I'd say it's less white vs dark..it's more wood stain(often light) coming back plus colors..rather then white painted cabinets plus more neutral surfaces next to them

white is used much more for walls now(and all its variations) as new "it" neutral. greige is still very popular -easy to bridge between the changing thends. lighter greens that read as neutral and are neither too cool not too warm..

as for what will appeal..depends on your market. and who are the buyers

trends started changing couple years ago already, if not before.

some will be aware of it, some won't

things pick up at different times depending on an area etc

also some things will make sense always because they just go with a house somehow, its style, its location etc. The context supports them

some will look forced-immediately or after a while because they didn't really belong from the get-go

I, also, agree it is your location and stye of the home which will influence colors.

On a personal note, I will tell you what I am so sick of seeing…busy granite. If I were a buyer, I would walk from a house with it. One solid tone, quartz, is what I want (and have) now. Black, white, taupe, gray…it just must be a solid and work with the other horizontal in the kitchen: the floor.

I am happy NOT to have a single-tone quartz counter. My eyes are tired of seeing white, white, white -- so if white, have other colors and tones for easing the eyes. I do like your next to last photo best, because I like the tile work, but I'd switch out that vanity and its pulls in a heartbeat. (But, that's me.) Too chunky for me. (I'd also paint that wall some warm pastel color, too. Again, that's me.) It's the tile and the over mirror light that draw me in.

I also like the second pic. It has color. A big plus in my book! Not crazy about wallpaper but I could live there with little issue. It has natural wood. Always a plus for me.

Is your target customer fashion forward or in a trendy metro area? If so, move to light natural woods, and quartz countertops, stop the vessel sinks. If not, stick with white/marble etc. for another year, but switch to a very very light gray if you must have gray. No pencil tile.

Gray is dead and gone. A white kitchen will always be a classic, which doesn't mean you can't have something else. I would stay away from dark floors and cabinets but also from yellowish-looking cabinets, you know the ones that now look really dated. The wood floors that you show in the after pictures are really too dark to be practical. You can see every little bit of dust, footprints, etc. Go for a lighter floor in the future. That dark a color doesn't even look all that friendly. The new trend is basically away from gray and the emphasis is on more color and livelier colors.

Thank you for your comments , so I think I will stick with the white cabinets in the kitchen.

What about vanity and tile for baths the white grey or dark? Tile beige or whitish?

The weathered wood look I like but I think would sell better with someone looking for a cottage -country look,and should come with a farmhouse kitchen sink and bronze fixtures. That will not sell here in south NJ.

I never go with the busy granite I agree with the 1 post too much for me , I always feel they can add things to spice it up. I want it to just feel crisp and clean and palate neutral.

I feel this area might go more for a little classic-modern, based on the age group.

These are 4 bedroom homes so obviously families with kids, so I guess mid 20"s to mid 30's age range. Comments on showings were all positive on the last ones with white grey, sold the last one 2 months ago,but I did see some houses also selling with the beige and dark colors .

Price dictates a lot in this area because its middle class working families with children.

I tend to overdo my flips with nicer materials a lot more then the competition ,I think I'm one of the only ones that do the freestanding tub ,They houses look great but they cant necessarily sell higher ,the development sort of has an average. I actually had my last one sold higher but then it didn't appraise.Maybe I should not do so much but I sometimes can be a perfectionist ,and that's not good for the budget or bottom line.

The one person that said they actually liked the before picture with all the wallpaper and green counters ,I wish you lived near me I could have saved a lot of money. lol

That just proves everyone has different taste so I have to stay plan jane sort of. ugh!!

I'm not seeing much in the way of stained vanities here in the stores and natural wood mainly Dark expresso ,Dark grey or white, so what would be the best trend for today?

I think you're playing today's hits, and -- since you're flipping -- that's the right choice:

- I'd question marble countertops; they're quite expensive, and I think you could do just as well with a less-expensive solid surface.

- People are saying gray is "over" (and I've always found it "cold"), yet we still see it all over this board.

- I do agree with the above poster that vessel sinks are impractical, but -- if I were your buyer -- that one thing wouldn't stop me from purchasing your house.

Yes, if a trendier area, lighter woods a warmer tones is what I see. I was in a very high end commercial building the other day which had just been remodeled / redecorated. I noticed that there wasn’t a gray in sight. Grayish green, light , was the closest I saw. And, lots of greens.

If you want to triple your budget hot trends can be done. But I imagine as a flipper profit margins will not support using finishes not readily available at big box stores so white, grey and generic wood like floors may be your only budget options. Where I live green demolition has real Christopher Peacock scullery kitchens by the handful and for pennies so your past kitchens would not be selling features here.

I agree on the vessel sinks being impractical, I personally wouldn't want it, but that was one of the things the feedback came back positive on so I used it, I also don't care for the 2 push button toilets I think they are ridiculous but people also comment they like those, so I use them. I think its just that they aren't the "norm" so people tend to notice them.

I am always afraid when switching gears to a dark or wood theme that by the time the house is finished in a few months things change.so I would like to stay classic on a few things with a modern edge .does anyone have any pictures of baths or kitchens I can use as inspirations. I would love to see other flips.

Of course there are plenty of pictures I love the look but they just aren't practical with a flip.

I will take the advice an forget the vessel sinks. The marble counters were not my 1st choice they were the least expensive if you can believe it. They told me it depends on demand.

This may sound strange but I see that in summer the crisp white sells while in the winter months the warmer tones.

I would love to see other flip homes that people have recently done to give me ideas. Please post them I would be very appreciative.

You are correct they said grey is out but as you said its all over this site

I think that you need to do what sells...that's all. It doesn't matter if you're sick of it :).

