increases their likelihood to recall a home or a room because of the use of color.”
Another bath is a dramatic shade of fuchsia, and the formal dining room leverages color in a more subtle way.
“They’ve incorporated more earthy, warm tones, such as in the dining room, which is done in a very rich shade of brown venetian plaster, with gold leaf ceiling detail. With the use of natural materials, this earthy feeling also transcends to the family room, which has a vaulted, wood-paneled ceiling, floorto-ceiling stone fireplace and a wall of glass, with French doors drenching the room with warm light.”
Sotheby’s Realtor Leslie McElwreath represents the seller of 21 Clapboard Ridge Road, a mid-country compound situated on 6.13 acres. The property comprises the six-bedroom, 8,537-square-foot main house, a one-bedroom guesthouse, a pool, pool pavilion, tennis court, pitch-and-put golf hole, and a barn with a lounge and regulation-sized squash court.
In the main house and guest cottage, color has been used to make statements and as an accent, including in the kitchen, where bold blues and soft greens among the flooring, walls and island top contrast with the white cabinetry and stainless appliances. In a sitting room that’s part of the expansive primary suite, blue gingham wallcoverings create a charming space for conversation and reading. There’s also a blue and white tiled floor in the primary bath that gives the otherwise white, airy space a splash of color.