Decorating your home is a project meant to reflect your personal preferences. However, it’s become increasingly difficult to make design choices that don’t lose their appeal in time with a multitude of trends coming up every year. Unfortunately, trendy pieces tend to have a short shelf life. To avoid redesigning your home every so often, it is easier to choose items that can still make a statement for even years to come. We’ve put together a list of 10 trending decorating design choices to help you achieve that timeless atmosphere in your home.
1. Up your home décor with an optimal lighting scheme
Lighting is one of the easiest ways to bring that “wow” factor into the design of a home. For a timeless design, try to bring in as much natural light as possible. If your home has less natural light, play with bright walls and furniture. Also, mirrors and reflecting materials can do the trick, especially for the darker spots of a home. Pick a Venetian mirror, which carries a timeless elegance, all the while making your space brighter and creating the illusion of a larger space.
Go timeless with a more expensive fixture like a chandelier. Think of them as a long-time investment in the aesthetic of your home. They add a timeless elegance to the room they are added to.
To further enhance your lighting scheme, you might need to add lamps to strategic spots in your home, be it the living room, the dining room or your bedroom. Make sure your pick agrees aesthetically with your overall design choices. For instance, you can go for a bubble lamp, which looks incredibly modern, even though it was originally designed in the 1940s.
2. Let your home shine with a traditional color palette
- Think neutral tones
Even though dark blue, neon green or hot pink can make a statement in a room, they will eventually feel dated. If you want to create a classic theme for your home, you may want to choose neutral tones, ranging from beige to grey. Whether we’re speaking about walls or furniture, the greatest perk in choosing this color palette is that it can accentuate a room without overpowering it. This neutral color theme creates the perfect backdrop for colorful artwork and other furnishings. A pop of color is welcome to offset the general neutral tone, but make sure the brighter items don’t dominate the atmosphere of your home.
- White never goes out of style
A white interior evokes sophistication and freshness. Choosing a white interior invites you to a multitude of design choices. You can either go for an all-white décor, or you can blend in various tones of white and pale tones. Additionally, a white design opens the door to adding different textures, the occasional accent of color or to create contrast with darker hues. As light reflects more in a room with predominantly brighter tones, you will be able to reap the benefits of natural light inside your home.
If you’re not quite ready to adopt the all-white approach for your entire home, we have a suggestion for you: Go for a white kitchen. Even though they have been popular in the past few years, the sleek elegant finish of white kitchens is not likely to fade away with the passage of time. Oftentimes, white kitchens come with darker tones, but in time, they lose their trendiness and give your kitchen an outdated look. What else can you do to add that “it” factor to your white kitchen? It can only be another classic, such as subway tiling. Also, choose exciting knobs to help bring the whole room together.
3. Dress up your home with wood wall molding
Wood wall molding enhances a room, making it feel cozy and complete. As a natural material, wood has always been in style. Go for a simple pattern – it will speak volumes for your home. While paint colors may go in and out of fashion, choosing white molding will always flatter the appearance of a room. You can always restain it or repaint it for a refreshed look.
4. Create a cozy and timeless atmosphere with a fireplace
As they’ve existed for centuries, fireplaces have proven their enduring power within the design of a home. If a modern look is more to your liking, you might want to avoid gold door fireplaces and go instead for a sleek modern design. Choose a mantel with clean lines to create a focal point in a room. Traditionally, a fireplace is associated with the living room, but you can set one up in the bedroom or even the dining room to make this design choice truly your own.
5. Create a naturally elegant look with built-in shelves
Instead of purchasing temporary storage items for your home, consider making or buying built-in shelves. Built-in shelves create a memorable architectural focal point. As they can be practically incorporated into the design of any room, you can install them in the living room, your bedroom or your home office. Add crown molding to help the new addition seamlessly blend into the design of the home.