Fortunately...what sells is also all over the place, so it's cheaper. If it even vaguely hints at Joanna Gaines, you're good.

I have flipping homes way before these tv shows , now every buyer is an expert ! they all expect the finest quality for the cheapest price on the market. Those shows set unrealistic expectations and give false profit margins . It has hurt the flip market immensely.

I tell people when you see hospital shows that make it look glamorous , that is TV. you don't take that as truth . I am also a nurse an can attest to that.

Right. I don't care for trends either. But it is what will sell (as we see here over and over ad nauseum)

If a buyer loves it, that's all that matters.

There is a NY kitchen design firm I like a lot, Bilotta Kitchens. Here is their IG, perhaps you will find some inspiration there.

https://www.instagram.com/bilottakitchens/?hl=en

What is the counter top material in the first photo please? This person still likes it!

I sell for flippers & rental investors.

Repeat what works.

Want to appeal to the masses, so neutrals suggested.

White shaker is still 75% of the business for the cabinet wholeseller we use. Including new homes.

As for vanities, white for dark rooms with little light or dark floors.

If a lof of sunlight in bathroom, grey & wood stain shaker doors are currently popular,too.

It also depends what is popular locally.

When I use to show to buyers, the homes that sold faster or higher had nice bright kitchens & a nice master bath.

hiccup4 - the counter in the 1st pic is called super white granite. It actually became more expensive as soon as demand went up, which forced me to switch to marble.

Thanks for all the great advice ,again if any one has pics of recent flips I would love to see them.

I enjoyed reading this thread and seeing the pictures. Obviously if your homes have sold easily and quickly, you must have your finger on the pulse of the market where you are. I agree that I am not a fan of vessel sinks, but I acknowledge that they have appeal to people and the perception is that the house is updated and sophisticated (even though I think they are impractical and contrived lol).

I would love to see what you are planning next as I really find trends and their evolution to be very interesting.

I wouldn’t say gray is out. There are some beauties with gorgeous undertones that become chameleons with the right light. One of my all time favorite gray is B.M. Gull Wing gray. With its blue undertone, my experience has been, it is a perfect wall colors for a bright, South exposure.

Sweetsummertime, your work is great. You don’t need any help at all.

When you flip, have you ever waited to paint the final coat to give the buyer a feel for “custom”? Would that even make sense?

I am surprised, and pleased, that some of my clients want deeper colors. One wanted a dark color for her dining room and we did it…absolutely gorgeous. She has a panoramic ocean view, finish wood beyond in a gorgeous white, and we did the walls B.M. Midnight Blue. Not a color you would use for a flip unless requested.

You're flipping, so you buy what works for the masses at the lowest price possible. Ignore the negative nellies on here who like to harp about quality, color, tasteless, etc. That's not your job - - your job is to market houses to the largest audience possible at a certain price point.

White is still the way to go, grey is ebbing but in most metropolitan areas is still popular. Based on the exterior shots of the houses, i'm betting you are not selling to savvy urban buyers, but more of the Joanna Gaines set. I think your choices are well chosen to satisfy that group. The only things i was going to flag as being on the way out are the vessel sinks (but I think it's entirely possible that some markets are hanging on to this trend, even though it technically died 8 years ago), and that tile racing strip in the shower. I've never liked those, and they are less trendy these days. I'd check whether your market is still liking those, or if they should go.

I agree with H202 - the tile racing strip is looking dated as well as the vessel sinks. I think grays and whites are still popular. Wood floors in a medium tone.

Thank you JudyG Designs for the compliment.

I do agree about the racing stripe and vessel sink the last house I did the vertical stripe and no vessel sink . My tilers do not like to do the niches they tend to leak and give more problems then they are worth. We did them a few times I get the same feedback whether it's a niche or stipe so I go with what's easier.

JudyG Designs- No I usually have my painters long gone once the rugs go in . Once the house is cleaned ,staged and ready for the market , I no longer let any contractors in unless its a inspection called for repair. I learned the hard way they are all not neat.

I have had a buyer ask if I could continue to design her home after she bought it from me.

Although that sounds fun spending someone else's money for a change . I'm just too busy.

You've got some great work!

sweet summertime, it sounds to me like you are bored of doing some fairly repetitive work- but you have a winning formula and I think you should stick to it. People who are not particularly attuned to design are much slower to pick up on trends. It's not worth going out of your way to get to the next new thing before this one has exhausted itself with your market.

Maybe you could redo a room of your own to get your design juices going?

As a home shopper, there are some things I am so tired of. Grey. Just do not. I love the white cabinets instead of wood, but never, never vessel sinks. Medium brown floors, I've had the darker shades and it doesn't work with dogs. I have other things to do with my life than Swiffering twice a day. I like the new ribbed wall-to-wall carpets with a high ceiling, I'm tired of hearing echoes. I despise wall tile in the kitchen that runs horizontally, that reads 10 years old to me. I'm not liking the oversized subway tile with the dark grout, too trendy. For the same reason I won't even tour houses with the grey bleached wood floors. I like the white marble tile look in bathrooms, I think it's timeless. I prefer a subtle granite to quartz. I like light and bright. I'm actually incredibly picky about the flooring. I like tile that looks like medium wood, or engineered wood that has some texture. But I'll take a high quality carpet over a bad engineered wood floor any day. And any time I see a free standing Tub like the one you used, I pass. Too hard to clean behind and dangerous to climb in and out of, and I know that from experience.

Morgana, Thank you for your candid home shopper opinion, Unfortunately I cant please everyone ,since everyone has different likes and dislikes .

I try my best to think as a home buyer as well as the seller when I shop for materials.

I also must buy what is in budget and sells best with the majority even though sometimes it doesn't reflect my personal taste ,but I'm glad at least you liked parts of it.

thank you

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