Have it both ways: Redesign your home for immediate gratification and for better resale value
There’s nothing better than the big reveal… that perfect moment when all the finishing touches of a remodeling project are finally done and the champagne is flowing. It’s instant gratification at its finest.
But when projects are well planned and expertly executed they also pay-off years down the road, with a higher resale value and a quicker close. So the real magic of any interior design project is balancing those two competing elements; The subjective aesthetics and objective financials. Short-term showpiece AND a long-term investment.
First, Let's Understand How You’ll Live in Your Home
When we sit down with a new client at Loczi Design we don’t start with a discussion about finishes, total square footage, or the hottest new furniture designs. We kick things off with a deeper discussion about life in general.
Because let’s be honest… lots of folks believe they’re designing their forever home until the economy changes, the neighbors become annoying, or the kids move back with significant others in tow. Sometimes you just have to change your life plan.
There are some top lifestyle considerations we both need to understand before starting a redesign process.
Are we designing for your personal taste, your spouse's needs, your family lifestyle, or for resale?
How long do you plan to stay put? Three years? Ten years? Forever?
How do you see the house adapting as you age?
Are there little ones who just landed in the perfect school district?
Is there an aging parent who might move in someday?
Is this home just a stepping-stone toward retirement?
Are you thinking of a dreamy upgrade to that vineyard view in Sonoma, or do you plan to downsize to a luxury condo?
These questions aren’t small talk, they’re the foundation for your interior design planning and the bridge to the home's resale value. The answers to these questions shape everything from your kitchen layout to the bathroom renovation and the total square footage of the project.
If you want to make home improvements for the short term that also increase the home's value, we have to dig into the lifestyle stuff.
With some insight into your life plan, we'll balance your design dreams with savvy improvement decisions to make your home irresistible to prospective buyers when the time comes.
Interior Design for the Long term When It’s Truly Yours for the Keeping
When a client says, “This is our forever home. We have no intention of selling this house, ever” our eyes light up. You’ve just unlocked our creative juices and opened the door to all sorts of beautiful options for minor or major renovations.
If you’re truly not concerned about your home's resale value, and you’re in it for the long haul, then it’s time to throw out the caution and design for pure joy.
When designing for your personal taste and lifestyle right now, the decisions get easier.
This is where playful artistry and craftsmanship comes in… bold colors? Sure! Custom millwork? Absolutely. A powder room wallpapered in vintage Italian maps or a big, bold African print. Why not! It's up to you. Every texture, tone, color and material choice becomes part of your autobiography.
We want to bring your space to life in a way that feels refined, luxurious and authentically you. So we dig into what you’re personally drawn to: the colors, the fabrics, the moods, the lifestyle. For some that could mean hints of espresso-toned hardwood flooring and unexpected patterns in a lilac marble backsplash. For others it means a whimsical color palette in suede, silk, velvet and shagreen.
Use the house as your blank canvas to balance dramatic statements with playful elements and total practicality — in a deeply personal style. If you want jewel-tones, layered lighting and playful architecture, we lean in. Because this isn’t just a house, it’s your home.
Build a space that wears well for you, not for the whims of the real estate market.
Interior Design for Resale: Inspiring Prospective Buyers to Fall in Love with Your Home
If you’re likely to sell within three to seven years we design with potential buyers in mind. You want spaces where they’ll walk in and immediately think “Yeah, I could live here".
So when designing for resale value, homeowners should think less “personal manifesto” and more “irresistible neutral nest.”
You don’t want buyers imagining the process of ripping out the kitchen or doing a host of smaller projects. That means keeping colors neutral and making choices that are broadly appealing without being boring. Yes, you can still have a spicy kitchen with high-end appliances, a moody bedroom, and an energy-infused rec room.
There are plenty of innovative home improvements and luxury home redesigns that’ll elevate the aesthetic appeal of your home, improve livability, and increase the value at the same time. And those projects don't have to be filled with drama and angst.
For instance, first impressions can be dramatically improved by reimagining the square footage, improving the flow through the home and maximizing the use of outdoor areas. In the San Francisco Bay area we've completed countless projects that bring the outdoors in for classic California living that appeals to a broad range of buyers.
