Everyone should enjoy the style and time in which they live and make memories in their own home. Unfortunately, houses do get tired, and sometimes no matter how much time, effort and money we invest in decorating our homes – or the trends we fall for – our décor becomes dated, and the look we once loved, doesn’t work as well.
Despite your best efforts, that wallpaper looks worn. The flooring looks frayed. This doesn’t mean you have bad taste or that your house is old; it’s just that this part of your home is starting to look world-weary. Updating your home with seasonal pieces every couple of seasons is a great way of keeping your spirits up and stop your looking too safe.
The idea is to never alter the way you design your house for the sake of a trend.
Pick a base colour palette that allows for some flexibility as trends change each season. Image via Elle Decoration UK
KNOW YOURSELF
Are you a minimalist or comfortable with a bit of clutter? What message do you want to send to the world? Do you want it to be a bold statement or something more polite or restrained? Go for designs that fit in with your vision of yourself. Decide what your like, and suits your abode? Knowing your personal interior style, and buying only things you love, is crucial to creating a home you’ll love over the years. Read more, ‘Melissa’s Ultimate Guide to Decorating.’
HAVE A FLEXIBLE COLOUR THEME AS THE BASE
Pick a base colour palette that allows for some flexibility as the trends change each season. The fail-safe decorator’s scheme is a muted spectrum of white, ecru, latte, oyster, greige, coffee, caramel, khaki, chocolate and black. The idea is to stick with a tonal family of shades throughout to get the balance and flow right, using one other in a minimal way to set it off. This will ensure a feel of timelessness. Read more ‘Paint Colours with Cult Followings: 10 Picks.’
It’s the perfect backdrop for a mix of old and new – so you can have fun blending styles, eras and periods.
Be careful the curated, layered look tones in and ties together. Put a cap on the number of layers and contrasting styles in one area. Image via UK Elle Decoration.
NOTHING SAYS MODERN LIKE A NEWLY PAINTED INTERIOR
It doesn’t have to be white either; it just needs to be fresh. Painting is the simplest, and cheapest, way to update your home when it’s starting to feel a little unfashionable. Read more, ‘The 20 Best Paints According to Dulux.’
AVOID THEMED ROOMS
Let your home be true to itself – be that introverted, extroverted, the outdoors type of homebody. You might have loved France, Morocco or Japan but it is best if you just introduce elements rather than do a fully themed re-creation that will become dated very quickly. Mix it up, and fuse elements of the look you love with modern and traditional décor that will complement each other and work together over the long term.
LAYERS ARE GREAT BUT PUT A CAP ON IT
We love layering: it creates a diverse space that keeps the eye moving. But it can also restrict your home and add years to its appearance. Try to cull the items in each space. Don’t just amass pieces, textures and layers – you don’t want your rooms looking like a bazaar. Just be careful the curated, layered look tones in and ties together, doesn’t lack focus or become a byword for ‘anything goes’. Put a cap on the number of layers and contrasting styles in one area. Read more, ‘Let’s Decorate: Best Interior Design Tips of All Time Part 2.’
There’s a fine line between ‘layered’ or ‘collected’ and a dog’s breakfast.
Even updating tapware in the bathroom can elevate the space. Image via Elle Decoration UK
EMBRACE CHANGE
Interiors are changing quicker than ever. If you’re open to change, you can adapt your home quickly to embrace change with simple things like new cushions or a great artwork to elevate your living room.
Even updating door hardware or tapware in the bathroom can transform the entire space.
BUDGET FOR THE NEXT WAVE
Budget for some fun, easy updates that allow you to play with what’s new. But do think carefully what you spend your money on because furniture trend cycles are shorter than ever before in the “Age of Disposable Décor.”
