By Laura Newsome

When the cult of domesticity exploded in the post-war boom years, the aspirations of every 1950s homemaker revolved around creating a clean, homespun space filled with inherited family pieces and a few shiny modern appliances. June Cleaver and her modest suburban home continued to serve as the role model for this national trend until the black-and-white television sets of the 50s and 60s were phased out, making room for a rapid accumulation of wealth in characterizing the 1980s and 1990s. Ushering in a whole new idea of what a home should look and feel like, glossy coffee table books began highlighting homes of the stars. Monthly decorating magazines flourished and HGTV, a network devoted entirely to the art of home design, was born.

In this new golden age of domesticity, every home was expected to look like a magazine spread, with a mix of modern and classic furnishings, a sophisticated yet cohesive color palette and a clean, well-executed design plan. As consumers embraced this new mode of living, potential homebuyers began to expect a return to historic home styles, elaborate crown molding, wainscoting, rich hardwood floors, built-in bookcases and top-notch kitchens fit for fine restaurants.

During the housing boom that struck Atlanta from 2005 to 2008, Laura Bailey, a design-center manager for Ryland Homes’ My Style Design Center, saw many customers upgrading all the countertops in their homes to high-end granite. “We’re starting to see a return to that trend of homebuyers upgrading not only their kitchen counter, but the counters in their master bathroom and guest bathroom.” This embracing of high-end luxury is perhaps a sign that the grip of the recession is finally waning, as Bailey also notes nearly 90 percent of her customers are opting for stainless steel kitchen appliances and hardwood flooring throughout the first floor of their new homes.

While the paisley patterns, laminate flooring and avocado-colored appliances of yore have been replaced with clean, blocky geometrics rendered in modern sages, warm coffee browns and bold reds, many homeowners and homebuyers still require the knowledge of an expert to help fine-tune their custom-built homes. For customers who buy a Ryland Home, their design odyssey begins long before the builder breaks ground, with a personalized trip to the company’s Alpharetta-based design center for an appointment usually lasting about four hours.

“We build new homes, so our focus is on selecting what products and colors will be going into a buyer’s new home,” says Bailey. “Our design consultant will show the homeowner the color options within the included features and their color and product options within the upgraded features. The appointment covers every aspect of their new home. They’ll be choosing their cabinets, countertops, appliances, flooring, interior and exterior colors as well as their wiring options. Even the smallest detail such as the grout color for their tile is selected during their appointment. It’s the design consultant’s position to guide them through this process and offer suggestions.”

After a homebuyer picks out a kitchen cabinet color and style, Bailey says the rest of the home’s features can be easily derived from that decision, starting with the color and style of the counter backsplash and moving on to the flooring, hardware, bathroom finishes and second-floor carpet color. “Most of the colors and finishes buyers pick out for the kitchen are carried over into other areas of the house,” says Bailey. “Most people are choosing more neutral colors with a few pops of color, such as accent pieces in their kitchen tile backsplashes. Darker cabinets and flooring with neutral carpet tones and khaki-colored walls are also very popular, as well as brushed nickel and oil-rubbed bronze fixtures.”

Since many homebuyers may not be immersed in the design trends of the day, having a design specialist and a large showroom on hand displaying every type of flooring, countertop, cabinet pull and light fixture can be a big bonus when it comes to the daunting task of outfitting a brand new space and deciding what features are worth upgrading. Before their design center appointment, homebuyers are given a questionnaire to fill out for determining if their tastes veer toward contemporary, French eclectic or the Arts and Crafts movement. “We show homebuyers what we have to offer and guide them in the style direction they’ve selected best suiting them,” says Bailey. “One of the most important things is consistency and preserving a flow of color. Blues, sages and darker red tones are very popular right now.”

Other popular home upgrades include ornate chandeliers in the entryway and dining areas, additional recessed lighting in the living room and upgraded fireplace finishes featuring stacked stone or marble facades. “We keep everything together and look at all the samples at the end of the appointment to make sure the hues, textures and finishes go together,” says Bailey. “We then give the buyer a take-home packet full of their design choices. There’s a grace period if they decide they want to change something, since their home won’t be finished for another four to six months. For many homebuyers, design decisions are the most exciting part of buying a new home, and our goal is to make the experience an enjoyable one.”

Renovations Done Right
In the wake of the real estate bubble and bust, it’s a buyer’s market. The economy is flooded with options, and only the best of the best—homes with finished basements, and newly remodeled kitchens featuring granite countertops and the latest stainless steel appliances—will garner the greatest number of potential buyers and the highest sale prices.

If a homeowner spends approximately $20,000 on a good kitchen remodel featuring a sleek, modern design, the latest hardware and a neutral palette that appeals to many different buyers, the potential seller could expect to more than double the profit on his or her initial investment.

If you’re looking to spice up the price of your home, removing dated wallpaper, adding a pop of color, repainting damaged or abrasively colored walls, replacing the pillows on your sofa and clearing out some of the clutter in your home could add thousands to your final sales price. But, if your home is equipped with burnt-orange shag carpet, wood-planked walls or a 1950s aquamarine sink set, you may be due for some major renovation work.

