How to avoid trends you'll grow tired of when renovating your home, according to interior design experts
- People often renovate their homes with trends or dreamy Pinterest images in mind.
- But HGTV's Steve and Leanne Ford told Insider that's often a mistake.
- You need to renovate your space for your actual life, not the life you think you should have.
It's easy to get caught up in trends in many areas of life, including home decor.
People can become fixated on decor styles they see on Pinterest boards or home-improvement shows, believing that trends they come across will work for their home.
Sometimes these trends translate well to real life, but more often than not, people who follow these styles end up creating a space that doesn't actually work for their lifestyle, as design experts Leanne and Steve Ford told Insider.
The brother-sister duo is returning to HGTV with their new show, "Home Again With the Fords," on which they'll be renovating houses in their hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for other Steel City-natives who are moving back home.
Your home has to work for your family
According to the Fords, people often lose sight of their purpose when remodeling their homes, leading them to make changes that are impractical for their day-to-day lives.
"I think a big mistake people make is renovating for a life they don't actually have," Leanne told Insider. "That's kind of a waste of space."
That mistake has never been more apparent than it is in the pandemic, as people spend more time in and need more from their homes than ever.
"A great example right now is everybody has their guest room intact, but they're sitting in their dining room to work," Leanne told Insider. "But we don't have any guests coming over."
In that instance, it would make more sense to turn the space into an office rather than keeping it as a bedroom just because you think it "should" be an extra place to sleep.
"Take your bed, put it in the garage, and create a nice space where you spend your most time," Leanne suggested.
"Think big picture first," she advised people remodeling their homes. "As you are going to do a renovation think, 'What's the vision for the home? How do I want to live here? How do I want to enjoy it?'"
If you're going to get more joy out of an office each day than a guest room, then give yourself the office of your dreams.
Don't invest in changes you'll tire of quickly
To ensure you're creating your home for the life you actually have, the Fords suggest thinking long-term about your space as you renovate it.
Home makeovers are expensive, and it doesn't make sense to invest in changes you'll grow tired of in a year.
The Fords recommend keeping the bones of your home neutral when renovating your space, as you'll get the most flexibility out of them later on.
"I think things like tile and flooring should be really classic and timeless," Leanne said, as they can act as the neutral base for your space. "And then you play with the other pieces that come in and out and let that be your wild card."
That line of thinking also applies to the kind of furniture you want to put in your home.
It's easy to select modern pieces you see online, but Leanne thinks it often makes more sense to invest in carefully selected vintage pieces.
"I really believe vintage pieces bring soul to a home," she told Insider. "I think they're essential in every great home. They bring the soul and they bring the character."
So pairing neutral elements with unique vintage pieces can give your home the identity you've been searching for. But at the end of the day, all that matters is you're renovating the space in a way that makes you happy.
"When you're looking at style and design, don't try to do what your friends and family think you should do," Leanne said. "Think about what you're drawn to and do what makes you happy."
"Home Again With the Fords" is premiering on HGTV on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET. You can learn more about the series here.
- Read more:
- Renovating your ceilings could be the best thing for your home, according to design experts
- Please stop modeling your house after home-improvement shows
- Modern home decor is moving out to make room for more comfortable trends - and it's about time
- Why dark walls could change your home for the better, according to interior design experts