Updated Oct 11, 2018 9:39 PM EDT
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The rise of open-concept layouts ushered in the fall of the formal dining room, which got branded as archaic, outdated, and not worth keeping — right? Well, this year, with more folks craving separate rooms to preserve their sanity in quarantine, having a dedicated space for mealtimes is a very good thing. And — plot twist — it’s also a major plus for homeowners looking to sell.
While listings mentioning open-floor concepts have climbed across the board, in the 35 most-populated metro areas, homes for sale with separate dining rooms are pricier (and more common!) than houses with free-flowing layouts in 2020, Zillow tells us. Since 2018, the number of listings name-dropping formal dining rooms has crept up slightly — so if you’re planning to move and weighing updates for resale, you might want to reconsider taking a sledgehammer to any walls. Your kitchen can look just as light and bright with these three low-effort upgrades.
A fresh coat is sometimes all a room needs to feel good as new. Don’t box yourself into whites: the right shade of green (designers swear by Pewter by Sherwin-Williams and Moth’s Wing by Behr, among others) can read just as sleek.
Whether you go matte (think leather) or shiny (chrome, brass), fresh knobs and pulls are a tiny change with outsized impact.
Keeping the existing walls isn’t the only way to potentially pocket extra cash. Houses with farmhouse sinks sell for an average 26 percent more than those without, according to a report released earlier this year.
Our Winter Renovation issue has landed! Subscribe now to step inside Leanne Ford’s latest project — her own historic Pennsylvania home. Plus, discover our new rules of reno.
Lydia Geisel has been on the editorial team at Domino since 2017. These days she writes and edits home and renovation stories — house tours, before-and-afters, DIYs — and leads our design news coverage. She lives in New York City, where she covets every square foot.
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