The key to a good renovation is choosing updates reflecting the modern, sophisticated tastes of today’s homebuyers without breaking your bank. If you replace your particleboard bathroom cabinets with top-of-the-line organic bamboo, don’t expect to recoup much, if any, of your money. When it comes to kitchens and bathrooms—the two most important rooms in the house where modern renovation is concerned—buyers are looking for open and airy floor plans with hardwood or elegant tile floors, stainless steel appliances, ornately tiled backsplashes, brushed metal or copper sinks and fixtures, tiled showers, and well-crafted cabinetry.

When pondering your renovation, expect the job may take longer and cost more than you initially estimate. Give yourself some leeway on both the deadline and the amount of money you plan to spend, in the event something unforeseen occurs or a structural problem is discovered. If you can’t afford to budge on your bottom line or the amount of time it may take, it might be best not to embark on an ambitious renovation project right now.

If you plan to undertake a renovation project in your near future, take some time to find the right contractor for the job. Ask friends for names or join recommendation sites like Angie’s List, where builders survive on the strength of their good names and workmanship.

What is Your Design Style
Styles have come and gone, but these tried-and-true showstoppers crop up again and again as the decades pass by. Read on to find the style—or two—best suiting you and your home.

Art Deco
This streamlined, geometric style of home furnishings popular in the 1920s and 1930s features rounded fronts, mirrored accents, sleek lines and wood furniture with chrome hardware and glass tops.

Arts and Crafts
Arts and Crafts style furnishings became popular in the United States between 1910 and 1925. The focus was simple in form, without extraneous decoration, often showing the way pieces and materials were put together. Architecturally speaking, Arts and Crafts covers the Craftsman style, Frank Lloyd-Wright’s work and the bungalow style popularized by Greene and Greene. “Truth in Materials” was very important to Arts and Crafts designers, who often used local materials.

Coastal
This look is inspired by the ocean. It evokes a light and breezy feel by way of airy fabrics for window treatments, and the emphasis on nautical- or beach-themed accessories such as lighthouses and seashells.

Contemporary
Contemporary design often has clean, sleek lines and is punctuated by solid colors, predominantly muted neutrals or bold punches of color in furniture and accessories. The furniture is sleek, lower to the ground and often has metal frames or straight legs with an emphasis on basic shapes and forms. Graphic elements in artwork or as accents also work well with this look.

Country
A rustic elegance is characteristic of this look. Some country looks are marked by extensive use of white wood paneling and soft floral patterns, muted hues and pops of red, black or pure white accents. Floral, checked and striped vintage fabric patterns are standards, and elements have a handmade, rustic quality: wood, handmade pottery, baskets and hand-forged metal to name a few.

Eclectic
This catch-all style borrows from several other design styles and evokes a sense of imagination and surprise with unexpected contrasts. The style isn’t simply throwing together everything and anything, but rather relies heavily on the building blocks of design (color, pattern, texture, composition) to make the space look cohesive. A multitude of fabrics is characteristic, whether patterned, textured, solids or all three.

English Country
A feminine look, with lush rose patterns and extensive uses of greens, reds, pinks and blues are characteristic of an English Country home. Ornamental, carved wooden furniture, overstuffed sofas with tufting and skirted furniture mix with antiques and lots of small decorative accessories.

French
An ornate, fanciful and decorative style is characteristic of this look. Colors range from rich, sun-drenched Mediterranean hues to softer, muted shades. Often, one color or fabric is repeated throughout the space. It’s characterized by rich details and extensive use of gold, bronze and gilt.

Mediterranean
Inspired by the coastal regions of Spain, Greece and Italy, this look favors colors echoing the sea and also include terra cotta, yellow and lavender. Furniture pieces are short with ornately turned legs and feet; hardware is heavy and often burnished.

Mid-Century Modern
This look originates in the 1950s and 1960s and is epitomized by the Rat-Pack’s days in Palm Springs. Scandinavian designers and architects were very influential at this time, with a style characterized by simplicity, functionality and natural shapes. Architecture shows off its minimalist design with walls of glass. Pops of deep colors such as orange, yellow, olive green and chocolate brown augment the decor.

Modern
This style is rooted in minimal, true use of material and an absence of decoration. Along with clean, streamlined furniture, a neutral color palette, polished surfaces, strong geometric shapes and asymmetry characterize this architectural style from the 1930s.

Shabby Chic
Coined in 1980 by Rachel Ashwell, this cottage-inspired look includes weathered white-painted furniture, painted motifs, floral prints in muted colors, white slipcovered sofas and vintage accessories. A sense of brightness and airiness is always evident in these interiors.

Traditional
Furnishings for this style are usually 18th-century English, 19th-century neoclassic, French country and British Colonial revival. With a use of classic styling and symmetry to create a calm, orderly décor, the color palette is usually in the mid-tones and fabrics are muted, usually simple florals, solids, stripes or plaids.

Transitional
The Transitional look bridges contemporary and traditional design, offering a deep-rooted sense of history in some pieces, while the furniture often gets an update with cleaner lines. Leather ottomans used as coffee tables are very popular in this decor. Crate & Barrel and Pottery Barn could be considered transitional looks.

Courtesy of HGTV.com