Is it silly to paint professionally decorated rooms?

Mastmw7g · 2023-10-08T16:27:08+00:00

We're buying a house where a decorator picked all the details with the intent of having it appeal to buyers for a quick sale. Is it silly to paint the walls? Like painting the kids' rooms lavender, green, and blue? And painting my bedroom... something (I haven't decided). I think it would look better if I didn't paint and left the walls as they are. But part of the excitement of having your own room is choosing the paint color.

DdraigGoch · 08/10/2023 17:29

It's your house, do what you like

Precipice · 08/10/2023 17:31

Of course it's not silly! Just because it was to someone else's taste doesn't mean it's to yours.

As an example, I think lots of places get painted white or grey for 'neutrality', but I can't stand that. So miserable and grim!

TestingTestingWonTooFree · 08/10/2023 17:33

If you’re living there medium-long term, have it as you please. If this is a 6 month let and you’d have to restore to magnolia, I wouldn’t bother.

Badbadbunny · 08/10/2023 17:33

I'd say it's fine as long as the colours aren't too strong. That way, when you come to sell, prospective buyers will see it's easy to change the colour, i.e. just one coat to change from light blue to light pink, rather than 2 or 3 coats needed to turn, say, black, into magnolia!

Fireisland · 08/10/2023 17:34

Surely it just depends on whether you like the walls or not

If you do, leave them
If you don't, paint them

rumred · 08/10/2023 17:35

Depends how horrid it is and whether you have the time and money to redecorate. Excellent artwork is underrated

Precipice · 08/10/2023 17:38

Badbadbunny · 08/10/2023 17:33

I'd say it's fine as long as the colours aren't too strong. That way, when you come to sell, prospective buyers will see it's easy to change the colour, i.e. just one coat to change from light blue to light pink, rather than 2 or 3 coats needed to turn, say, black, into magnolia!

OP's only just bought this house! (Or not even that, yet). She should get to live in it, not to only think of what might be convenient or preferable to the hypothetical other people when she hypothetically comes to sell! She might wish to live there all her life. How silly to decorate based on imagining the wants of some potential future owners over your own.

Original poster

Mastmw7g · 08/10/2023 17:43

@Fireisland I actually like the walls. Everything goes together so well. But I think my kids would be excited to have their favorite color.

OP posts:

KoalaChaos · 08/10/2023 17:44

My mum did this (from the other side) and I thought she was mad. I didn't say anything because that's a whole other argument but...

When she was selling her house she had the whole thing professionally decorated so it was fresh for the new buyer.
And I HATED the colour. (I describe it as cat sick vomit olive green. Its a very popular colour nowadays but i hate it) That's fine for her. She can have whatever colour she wants in her own house. But the very 1st thing I would have done on moving in if I had bought it, was paint straight over it. Surely if you're freshening a house to sell you just go white so the new occupants can have the house to their taste.

PaminaMozart · 08/10/2023 17:47

Are you proposing to replace professionally painted walls with a DIY job? Even though you actually like the current colours?

No, I wouldn't do that. By all means add some murals to the kids' rooms, though, if you are artistic, or wallpaper one wall with a kid-friendly wallpaper.

ChamaChamaChamaChameleon · 08/10/2023 17:50

Mastmw7g · 08/10/2023 17:43

@Fireisland I actually like the walls. Everything goes together so well. But I think my kids would be excited to have their favorite color.

Kids change their minds all the time.
If you like the colour as it is YABU to change it all solely because... your kids 'would be' excited to have their favourite colour!
There are plenty of other decorational choices that will give you the buzz of making something your own choice of wallpaper, wall stickers, artwork etc without having to go through the faff of undoing a professional's work.

by the way... someone's 'favourite colour' might look terrible on walls. I love neon pink but no way would I have it on even one room. Having strange colours can make it difficult to change the other decor as it might clash horribly.

Original poster

Mastmw7g · 08/10/2023 17:51

Yes, I'd be doing the painting myself. Even though I like the colors. In my mind, my kids will be so excited. But my oldest is almost 12. Maybe he'd just shrug, say "It's green," and then leave the room.

OP posts:

ChamaChamaChamaChameleon · 08/10/2023 17:53

Mastmw7g · 08/10/2023 17:51

Yes, I'd be doing the painting myself. Even though I like the colors. In my mind, my kids will be so excited. But my oldest is almost 12. Maybe he'd just shrug, say "It's green," and then leave the room.

There you go then.
Relax, forget the painting and enjoy decorating your new home with pretty things :)

tigger1001 · 08/10/2023 17:53

I would ask the kids what they would like. And go with that. If they are happy with the walls as they are leave them but otherwise I would decorate

2jacqi · 08/10/2023 17:58

I know that many people do not redecorate their homes from the day they move in till the day they move out! they just put up with whatever colour is on the walls whether they like it or not. I have always thought this weird because I would always have it done to my taste

Desecratedcoconut · 08/10/2023 18:01

I would. It's just paint. Picking out your room colour can be exciting and it's a way to settle in to a new space by having a bit of autonomy over it.

AvengedQuince · 08/10/2023 18:03

I'd just let the children pick new bedding, cushions, and so on in a colour they like. Stars on the ceiling, framed poster. Easier than painting newly painted walls. Or else a feature wall in a colour they like may be an option.

Raincloudsonasunnyday · 08/10/2023 18:04

Yes, I think you’d be mad to undo a professional painter’s work for children who in all likelihood couldn’t give a shit about paint colour. And, sorry, but when you’re a child the excitement of a brand new house and brand new bedrooms is plenty. They don’t need and won’t appreciate the extra Changing Rooms type of excitement. They’ll make their rooms their own with all their stuff. This is you, projecting.

ActDottie · 08/10/2023 18:05

It’s your house do as you like.

The people who lived in our house previously had farrow and ball everywhere! But it wasn’t to our taste so we’ve repainted it in colours we like.

FarmGirl78 · 08/10/2023 19:31

Why should you NOT paint the walls of YOUR house how YOU want them just because of the choice of someone who doesn't live there anymore? Bizarre. Crack open those tins and get rollering!!

DappledThings · 08/10/2023 19:40

FarmGirl78 · 08/10/2023 19:31

Why should you NOT paint the walls of YOUR house how YOU want them just because of the choice of someone who doesn't live there anymore? Bizarre. Crack open those tins and get rollering!!

Totally! I'd definitely let DC choose their colours too. I chose both for them when we moved to this house as they were both too small to choose themselves. They want something different now so we'll probably repaint next year.

I've owned three properties and painted every wall of all of them. Can't imagine not doing so!

Hankunamatata · 08/10/2023 19:42

If walls look nice you could do wall decals in the kids rooms instead of painting.

Hankunamatata · 08/10/2023 19:44

And choose curtains/blinds in their favourite colour. Perhaps rug

Farcry66 · 08/10/2023 19:59

I'm moving in to a new house jn 2 weeks time and part of the excitement is finally having a house of my own that I can decorate it. Its in really good condition and decently done, but it's not to my taste.

I am also fully aware that my taste is very marmite and not everyone will like it, but they don't have to, it's my house!

So, really, if you love it, don't change it, of you don't love it, change it. Ask the kids if they want their rooms doing- one of mine does and is enjoying planning it, the other one doesn't want to change the neutral base colour, he just wants to put up tapestries!