timeless navy and white living room

When it comes to home decorating, what does the word timeless mean to you? I posed this question to my subscribers, and got some fantastic answers (as I knew I would). Here is a summary:

  • Timeless decorating is about creating a look in your home that endures the test of time.
  • Timeless interiors don’t seem tied to any particular decade or trend.
  • Buying timeless furniture means that you don’t have to replace major items every few years, because the ones you have are a classic style and work with any trend.
  • A design that is relevant today, and remains flexible and beautiful over many years.

timeless interior design living room

Simply put, timeless design looks great, no matter what the current trend is. But, did you know it can also have some money-saving benefits? Imagine being able to make subtle changes to your room to embrace new trends, without having to overhaul your furniture, remodel, or repaint the entire house! That’s why so many people strive for timeless over trendy. Trends come and go, sometimes quickly, and your personal style evolves over time. Wouldn’t it be amazing if your decorating could adapt along with the current trends, and work for a variety of styles over the years?

So, how do you achieve a timeless look in your own home? Read on to see my 10 tips for timeless decorating.

1. Buy Furniture with Clean Lines

Furniture with clean, simple lines has always been popular, and for good reason! It has an understated, sophisticated look that tends to work with most design styles. Avoid furniture with ornate design elements or unusual shapes, and instead look for comfortable, well-constructed furniture pieces in neutral fabrics. That doesn’t mean your furniture can’t have any ornamentation – turned legs, tufting and nailhead trim are all classic details that never go out of style. Just don’t over do it! 

timeless decorating furniture with clean lines

2. Choose Neutral Colors for Walls and Furniture

Neutral colors are timeless because they work with any style or color palette. With a neutral wall color, you can change up other colors in the room without having to repaint. A neutral sofa color allows you to introduce colorful new pillows, rugs, and accessories to completely change up your look, without having to decorate around a piece of furniture. If you want to get the most flexibility from your wall colors and furniture, choose a neutral color palette!

timeless interior design
Source: Better Homes & Garden

3. Use Trendy Colors and Patterns as Accents

Timeless decorating doesn’t mean that you never embrace any trends! It just means that the main pieces of your design aren’t centered around one particular trend. So, go ahead and incorporate that hot color of the year, but consider limiting it to accents and accessories. For example, update your bedding and paint an accent wall behind your bed to completely change the look of your bedroom.  Buy some new pillow covers in a trendy pattern, or place trendy elements on your coffee table, to freshen up your living room. Add new wall decor and update decorative items to easily transition from one style to another.

Want to know the best thing about limiting trendy colors and patterns to accent pieces? They can be easily swapped out when you get sick of them or when they inevitably go out of style. I don’t know about you, but my style is always evolving and changing, so I like the flexibility of being able to change things up! Having a mostly neutral palette and adding pops of color as accents, is a great way to keep your interior looking fresh throughout the years.

emerald green accent wall
Source: Angela Rose Home

4. Less is More

One thing is for sure, clutter has been a bad look in every decade! Timeless spaces tend to have a pulled-together, clean, clutter-free look to them. Keep your decor simple and streamlined, and resist the urge to fill up every blank space or empty corner. A good design needs visual interest in a room, but it also needs breaks and soft places for our eyes to land. 

minimalist living room timeless home decorating
Source: Elle Decor

5. Blend Old and New

Another tip for achieving a timeless look in your home, is to blend old and new pieces, such that your design spans multiple decades, or can’t be tied to any one. Antiques become “timeless” when they can be used in a modern-day setting, and still look great! By mixing pieces with both classic and modern influences, you’ll be able to create a lived-in, interesting, and sophisticated look. For example, you can mix an heirloom dining table with streamlined upholstered chairs in your dining room.  So, embrace the vintage pieces you love, and don’t be afraid to pair them with contemporary accents for an ageless look.

blending old and new for timeless design
Source: Louisville Mercantile

6. Some Colors Never go out of Style

There are certain colors that have been popular throughout the years, even as interior design trends have come and gone. These classic hues include neutrals (blacks, creams, beiges), navy blue, and darker shades of green. These timeless interior design colors just never seem to go out of style, and are very safe choices for an ageless look. Navy blue and black also happen to be a very trendy colors in the design world these days, so it’s a win-win! 

timeless navy and white living room

7. Use Traditional Patterns

Using classic patterns, such as stripes, damasks, plaids, and florals, can create a timeless feeling in your room. These patterns have been widely used and popular for many years, and they represent a classic, traditional look. In general, I recommend using classic patterns for furniture pieces that you’ll likely be holding onto for many years, and use more trendy patterns (like chevron or an animal print) for things like accent pillows and accessories. 

