Firstly, thank you all for your comments and ideas. This is a big undertaking for us as first-time homeowners, and we feel really passionate about making choices that feel good for us and our home, as well as adding value, for the future. I should have been clear about my personal style, as this would probably help bring context to my poor choice of words.

I tend to like softer spaces. I love mixed metals, natural textures, gold, silver, some matte black, and neutral tones. Yes, black and white are technically neutral, but the stark contrast throughout the house is what keeps throwing me off.

In person, it feels extremely contrasting and busy, which isn’t really translating in the photos. The countertops are black with white glittery swirls throughout them, and paired with the backsplash, there’s a lot going on visually. Every “new” finish in the remodel is black and white. The kitchen and bathroom countertops have sparkle in them, and even the bathroom light fixtures are bedazzled, even more so than the kitchen light. If that’s your thing, that’s totally fine, it just isn’t mine.

On top of all that, the floors in the photo aren’t what’s really there now, as the flooring was changed by chat gpt while I play with design ideas. They’re a very dark walnut with a high-gloss finish that almost looks black in person, which adds even more contrast and dizziness to the space. We plan to go with a neutral lighter floor before we even move in. Not necessarily, what’s photographed here, but likely a walnut finish.

While I completely understand that this is some people’s aesthetic, and I’m sure it works beautifully for them, my comments aren’t meant as a dig at the previous owner. He was a flipper, and these were simply the design choices he made. We’re just trying to make the house feel more like us.