Forget flipping—our new favorite renovation trend is all about bringing back character

If you're an old home lover and spend a reasonable amount of time looking at house listings, you've probably come across this shudder-inducing sight: A gorgeous old home with good bones that someone turned basic and builder-grade.

No one can fully know what's going through a house flipper's mind when they make choices like painting original wood and brick white or covering up hardwood flooring with laminate. It's safe to say their intentions are typically to generate as much revenue as possible. They try to achieve this by updating "outdated" features with cost-effective materials and turning the home into a blank slate.

But it's often the original details that add value to a home, and the right buyer will pay more for features that have been preserved over time. The modern movement of "unflipping" shows that people are even willing to invest in bringing more of these original characteristics back into their homes.

To learn more about unflipping, we turned to the couple who stake the claim of creating and popularizing the term. Colin Davis and Dana Jenkins run the Instagram account @un.flipping, where they've been documenting the process of bringing original character back to their flipped midcentury modern home in Atlanta.

What is Unflipping?

As Davis and Jenkins started sharing projects on their account, like removing paint from original wood features and installing period-appropriate kitchen cabinets, their following grew and gained traction with an audience that resonated with their mission. Then, they started noticing others picking up the main term in their handle: 'unflipping.' "It made it clear that this was becoming a perspective people in the vintage home space were beginning to rally around," Davis says.

Together, Davis and Jenkins put together a definition of the term. "For us, unflipping is the process of undoing a flip that was stripped of what was there originally," Davis says. "We often describe it as renovation and restoration combined, but with an important distinction: renovation alone and restoration alone do not constitute unflipping. It requires both, carried out with the deliberate intention of honoring the home's original character and era."

Tips for Unflipping a Home

Embrace Freedom Within Framework

When you purchase an old but flipped home, it's rare to inherit photos of the home's interior. Since it's impossible to know what it truly looked like in its original condition, Jenkins says there is more design freedom in unflipping versus restoration.

"Unflipping still leaves room for personal expression," she says. "You can put your own spin on the design while staying true to the period, which also means you don't have to feel the pressure of recreating the home exactly as it once was. It's about honoring the spirit of the original, not replicating it perfectly."

While you can and should enjoy the flexibility, just be sure to stay within the design framework of your home's original era. "When you design with intention and lean into what the house was originally built to be instead of forcing it into something it was never meant to be, everything starts to piece together naturally," Davis says.

Reference Historical Documentation

Unless you were alive and old enough to pay taxes when your home was built, you probably don't have a full picture of the design movements that defined the times. According to Davis, you'll need to do your due diligence and consult primary sources for your research.

"Inspiration and accuracy go hand in hand," he says. "Your local historical society is a great starting point, but don't overlook period-accurate advertisements, design publications from the era, and real estate listings of comparable homes that were never touched by modern updates. These resources give you a window into exactly how these homes were meant to look and feel."

Steer Clear of Modern Trends

Jenkins says if you keep your design focus on the period of the home rather than the present, it will always lead you in the right direction. "Trends are the enemy of authenticity," she says. "What's popular today is rarely what was true to your home's original design, even materials and designs that claim they are modern interpretations.

There is likely overlap between today's trends, trends of the past, and your personal style, but the key to blending all three is to incorporate each in an intentional way that still reflects both the spirit of the home and your personality.