3 Tips for Timeless Interior Design
How do you make your home timeless? Start with these three tips.
In my last post, I discussed ways that traditional interior design is still appreciated (and ways it is not). Yes, millions of people visit Windsor palace each year - but they don’t tend to bring their travel photos to design meetings as inspiration.
The word ‘traditional’ (no matter how we try to re-define it) will always evoke feelings of stuffiness. It’s in the definition. It doesn’t evoke the feeling we want in our homes. So, let’s look at the term I think is replacing traditional : timeless.
What defines timeless style
Timeless: not affected by the passage of time or changes in fashion.
The trouble with the word timeless (along with it’s sister word, classic) is that it is overused - a lot. The overuse can make it meaningless. But it is a powerful thing when used properly. So let me share three insights into successfully achieving the timeless look.
Be ok with feeling just a little ‘out of style’ in order to always be in style. That’s what it means not to follow trends.
Mix inspiration from different time periods. This keeps the space from feeling dated.
Apply the Principles of Design to ensure the space is done well, in whatever style.
Be a little out of style
Being a little out of style is another way of saying ‘don’t follow trends.’ The first (and sometimes hardest) challenge of timeless design is to tune pressure towards the look-du-jour. So don’t curtail to tips on what is in, and what is out. These trends are, in fact, meaningless.
Consider this article from Vogue on the trends of 2023. Virtually every ‘in’ trend is just good design, which apply at any time. And most of the ‘out’ trends are either general poor practices (fast furniture, copying designs) or contradictory (ruffles are called ‘out’ - but Heidi Callier, one of the experts weighing in on the article, posted a picture of a ruffle from a recent project just a few days ago). Thus, most trends are mostly meaningless, both ‘in’ and ‘out’. If you feel perfectly in sync with the moment, you cannot be timeless.
If you avoid these arbitrary voices, you may not have the ‘it’ thing at any moment - but you also won’t have the ‘out’ thing in a few years.
Tip
To avoid the worst trends, steer clear of selections being used widely, consistently, and in the same way, especially in budget builds. Go to a several low-cost developments by different builders and look for the common factors. That is what will date your home, even if it is what feels current and ‘in’ right now.
See two examples below (which, once-upon-a-time, would have felt very ‘in’).
These grey-wash floors were put into every builder-home for about 10 years and are the definition of ‘trendy.’ In addition, the purple-pink undertones make them very hard to build a palette around.
These clunky ‘farmhouse’ lights never quite feel right, because they lack authenticity. What does this actually have to do with the farmhouse aesthetic? But they, too, had their moment in the sun, and so were put into many developments as ‘statement’ dining lights. Lighting is especially prone to trends, and to looking dated.
Mix time periods
What I have learned from studying design is that the only true way to make a space timeless is to blend aspects from different time periods. This makes sense, if you think about it. You can’t associate the style with any particular era, because it is from many times. And so it is also untouched by the passage of time. Voila. Timeless.
Let’s have a look at the counterpoint of timeless: dated. Spaces that feel timeless are able to be so because they cannot be linked to any particular time period - as a whole. That doesn’t mean that no piece in the room is dated. Just watch antiques roadshow - any educated design scholar can tell you the time period of almost anything. The trick is to combine these things in unique ways that defy the time they were designed in.
See two masterful examples below.
Notice the beautiful tension between the traditional wall paneling, window treatments, ebony grand piano, and fireplace against the very modern shapes and textures of the furniture and lighting.
In this beautiful kitchen, see the traditional herringbone floor and 17th century Europe inspired painted tile, paired with shaker cabinets and chairs (dating from early America), a classic range, and industrial-age inspired lighting. Add in a very contemporary stone and you have a truly timeless kitchen.
Follow the Principles of Design
One element that will never, ever date is the principle of doing things correctly. Understanding the ‘rules’ of design allows you to interpret and blend styles in a way that looks good. This isn’t all there is to it - but if you do it wrong, nothing will save your space.
I will move through the Principles of Design in detail in future posts. The rundown is: line, volume, scale, balance, symmetry, asymmetry, color, and movement. If your design is grounded in these principles, then it will always look good - and nothing is as timeless as a thing well done.
See the gallery below - can you see which image best highlights each of these Principles?
Summary: Select what you like
The final (bonus) tip to achieving a timeless look is to really dial in on your own taste. If you are guided by what you truly like - without the influence of outside forces - it is much more likely to pass the test of time. Your tastes may shift, but changes in personal taste are much slower and subtler than changes in the design zeitgeist.
So, this last tip is more of a lead in to the next topic : How to Identify your Style.
