Believe it or not… I love interior design. Even though I don’t talk about it much.

And that’s because, as flippers and investors, interior design isn’t our job. At least not in the way most people think about it.

Designing a home isn’t about showing off your style, making bold choices, or flexing your vision board. It’s about building a house that sells - or rents - and does it fast.

This blog isn’t a list of paint colors or backsplash ideas. It’s a mindset guide. A set of core principles that’ll help you make better design decisions, faster - and protect your profit while you do it.

Let’s dive in.

1. Don’t Be Too Bold

I’ll say this as clearly as I can: you are designing a house on spec.

That means your job is to appeal to everyone - not to impress a few or make the home stand out in a weird way.

And that’s a challenge in itself.

It’s not easy to build something that works for a wide range of people. But bold design choices - bright colors, trendy patterns, funky fixtures - narrow your buyer pool immediately.

Your goal is to make the house feel attractive and cohesive, not unique or edgy. Stick to clean lines, neutral palettes, and timeless finishes.

Simple doesn’t mean boring… it means smart.

2. Add Variety (But Stay in Control)

Here’s the flip side: don’t take your neutral palette and copy-paste it across every surface of the house.

If your buyer doesn’t like navy blue, and your entire house has navy cabinets, navy tile, and navy wallpaper accents… you’ve just lost them.

So here’s the rule: stick to a cohesive palette, but mix up the execution.

Introduce variety with textures, small accent colors, or one-off design elements. Just don’t let a single decision dominate the whole project.

You’re not building a design statement - you’re building a home someone else needs to fall in love with.

3. Design the House Before You Start the Project

I’m guilty of this one. Still. Even after years in the game.

Every time I start designing during the build - picking tile mid-demo, choosing lighting after drywall - it creates chaos.

Last-minute decisions = rushed decisions.

Rushed decisions = regrets.

And when your layout and mechanicals are already in place, you’re limiting your options. Worse? The end result feels like a patchwork job. Nothing flows. Rooms feel disconnected. And it’s obvious the design wasn’t thought through.

So do yourself a favor: build a design plan before you ever break ground.

Cabinet layouts, vanity selections, tile schemes, lighting packages - all of it. Treat your design like you treat your scope. It’s part of the build. Not an afterthought.

4. Match the Design to the Price Point (And Exit Strategy)

Yes, you’ve probably heard this before. But it’s still one of the most common mistakes I see investors make.

Here’s the breakdown:

• Rentals → Need to be durable, affordable, and low-maintenance. Design should be clean, consistent, and functional. Nothing bold, nothing delicate.
• Flips → Need to stand out a bit more - without blowing the budget. This is where you can elevate finishes slightly above comps to show value, but always stay in line with the neighborhood.

Where investors go wrong is either over-renovating or under-designing a flip in a competitive, higher-end market. Either way, it shows. Your design should reflect the expectations of the end user - not your personal taste.

5. Don’t Design for Yourself

This might be the hardest one of all. Because it’s easy to convince yourself that your taste is “safe” or “classic.” But it’s still yours. And you’re not the buyer.

Even professional designers make this mistake - defaulting to their own preferences without considering the wider market. It’s human nature.

So check yourself:

• Are you choosing this because it’s your style?
• Or because it works for the buyer and the market?

Push yourself to try new things - but stay grounded in what the average buyer will like. Not just what you like. Remember: you’re not living here. You’re building something for someone else.

6. Don’t Overthink It

This might be the most important tip on the list.

Stop overthinking the design.

People burn themselves out obsessing over hardware finishes, arguing with themselves over cabinet tones, or second-guessing a light fixture that might be too modern.

I’ve built houses where I hated something - and then five buyers walked through and loved it.

I’ve also spent hours debating a design decision that nobody else ever noticed. Why?

Because we’re not designing for ourselves. Because we’re aiming for broad appeal. Because we need variety… but not perfection.

And that’s exactly why you can’t afford to get stuck in the weeds. Pick solid finishes. Stick to your plan & move on.

And… Consider Hiring a Designer

Here’s the truth:

Interior design is a full-time job.

And you’ve already got one - running the project. Choosing vanities, picking fixtures, coordinating colors, ordering tile… and then redoing it all when something’s out of stock? It’s a distraction.

You need to be focused on execution. Budget. Crew management. Timeline. Inspections.

If you find yourself getting sucked into design decisions all day long… it’s probably costing you more than you think.

So hire a designer - even part-time - or at least build a basic standard package you can reuse. You’ll save time, reduce mistakes, and protect your energy.

Final Word

This is a business.

Act like it.

If you got into real estate just to design houses, that’s fine - but you’re going to sacrifice profit.

And if design is really your passion? Then maybe being a designer is your path.

But if you’re here to build a business, finish strong, and create real wealth through real estate?

Stay focused and treat design like the business decision it is.