Timeless vs Trendy – How to Spot the Difference and Create a Timeless Home

The struggle is REAL, timeless vs trendy home decor. I love to keep up with the latest home decor trends…but it’s just not possible because styles change so very often!

Unless you want to switch out your home decor every five years, it’s important to know the basics of creating a timeless home. We can still incorporate the latest trends…but do it in a way that won’t break the bank.

We all want a home that is stylish and beautiful, one that feels lived it but not dated. What if we could create a home that still looks stylish in 20 years, read on for a few tips on how we can achieve a timeless look.

Nate Berkus, a famous interior designer once said “Trends exist to make one feel badly about what they don’t have”. Boy is this true for me. I am a sucker for the latest trends in home design..but my pocketbook says NO WAY. It’s all about creating a home that changes as we do..as our tastes change…our home style will change. My home is very different than it was 10 years ago, and it will be different in the next 10 years. My style continues to evolve everyday and I’m happy about that, I enjoy learning and refining my style all the time.

It took me a while to realize the key is to create a home with a timeless backdrop but still allows trends to come and go and styles to change. Here are some tips on how to achieve this balancing act.

Big Ticket Items Should be Timeless Classics

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Expensive pieces of furniture in the home should be timeless and classic. In the above picture, the furniture is neutral. Interest and color are brought in with elegant wallpaper. The overall design of the room and the architectural elements are classic. The room can be updated in 5 years by changing out the wallpaper or painting the walls for a new look but all the furniture and even the drapes can remain intact.

Clean Lines are Always in Style

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Let’s talk about how expensive cabinets are to replace! By choosing a timeless cabinet color, like white, they will never look outdated.

Cabinets with a lot of detail and glazing for example will trend in and out. A classic shaker cabinet will always be in style.

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Glass cabinets never go out of style. Clear glass cabinets are timeless and beautiful. Cabinet hardware can get trendy, but is easy enough to switch out as styles change.

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Cabinets can always be painted when color styles change. These blue cabinets match the blue wallpaper and blue molding…while it is pretty now, this look will be passé.

Use Trendy Pieces as Accents

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Sure, I would love to bring in jewel toned velvet sofas but a velvet blush accent chair will be less costly to change out years from now, and this one is on sale! This navy blue accent chair is also very stylish right now and is a great price!

Opting for velvet pillows is also a cost effective way to add trendy accents to your decor and will be stylish for years to come. Blush and Navy are beautiful colors to update any space.

Use Wallpaper to Add Style

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This one is tricky. Wallpaper is a very personal choice. Going back to my first example, there is trendy wallpaper and classic wallpaper. If you want your room to stay timeless, opt for a grasscloth wallpaper instead of a room of florals. Neutral wallpaper will stay in style…bold prints will not.

Splurge on Trendy Items that Can be Replaced Easily

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I love lighting. I love to replace lighting. I love to keep up with lighting trends. I try not to break the bank with lighting purchases because I like to change it out…often 😬 Even with lighting there is trendy lighting and classic lighting. If you are buying a more expensive fixture like a chandelier…you may want to go timeless. If the fixture is on the less expensive side, such as pendants over the kitchen island…you may opt for a trendy piece. Table lamps are fun to switch out and can be purchased inexpensively. This fun piece is stylish and very reasonably priced.

Rugs are another item where I won’t splurge because I like to change them out…often. Rug prices can run into the thousands. I try to keep all my rug purchases under $1,200 and change them every few years. For $1,200 I purchase large size rugs, at least 8×10, 9×12 or 10×14. We take good care of our rugs and always resell them when we want to switch the style. Rugs are fairly easy to resell if kept in good condition.

Use Classic Design and Detail that has Staying Power

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Black shutters have been around for ages and still look gorgeous on white homes. This style will never change and continues to be timeless.

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Moldings on walls will never go out of style. The paint colors may trend dark or light, but molding will always be classic and white molding will always stay in style.

Chair fabric? Trends come and go. The Queen Anne style chair is classic and can always be painted, but the fabric 😬? Gingham pattern on furniture…a trend…on a shirt…classic. Go figure…

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The molding in this bathroom adds so much character to the space. Without it, you have 3 walls and a tub. The molding makes the space timeless.

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Neutral Marble countertops are classic and timeless. Marble countertops will never go out of style. Many granite colored countertops…came and went!

Add Timeless Elements to your Decor

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Adding linen, wood, stone, and leather are classics that will keep your home timeless. Trendy materials have the potential to look like they are from a “certain period of time” and can make your home feel dated….and when I say dated…not in a good way like “mid century” style, but dated in a 70s or 80s way.

Timeless Outdoor Living

When we recently built our pool and pool house, I designed a timeless and classic outdoor living space.

A rectangular shaped pool will never go out of style. A brick pool house with classic lighting will never go out of style. When I build high end structures and spend high end money….I always opt for classic.

Timeless Bathroom

Another example of a timeless look, is a black and white bathroom. In keeping with our pool house theme, we chose black and white for our outdoor bathroom. Simple subway tiles, trim on the ceiling and white makes this bathroom stand the test of time. I didn’t want trendy tiles that wow now but will disappoint later.

Simple elements that can be changed out later to spruce up if desired, but not necessary like sconces or mirror. Pick timeless elements and you can’t go wrong.

You can see the full bathroom reveal and find all sources HERE.

These are a few guidelines I like to follow in my own home. Ultimately, it’s about creating a home you want and will make you the happiest. Fill it with treasures you love and cherish…and you will love your home. It’s easy to get caught up in trends..but by creating a timeless home…we can decide to bring trends in or NOT.

Denise

XO

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