New York’s Long Island classic, the Hamptons Style, has found a place in homes all over Australia. Here in the land down under, where our ocean views beg simple elegance and understated sophistication, home designers and stagers all over the country are turning to the beachy look that speaks directly to the collective heart of today’s millennial home buyers.
The newest and largest ever group of home buyers, the millennials, are dedicated to uncomplicated lifestyles. Unlike the baby boomers before them, they want a home that serves them, and not the other way around. They run far and fast from stuffy rooms with heavy elegant draperies and deep, dark wooden tables. Instead, they look for wide open floor plans, large and airy rooms, and minimalist furnishings that are comfortable and unassuming. When it comes to kitchens, millennials want a place for everything and everything in its place.
The Hamptons look is beach-house bred on New York’s upscale Long Island, long the haunt of the incredibly rich. There, the colour choices are often bright whites and China blues. Of course, that palette is negotiable if white is simply not your cup of tea. The ocean and its sandy beaches offer up lots of neutrals to fit the bill to accompany the white. You can tastefully apply the occasional pop of bright intensity in carefully chosen accessories and you’re set.
If your kitchen cabinets are destined to be refinished ahead of listing your property for sale, consider a Hamptons style kitchen makeover. For example, by painting the upper cabinets a purer white and the lower cabinets in an oyster or pale taupe, you can provide interest and keep the cleaning duties at a minimum, still creating the feeling of holiday living that earmarks the style. Replace the drawer pulls with simple knobs in nickel or chrome or, go a bit further with the nautical theme by installing centre cup cabinet pulls in the same bright finishes. You can even use both if you’re feeling adventurous – one on the top, one on the lower cabinets and drawers.
If your budget and your home stylist’s overall plan allow it, consider replacing the doors on the upper set of cabinets with elegantly simple Shaker style doors. This small detail may seem expensive, but it is just the sort of detail that will sell your kitchen. Remember, kitchens and bathrooms are your best bet for investing for a big return on your sale.
Most homes don’t have a spare panelled wall hanging about, but it’s easy enough to create one with a section or two of timber panelling, finished with simple moulding where necessary. If you don’t use pre-finished panelling, paint it the same white as your cabinets. This is a perfect statement of beach living simply by virtue of its traditional look.
If you’re replacing or refinishing the flooring, look for something pickled, teak-like, or otherwise having the look of aged timber. Today’s flooring options are astonishingly beautiful and surprisingly inexpensive. From laminates to hardwood and all the way to vinyl and tile, you can find a look that works perfectly with your cabinets and walls without drowning out your new cabinetry.
To complete your Hamptons kitchen is as easy as adding a backsplash and countertops in white subway tiles. Decorate with nautical-themed bits and pieces from garage sales or online stores. Better yet, allow your home stylist to bring in the accessories to accompany your newly re-configured kitchen.
Is it necessary to go this far to create your Hamptons style kitchen? Probably not. That’s why we bring in the specialists like home stagers who can, with a few smaller changes and lots of imagination, create a similar look for less.
Keep in mind that the work you do to upgrade and dress up your home can lead to an incredible hike in the sales price. The big IFs are; if it’s done well, and if the investment is in line with the return it will bring. Your home stylist will be able to advise you on precisely which investment options will give you the best chance at big rewards when all is said and done. They are the experts and, if you’ve chosen a reputable firm with a sterling reputation, you can trust their judgment in this real estate transaction.
We humbly suggest you call Urban Chic Property Styling for a consultation today.
