Creating a statement worthy yet timeless home
Everyone wants their home to be a comfortable, functional space that fits their lifestyle. But perhaps even more importantly, owners want their home to truly reflect their unique tastes and personality. With so much exposure to home design on TV and online, it’s easy to fall into copycat mode, mimicking the latest trends, only to find oneself restless and bored in a few years and searching for the newest, latest thing, often at great expense.
The key to creating a lasting look for a home, one tailor-made for your taste and personality, is to focus on timeless design. When owners build a foundation with timeless elements, they create a look that makes a statement while also being versatile to accommodate different seasons and fresh updates.
Here are six principles of timeless design.
Start with neutral finishes, then layer in colorful furniture and decor
If you tire of design elements easily, design your home with a neutral finish palette. This will create a clean canvas for more color in the furniture, artwork and decor. And the best part is these elements can be easily changed when wanting to move in a new direction.
Incorporate natural materials throughout
Take inspiration from Mother Nature and incorporate natural materials throughout the home. Materials like wood, marble, plaster and stone create a timeless backdrop that never goes out of style. Add in jute rugs, woven baskets, mixed wood accents and plants throughout for an earthy, organic feel.
Mix and match metals
Black or gold fixtures are making a big splash in home decor. By all means, incorporate them into your design to achieve an updated palette. Be sure to reserve at least 30% of space for silver fixtures. Silver is a timeless choice, and rumor has it that silver is the “new brass” of 2023.
In general, it’s recommended to mix no more than two metal finishes per space or room. For example, if you mix black and silver in the bathroom, go for gold and silver in the kitchen.
Ditch the matchy-matchy
For cabinetry, there are so many beautiful door styles to choose from. For a truly lasting feel, it’s recommended to choose three or four styles to mix and match throughout the home. That way, the space isn’t locked in on just one look.
For an interesting touch, consider tile mosaics rather than printed tiles. To add more personality to the tile, consider a mosaic over a printed tile. Mosaic tiles are timeless, considering they have been used in cultures worldwide and have been around for centuries. Printed tiles are much newer products and feel more trendy.
Blend warm and cool tones and dark and light tones for a more balanced feel
Most people think they can only have one tone throughout their home, but that’s not true. Owners should absolutely blend the right warm and cool tones and the right light and dark tones in their designs.
Think about the mountains in autumn. The beautiful combination of the season’s orange, red and gold tones, set against the darkness of the ground and the soft blue sky overhead, creates a perfectly balanced composition.
Find a balance between ornate and clean lines
Just like recommending to blend warm and cool tones and light and dark tones, it’s recommended to blend soft curves with clean lines. Timelessness is all about creating balance for a more comfortable feel. Clean lines are associated with modern style, whereas ornate details are attributed to traditional style. Combining the two will stand the test of time. For example, use a clean, flat panel cabinet door style with an ornate countertop edge detail. Or reverse that and use an ornate cabinet door style with a clean, square countertop edge detail.
