Timeless interiors & interior trends
The words ‘timeless’ and ‘trends’ are constantly used when we talk about interiors. On one hand, as consumers, we are bombarded with new trends and fashions across social media and in magazines, and on the other, we are being told to be more sustainable, invest in ‘longevity’ and reject the interiors equivalent of ‘fast-fashion’.
Timeless (adj.) – unaffected by the passage of time or changes in fashion.
Trend / fashion (n.) – a popular or the latest style of clothing, hair, decoration, or behaviour.
I don’t think any interior can really be wholly unaffected by time. It is impossible for us to completely ignore the times we live in. To do so would be to erase our own personality and strip our sense of self from a space. We are of this time and so therefore our interiors should be able to reflect that too. I suppose when we talk of timelessness in interior design today, we are referring to it not becoming ‘dated’ and being able to stand the test of time as a result of the quality and durability of the design. No one can expect to decorate a room and for it to remain untouched for the next 50 years. Daily wear and tear, and busy, modern day living denies us that! However, investing in good craftsmanship, quality paint and well-made furniture will help to sustain an interior for longer.
Not everyone can afford the best of everything, so focus your budget on items you know will need to be durable, robust, and that will have the biggest impact, i.e. joinery, sofas, dining tables and window treatments. Choose a style that fits with your long-term aesthetic. No one’s going to chastise you for pairing these with a more affordable lamp from M&S, or a more practical rug from IKEA.
Three top tips to tackling the trends….
Save and bank what you like and love, ignore and discard what you don’t.
Favour practicality over whimsical fads.
Mix the old with the new - antique furniture will always help to ground a scheme, and pairing it with (for example) a contemporary central ceiling pendant will add a layer of freshness and surprise.
Two rooms from a long-standing client’s home which we’ve been working on for a number of years. The embodiment of slow design.
There is also some method in modifying your home room by room. I have been working on one of my favourite projects, pretty much since day one. We started by changing out the curtain fabrics in our client’s sitting room and dining room, working our way round the children’s bedrooms (once they’d reached their teens), then updating bathrooms, etc. This is the embodiment of slow design and taking a more considered approach. Apart from the fact that not all of us can afford to drop hundreds of thousands on a total home renovation and redesign (I often feel like the only interior designer on Instagram without a completely finished, manicured, magazine-worthy home!) this process has allowed us to develop and build on existing schemes alongside working on new rooms with an overall design thread at the heart.
So, slow down if you can. Take your time and follow your instinct. And if you can’t, get in touch and we’ll help take the pressure off!
