The interior design debate: Trendy vs Timeless

When it comes to different kinds of decorators and designers, I would have to say that I definitely would put myself at the more classic and traditional end of the scale as far as design goes. While I totally value the importance of being up to the minute and toeing the line of design and awesome, I usually run everything through my filter of timeless classics. That is to say that if I can’t see an item that I’m designing being used or being in style in five years, then there’s every chance that I probably won’t be using it in my design. This could be a good or a bad thing, but whatever it means for the greater world, it means for me that I’m pretty safe in my design choices.

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I believe that it’s very important to get things like design right, and I believe that it’s important to place myself on the right end of the scale in terms of practicality and value. I definitely consult blogs and sources like Richard Ellis Design’s website, and I make sure that I look at what’s going on in the design world as a way to stay relevant and current. There’s an argument for using a mixture of trendy design and a mixture of using classic design, and it’s important to know how to design in order to achieve the right balance.

Here are a few ideas to help you balance things out so that they stand the test of time – because I’m all for the value of a timeless design, to be frank.

  1. Make sure that any high value piece is going to stand the test of time, or that anything you buy is going to have a high resale value for as long as possible. If you do cycle through pieces fairly often, you should probably buy from a second hand store or be prepared to suffer a loss at some point or another.
  2. If you have an enduring kind of taste, you need to be prepared for the fact that you will want to buy the same kind of items as long as you live. This may or may not work within the framework of a trendy style. if you stick to a timeless kind of theme, you’ll find that your style might work better.
  3. Stick to timeless items for the more ingrained pieces, and opt for the trendy items as far as the temporary items are concerned. When you’re shopping for new pieces, you need to be sure that they will fit in with your decor, and that they won’t clash – but you can be bolder with things that aren’t going to have to last forever.
  4. Make sure that your colour pallet isn’t going to be something that will potentially date over time. There is a merit to planning your colour scheme to something that won’t date as quickly as Liberace’s dining room – so make sure you choose muted colours with perhaps just the faintest of accents- just for a little excitement.
  5. Use some key pieces and then integrate your changes around them. If you have a lounge suite that you are totally in love with, then you should choose something like this as a focal point, and then build your home around it.

When you are looking to decorate your home, it’s important to choose a timeless design – which I think is a great way to get the most out of your money and the design palette that you have chosen. Be sure to think about what you want to do with the space in the future, and modify your colour choices as you see fit – but ultimately take care with your choices and choose things that won’t date too quickly.

 

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