Bang…Bang…The Big Box Store is Dead!
Does the interior of your home look too Home Depot?
October 6, 2010
It is not surprising that when the American retailer of home improvement and construction products and services opened over 2000 stores across the United States since 1979, it single handedly changed the way we viewed our interiors and the world. Thirty years later after replacing everything brass with its cousin, chrome, have we gone too far?
As an interior designer, I am passionately convincing the general public to take pride in ownership of their home by fixing up the joint; to not only improve their lives but the life of the home and not to mention the property values of the neighborhood. But when you have over used the many, all too common interior design elements in sprucing up your domicile, like those found at the big box stores, have you actually increased your resale value or lowered it? Professionally, I would have to say that 20 years ago - you raised it, but today, I would have to admit that if you are still choosing the $9.99 pendent light to hang over the dinning room table as your most recent update, you have lowered it.
Interior design elements in your home are intended to be an extension of your personal style and taste. A successful interior environment makes its inhabitants comfortable, motivated, inspired and most of all, happy to be home at the end of a long day. However, this was not the case 30 years ago, when The Home Depot started selling mass quantities of fixer-upper materials to the public. Things such as: institutionalized brass plated door knobs, oak colonial moldings, formaldehyde-filled particle board cabinets essentially wrapped in contact paper, sagging plastic blinds, risky ceramic tiles, and lets not forget grandma’s selection of wallpaper and borders that made their way into America’s homes and are dreaded everywhere with their super glue adhesives that require endless amounts of sweat equity to remove. Attempting the removal, as I have done is just insanity!
Today people are fascinated with the idea of interior design thanks to the education of those gurus like Martha Stewart, Candice Olsen and the one and only, HGTV. Our friends and guests alike love to ogle over our personal interiors with their savvy gazes and knowledgeable vocabularies but where does that leave you, the one that still lives inside the house that The Home Depot built! You don’t seem to be receiving very many compliments on your peeling brass door knobs or your sagging and yellowing plastic blinds! How does one, such as yourself, move forward without making the same mistakes again? Listen up, follow these strategic moves and watch as you transform from drab to fab!
- Back to the big box store: If you still have not learned your lesson and you need to return to the scene of the crime because (1) it is the only store in your town or (2) you still don’t have internet - try these hints to help you out. Do not to be mesmerized by the inexpensive price tags and try to focus more on the style of the piece. Buy something that you haven’t seen before or a better note (it can be tricky but sometimes and I mean sometimes) the big box stores do have some stylish buys.
- Change of style: On the other hand, if you have already filled your entire home with everything that is on the lowest level of the design spectrum, try turning a new leaf. Leave your comfort zone and change up your design style. Once you have done that, practice working these everyday bland and common pieces out of your environment and replace them with more defining elements that resemble your personality and what you like, not just what you think you can afford.
- Revitalize: Take the brass surface mounted light down and spray paint it a color to match or coordinate with a room. Add individual shades onto the light bulbs of the dining room chandelier and take a risk by adding some fringe or other embellishments like glass beads. This will really make it your own statement piece.
- Internet: You don’t always have to buy what is in your local stores. The 21st century brought us the internet and it is time that you start using it! You can find anything in the universe that you could possible want, just in front of your fingertips from the world-wide-web. The most amazing thing that will directly affect your pocket book is that you don’t have to pay sales tax or shipping on the majority of items out there for purchase. Try it out and you may become addicted faster than you think! Some affordable websites that I personally use are RestorationHardware.com, PotteryBarn.com and CrateandBarrel.com. Not only do they offer an assortment of items but they have great sales and clearance items to fit any budget.
- eBay: If you are on a tight budget try eBay and bid on millions of pieces of auctioned merchandise around the world. You can find anything your heart could desire to spruce up your home and the added benefit is that you get to choose your own price. The only drawback here is that you have to be on your game. You must monitor your item and know when to bid. If you snooze you will lose!
A redesign of an entire house or even fixing up an individual space can be very physically and mentally rewarding, but in many cases, can become overwhelming for the novice. Don’t hesitate to enlist the assistance of a professional interior designer with your project, however large or small if you are feeling scared or stuck. Interior designers are educated and licensed to assist individuals in finding personal style, maximizing purchasing power, educating and most of all, working within budgets. Interior design professionals are well versed with the millions of resources available, how to get you the biggest bang for your buck and what will later gain resale value and return on investment should you choose to sell.
So, for your next remodel or even your small fixer-upper, forfeit “Home Depot Chic” as your default design style and take a more pragmatic approach to your method. Use your trips to the big box stores for screws and nails and leave the interior finishes up to the professionals that understand the mental and physical values of interior design.
What have you bought at a big box store that has either helped or hindered you? Please leave a comment or contact shane at shane@theinmancompany.com
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