From Straight Arrow · · 1m 30s
Why farmhouse-white houses are fading
Homeowners ditch farmhouse-white exteriors for personal color palettes as they stay in homes longer.
In brief
Homeowners ditch farmhouse-white exteriors for personal color palettes as they stay in homes longer. Homeowners are shifting from resale-focused white houses to personal color choices after living in homes for 16 years. Originally reported by Straight Arrow.
Farmhouse white fading
Homeowners have stopped choosing traditional white houses for at least two years, according to Frank Bomhack.
“I haven’t had a call for a traditional white house, the whole house white, for at least two years.”
Longer home stays
The typical homeowner now lives in their house for 16 years, up from 10 years in 2020, per U.S. Census Bureau data.
Resale focus shifting
Homeowners are moving away from resale-driven neutrals toward personal color preferences for their homes.
“People are making fewer decisions based on resale. The farmhouse movement made everything neutral and stark.”
Muted color trends
Homeowners are using latte and lace shades like cream, ecru, beige, greige, taupe, and tan for their exteriors.
“Beige, greige, taupe and tan hold up better in the desert dust than glaring white.”
New color combinations
Homeowners are using deeper shades of gray, espresso, and post-Colonial green with blue undertones for accents.
“Green is also the fresh choice for window and roof trim, gutters and foundations, but not your mom’s 1980’s hunter green.”
AI design tools
Artificial intelligence-fueled sketchboards help designers create multiple color combinations for homes.
Budget cuts
Homeowners cut exterior spruce-up spending by 20% while focusing on smaller, targeted projects.
“A survey conducted last year by house renovation social media platform Houzz found that while 58% of renovating homeowners included exterior paint and trim as at least part of their projects, they also cut their spend on exterior spruce-ups by 20%.”
Black doors boost value
Homes with black front doors sell for about $6,450 more than similar homes with less powerfully-toned doors.
“Black front doors deliver about $6,450 more than similar houses with less powerfully-toned front doors.”
Personal style focus
Homeowners are using their properties to express personal style, especially in front porches and backyards.
“I’ve seen outdoor chairs neutral on the front side of the house, but on the back side, people will paint their chairs bright red.”
Generational shifts
Younger homeowners prefer muted versions of colors from their childhood, like olive instead of forest green.
“Younger millennials, now in their late 30s, grew up with the forest greens, burgundies and golds of the 1990s.”
The key point
Homeowners are shifting from resale-focused white houses to personal color choices after living in homes for 16 years.