There are three main areas of the home to focus on when designing interiors for resale:
Kitchen: The Heart (and Wallet) of the Home
Kitchens sell houses - period. So if you're going to do a kitchen remodel keep layouts functional, finishes durable, and aesthetics versatile. Design with an eye toward energy efficiency and living space. It’s not about playing it safe, it’s about making the space feel luxuriously charming and inviting.
Guests should be able to hang out comfortably with a glass of wine, while the home chef whips up a signature dish.
2. Bathroom Renovation: Spa Energy Only
Nothing kills a mood quicker than a bathroom that screams 90s Tuscany brown. Modern homeowners want the feeling of a Zen spa with clean lines, serene palettes, and tiles that whisper, not shout. A bright red tub with an intricate tile backsplash won’t play well in an online tour of homes. In fact, plenty of tubs could be replaced by an elegant walk-in shower for a net-gain in resale value. Remember, any feature that has a Realtor worrying is probably going to hurt the resaleresell value of your home.
3. Colors: Beautifully Neutral, Not Boring
Color psychology isn’t just woo-woo, it’s legit science and we understand it. Any interior redesign that considers a home's resale value needs to put that science to work for every room in the house.
Color should support the overall vision for the space, not overpower it. When designing for resale appeal, we'll help you avoid colors that fight for attention. Instead, go with soft whites, sandy greens and taupes, with moody charcoals used sparingly; tones that welcome everyone and offend no one. Stay away from color-popped accent walls. You want a potential buyer to imagine their life in your home, and it likely won't include your choice of jewel tones.
Interior Design Has a Shelf Life. It Just Does.
Even the most timeless remodel can start feeling a little tired after about ten years. That doesn’t mean your home’s outdated, it’s just that trends come and go, your taste evolves, technology improves, and what once felt “so now” eventually screams “remember 2010?”
So if you’re planning to sell your house for maximum value, and it’s been a decade or two since you had coffee in the breakfast nook with an interior designer, it’s probably time for a re-fresh.
Finding the Sweet Spot In Interior Design: Timeless with a Twist
Great design doesn’t have to be a trade-off between passion and practicality. Just because you may be selling someday doesn’t mean you can’t live well now. At Loczi Design we believe the magic lives in the middle…designing for today, while investing for tomorrow.
Here's our proven formula for how you can have it both ways with an interior design project:
Make big investments with a nod to timeless choices in major items that can’t be easily changed, such as cabinetry, flooring, lighting schemes and floor plans.
Express yourself through the flexible, fun furnishings, high-end appliances, unique accessories and art.
Play well, but plan ahead. The neon-coral dining room motif can be painted over; your checkerboard marble floor, not so much.
We believe your home should serve you now and reward you later. We really can design for both of those competing goals, without compromising your sense of style.
Whether you plan to sell in five years or you're settling in for the next twenty, we’ll help you create a space that feels personal, purposeful, and poised for whatever’s next. Because great design isn’t about predicting the future; it’s about building one that still feels like home. When you’re ready to talk, give us a shout.
FAQs For Homeowners When Remodeling/Redesigning Their Luxury Home
“How do I redesign a home that I’ll love now, but won’t hurt resale value later?”
Start with timeless bones and neutral colors then layer-on personality with accents that can evolve. We advise clients all the time to make your mark — just don’t make it permanent unless you plan to really, really love it for a long time.
“What are the best home upgrades for increasing resale value in the San Francisco area?”
Kitchen remodels, bathroom remodels, and lighting fixtures. Every prospective buyer will value those things, even if it's subconsciously. Choosing custom hardwood flooring with the right accessories and one-of-a-kind custom furnishings that can be easily staged for a more neutral look when doing showings for prospective buyers.
“What are the most important features of a kitchen remodel to consider for my home’s resale value?”
Materials that stand the test of time… stone countertops, quality lighting fixtures, hardwood flooring, and of course custom cabinetry, are good examples.
“When should I stop worrying about the resale value of my home?”
When you’ve lived there long enough to stop scrolling through Zillow.
“Can Loczi Design help me balance both?”
Absolutely. We live for that tension, the artful middle ground between sellable and soulful.
“For the San Francisco market, what design decisions have the biggest impact on your home's value — and which are more driven by personal taste?”
We draw distinctions between the foundational decisions which positively impact objective home value and the aesthetic decisions, which impact subjective experience in a space. A kitchen remodel is a sure-fire way to increase resale value. That’s an objective decision. How it’s designed is more subjective.