You can use it to display family heirlooms, artwork, or you can even create a designated small library. Going for built-in shelves offers ample opportunity for styling versatility. It’s quite simple: All you have to do is to rearrange items to create a new look. If you worry you have too many items on display, you can incorporate boxes or decorative baskets that can host some of your decorations. If changing the décor often is something of a passion for you, you can consider putting seasonal items into self storage to avoid cluttering your home until you decide to use them again. As a natural architectural element, built-in shelves help to increase a home’s resale value, while providing a sense of timeless elegance to any room.
6. The Chesterfield sofa oozes charm and elegance
Credited to Lord Stanhope, the 4th Earl of Chesterfield, this furniture piece is a timeless addition to your living area. Even though any sofa with equal arms and back can be called a Chesterfield, it is the button-tufted upholstery, low seat base and rolled arms that brought the name to fame.
The luxurious design and low profile create a relaxed but sophisticated look, blending the formal with the casual. Traditionally, this type of sofa is made of leather, but they have also been upholstered in other types of fabrics such as linen and velvet recently.
7. Say yes to the versatile Tulip table
When Eoro Saarinen designed the Tulip table, his main goal was to alter the four-legged design of the classic table. Due to its resemblance to the flower, the Tulip table is a hallmark of mid-century contemporary design. Standing on one central “leg”, the iconic table was inspired by a high viscosity liquid drop, stylized into a wooden ball to help stabilize the table.
The Tulip table design has been adapted into various table sizes, from side tables to coffee tables or even to outdoor tables. The simple elegance of this table can easily adjust to any design, in any room, lending it a timeless quality.
8. Pick classic chairs that make a statement
Look for classic designs when you are deciding which chairs to add to your home. Here are two choices of chairs that have stood the test of time:
- The Windsor chair
As the name suggests, the Windsor chair is believed to have been used in the Windsor Castle garden during the 18th century England. The chair’s back and legs have round tenons, which helps create an elegant style. Whether it’s stained, polished or painted, the Windsor chair comes in a lot of styles – so that it won’t be hard to find one to your liking. The chair gained incredible popularity, and it soon found its way to the American Colonies. Nowadays, these chairs continue to be a staple in cottage and country-style homes. However, they are now included in other design styles, as simple lines account for their versatility. As it happens, the Windsor chair pairs nicely with the Tulip table, making them an example of classic furniture pieces from different eras that can be seamlessly blended.
- The wingback chair
First introduced in the 17th century, the wingback chair has curved sides and a high back meant to protect the sitter from drafts while being close to the fireplace. Besides bringing a touch of style, they also make the room more charming. Today, the wingback chair is no longer confined to corner use, but enjoys incredible versatility. It can be placed anywhere in your home, from a cozy reading nook in your bedroom to the living room or the dining room. The modern wingback chair has been updated with additional comfort to allow you to unwind after a long day.
9. Let area rugs bring character to the room
Create a focal point of interest with area rugs. They dress up your wood floor, adding interest to your home. Pick lively patterns and colors to invigorate the room. Additionally, they define the seating areas, especially in the living room area.
An oriental rug is an excellent choice when it comes to floor coverings. They come in a multitude of patterns and naturally evoke timelessness. Authentic pieces are handwoven in Asia and the Middle East, boasting over 2,000 years of history. Whether a room has a traditional or contemporary design, the oriental rug is a versatile companion to the design of a room, effortlessly making a statement.
If oriental rugs are too ornate for your taste, you could go for a jute rug. These natural fiber pieces have staying power, not only because the style has stood the test of time, but also because the actual rug adds another element of design to the room, without drawing too much attention.
10. Bring plants indoors for a natural pop of color
Houseplants are a natural way to add visual interest to a room. Go for simple potted designs that are sure not to clutter the look of your home. If you’re not sure what variety of plant to choose, there is a large selection of indoor plants to fit even rooms that receive less natural light. Bringing greenery indoors is not only a sure way to enhance your space, but it also carries health benefits for you.
While interior design trends come and go, you can create an interior design scheme that will withstand the test of time by choosing simple, elegant and classic pieces. That doesn’t mean that you can’t add a trendy accent piece that you really enjoy, though.
What other timeless design choices do you prefer? Let us know in the comments section below.
