Top 5 Design Updates To Make When Buying A New Home

Vanessa Casella Photo for Sarah Elizabeth Design

We have countless interior design clients who have moved to the suburbs for the many perks of owning a home in our area from the diverse community to the countless restaurants and parks, let alone the proximity to NYC💚. The scenario we see go’s often times like this: Family buys a home 2 - 3 times (or much more) larger than the apartment they had in the city - I’ve also been there myself. Its the most exhilarating experience to buy what could be your very first home, but also daunting and stress-inducing thinking of the chore of furnishing it, let alone any renovations that might be needed, and what to do first VS what to do down the line. These updates will also add value to your home, In a nutshell we will break down the tasks to tackle first, and what you can do in the years to come. Also read to the end for a video recap of the 5 interior design updates to expect to make when moving into a new home.

Carly Jara Photography for Sarah Elizabeth Design

We are often brought in as the interior designer on a project during a home’s inspection, where we get detailed measurements, site photos and walk through with our clients making a wish list. From there we sit down with our team, do some number crunching, view our client’s desired timeline and budget, and zoom in on what’s possible. While every project is different, our list of initial updates to make when moving into a new home in the burbs many times looks like the below:

1. New paint colors throughout:

   The reason this is important is for one it’s easier to paint without having to cover, protect and/or move furniture. As an intregral part of the interior design process we are choosing paint colors (and wallpaper a lot of times) while developing the color palette for each room and the overall home, creating room layouts and choosing the furniture that goes in them. You will always have a paint schedule when working with us!

2. Refinish hardwood floors or replace flooring when needed:

   This goes without saying this is a zillion times easier if the home is empty. Our go-to stain is a medium walnut stain made up of mixing two stains together while minimizing any red tones, but we also love a natural oak or bleached oak for a sophisticated Scandinavian (or beachy!) look. This can be done in as quick as a few days for a full home, but you must note the high amount of dust the sanding before staining will create and have your flooring team protect accordingly.

3. New light fixtures throughout:

   Chances are you aren’t going to love the former owners lighting choices, or they are just too dated. We are choosing light fixtures as an intregral part of the design process while choosing furniture and decor for each room. The light fixtures should relate and compliment the room, light it well (unless the client is opting for a moody vibe), and should always have a dimmer which is easy and inexpensive to install. This is also the time we would add sconces to rooms when needed, having them hardwired before painting. Lighting is important as you want your dining room chandelier for example to reflect your distinct style, whether that be a modern multi-arm fixture, or a more transitional glass chandelier. Changing the lighting is priceless in adding your unique taste to the home.

4. window treatments:

   We bring in a team to measure your windows so we are in the que, as window shades can run a few weeks to be made or up to 10 weeks. Shades run from $800 and can go much more per window, but are something you have for years to come. If this sounds daunting you can opt to install them in sleeping rooms, powder rooms, and anywhere you need privacy to start, or in the main rooms like the living and dining to elevate the look and feel of the rooms. Pro-tip: to hold clients over we use home Depot $7 paper accordion shades you can cut to size to fit over each window in sleeping rooms to keep light out. The window shades we do most are roman shades with a cord, whereas many clients do not close the shades except for in the sleeping rooms. We will also bring in Lutron or another motorized shade for sunrooms, beach homes and other areas where light filtering is needed. You can always layer Lutron or motorized shades with a fabric window treatment over them for a softer, more tailored look.

5. Kitchen and bath updates:

   A kitchen renovation may be on your list of immediate updates depending on the condition your new homes’ kitchen is in, and what your needs are. If you are able to absorb the additional cost - whereas a kitchen can easy run you $150,000 for a full renovation, depending on the size of the kitchen. For a galley kitchen it can be much less, and mixing custom and store-bought options can also save, as well as choosing mid-grade yet durable fixures and finishes - things to discuss with your interior designer and contractor.

   Note: Even a kitchen renovation can wait if for example you have young children where its important to have daily access to your kitchen (meaning not having your fridge located in your dining room with a hot plate and makeshift kitchen for 2-3 months!), or you have a strict budget, and your kitchen has decent storage (note you can always get a tall cabinet or armoire to store items in in the interim), with some counter place. If you have a newer kitchen or one with solid wood cabinets and a decent layout (think dynamic working triangle) which many homes we decorate do have, you can also opt for aesthetic updates like painting the cabinets and replacing the countertops, changing out the knobs and pulls, and retiling, a beautiful and more economical facelift that does wonders for a space.

Vanessa Casella for Sarah Elizabeth Design

If the above feels daunting, a loved professor at New York School of Interior Design told me years ago something very simple. To move clients in, think of what they will need right away, which includes a bed(s), a dining table and a few chairs, and some living room seating which can be your current sofa, armchairs etc. This simple concept is important to remember when things feel daunting or out of reach either because of your budget or desired move in date. We also reference this when ordering new furniture for a home - key pieces we need in order of importance.

While we are well-versed in hitting the ground running working on gut renovations when our client’s opt to have everything done before moving in, as they may have a secondary home or lease to finish out, we do complete many projects in phases. If the above feels daunting, rest assured while scrolling through the list below:

Carly Jara Photography for Sarah Elizabeth Design

What you can wait on:

1. HVAC - If a new hvac is needed, this can arguable go on the list of things to do when you move in, but I’ve seen it done at many stages. If you add duct work it should be done before the aesthetic updates like paint and wallpaper and any other design elements added.

2. We are called back a year to two years later to renovate basements - whether they are usable but the aesthetic not desirable, or its unfinished space (think a series of wood columns and the concrete foundation…) where layouts and space planning are needed, as our new flooring, sheetrock, etc whereas a blank slate can be exciting yet costly.

3. The other interior design tasks we are often called back to do are stair runners as we educate clients on pricing while working with them, and if its more important to them to get for example living and bedroom furniture ordered, and live in their home for a bit, then a runner is something very simple to add later but that ties the design all together.

4. We get called back for all kinds of other things, from converting an existing room into a baby’s room 👶 , a home office, adding a gym or built-in bar for entertaining family and friends, and even consulting on artwork for the space.

Carly Jara Photography for Sarah Elizabeth Design

We hope this summary of what you can do now, and what you can wait on, was helpful! If you would like to discuss this and how our interior design company can assist you with your new home design, please reach out, we’d love to hear from you!