Unsellable Houses' Lyndsay Lamb Says Buyers Are Moving Away From This Color Trend
Stars of the hit HGTV show "Unsellable Houses," Lyndsay Lamb and Leslie Davis are real estate experts that help homeowners struggling to sell their houses. By making the necessary renovations and adding beautiful design details, the pair ensures the homes are sold for their highest market value. With four seasons completed so far, Lamb and Davis have their fingers on the pulse of the real estate market, knowing what investments and design trends will sell a house quickly and at its highest price point. Heading up the design side of the partnership, Lyndsay Lamb is an expert on the color trends that buyers are looking for when touring prospective homes and which ones they are not. According to Lamb, current home buyers are moving away from gray color palettes and gravitating instead toward the warmth of earth tones, demonstrating that taking a risk with bolder colors in a home can pay off.
Lamb's main focus when getting the "Unsellable Houses" in shape is the feeling a buyer will get from the listing photos and the house in person. As Lamb expertly points out (via Realtor), "We're not just getting top dollar because your house is beautiful. You have to do something special and different and present it in a great way for a buyer to come along and make that offer." Making a connection with the buyer using a warm, welcoming color palette and thoughtful renovations is how Lamb helps sell many previously-unsuccessful listings.
Choosing warm earth tones instead of cool grays
When it comes to choosing a color palette that will sell your home quickly and at a high price point, Lyndsay Lamb says that "Buyers are still really loving outdoor-indoor living, as far as lots of plants, lots of earthy vibes, lots of earthy tones. We're still seeing buyers trending away from all of the grays," per Realtor. For many homeowners, gray paint is dated, while trendier options like warmer tones are more appealing. That's why, in many of the renovations on "Unsellable Houses" (like in the above image from Season 2, Episode 9 entitled "Historic Home Rescue"), the twins use colors like green, warm white, beige, taupe, and tan.
Prospective buyers want to feel grounded and connected to nature, so Lamb recommends earth tones to give the buyer the right vibes when they walk into a space. "It's an emotional thing. Renting, buying, selling, whatever it is, people are still using their emotions to drive them, and so you have to be aware of that when you're getting your home ready and prepping your home," says Lamb, according to Realtor. Buyers emotionally connect with Lamb's earthy designs, as a natural, down-to-earth color palette gives buyers a warmer feeling when they walk through a prospective home versus one that is full of cool grays. This leads the homes to sell faster and for top dollar. Predictable palettes of cool grays are out, while earthy vibes and personality are in.
How to create an earthy color palette
To achieve an earthy color palette, Lyndsay Lamb's advice is to use a warm white as a refreshing alternative to stark white paint. She then layers in wood tones with hues of black, brown, tan, taupe, ochre, pale yellow, rust, terracotta, soft blue, and plenty of green. By using colors that are found in nature, you'll give your home that true indoor-outdoor connection that buyers are drawn to.
While the "Unsellable Houses" star predicts that taupe and beige cabinets will be the trend to dominate 2024 due to their warmth and versatility, leaning toward earth tones does not mean just sticking to neutrals, and Lamb loves to add in down-to-earth colors. A personal favorite, Lamb swears by a green-blue shade to brighten up a room – specifically Quietude by Sherwin-Williams — and prefers to use it either on the walls or on kitchen cabinets. When talking about using bold paint colors on cabinets or choosing a wallpaper for the walls, Lamb tells Realtor that "Buyers are more willing to take those risks [today] than four, five years ago." Because of this, adding personality with color, pattern, and texture is a great way to grab the attention of a prospective home buyer.