traditional timeless patterns
Source: McGee and Co

8. Incorporate Natural Materials

Home decorating has long been inspired by the nature we see around us, and there’s no reason to expect this to change in the future. It’s not surprising then, that timeless interior design often makes use of natural materials, like wood, natural stone, baskets, and plants. Natural elements are one of the keys to creating a cozy and completed space. You can even incorporate natural fibers and fabrics into your decor, like jute and linen. Just remember that balance is everything in design, so you never want to go completely overboard using any one material. 

timeless decorating natural materials
Source: Peace and Pine Designs

9. Embrace Built-Ins

Built-ins have been a highly desirable feature in homes for decades – I happen to be a huge fan! Not only are they functional and add tons of storage, but they have a way of creating a cozy, grounded feeling in a room. From built-in bookcases around the fireplace, to library shelves in the office, to mudrooms and window seats…you just cannot go wrong with built-ins for a timeless, enduring look. Have older built-ins you’re not in love with? You’d be amazed what a coat of paint can do to revive and modernize them, and turn them into a stunning focal point.

timeless design built-ins
Source: Thrifty Decor Chick

10. Install Crown Moulding

Many newly-built homes lack the character and architectural details of older homes, especially when it comes to trim and millwork. But, it’s those traditional details that often give a home a classic look and timeless feel. Crown moulding can elevate the design of your space by creating a soft, elegant transition between your walls and the ceiling, giving the room a more polished look overall. Once considered a luxury, crown moulding is inexpensive and fairly easy to install for DIY homeowners. 

crown molding timeless home decorating

Well, there you have it…10 tips for timeless home decorating! Just remember, creating a timeless room design is not about showcasing the latest trends, but it also doesn’t mean you have to have a stuffy, formal look. It’s about choosing furniture pieces that are functional and flexible, using colors and patterns that will endure the test of time, and creating a room design that is adaptable for your evolving style preferences and the latest trends. 

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70 Comments

  1. Wow! Excellent Post. I really found this so much informatics. It is what I was searching for I would like to suggest you that please keep sharing Such type of information. Thank you so much.

  2. Thank you so much for sharing such an informative article. I will definitely try it in my next home renovation. I read an article related to Home Decor on housebeautiful website. It was also amazing with a lot of new ideas.

  3. So many fabulous ideas here, readers are spoilt for choice. It’s so amazing to find out what all you can do with your space.

    We all want to make our house beautiful and yes it’s hard, it’s not simple like changing clothes. One must choose the most suitable paint and furniture must blend with the paint colour. Most of the time people don’t bother the colour of the furniture they buy. I believe we need to be vigilant regarding the overall colour scheme whenever selecting a piece of furniture for our home..just my 2 cents!

    1. Great sound advice! I can sometimes overthink (overdo) a space. Ive noticed upscale expensive homes don’t hang a ton of pictures. So I am trying to minimize the urge to put a picture on every blank wall.

      1. The urge can be strong! 🙂 It’s true that some of the most beautifully-designed rooms don’t use a ton of art on the walls. This allows the space to “breathe” and your eyes to focus on other design elements throughout the room.

  4. Hi Melissa, I liked your post. Thanks for sharing these wonderful home decorating ideas. Just to add up, I recently bought this cool and affordable photo hanging grid for my home’s wall decor from Johnny O’s Goods and they had helped me to add that much-needed touch. If this idea sounds interesting to you, you can add up the same in this blog or your upcoming blogs. Anyways a great post at the end! Keep it up.

  5. These types of ideas are great to decorate the home. There are many people who love decoration, so having these tips will be of great help. We believe that one of the most important things in decoration is home textiles. In https://www.thelino.com/ you will find a wide variety of ideas.

  6. Thanks for explaining that when it comes to interior design, some colors never go out of style. My husband and I are thinking about redecorating our house to make it look more timeless and classic. I think it would be smart if we hired an interior designer that could help us figure out all the right colors.

  7. Well its tough for a designer to suggest their client’s and satified to it by securing their own and client’s time also.
    By reading your blog (Ten Tips for Timeless Decorating) is very informative and highly recommended to others also.

    Kind Regards
    Interior Architects.

  8. Thanks for this detailed information about decorating our homes that could stand the test of time. These tips given by you will surely help all those who are looking for home decoration ideas.

  9. Great tips for someone that wants to start furnishing their first home or flat.It would be great if they could give you advice we’re to source certain pieces.

  10. It sure was nice that you suggested blending old and new pieces in order for you to create a timeless house decor. My husband and I are planning to find a wholesale supplier of home decorations that we can visit next Sunday. We want to find pieces that can make our living room look cozy and classic.

  11. I like the idea of installing crown moulding in a space. I am hoping to get my home redecorated this year. I will definitely consult with an interior designer to make sure my space will be both comfortable and beautiful.

  12. These are some great tips! I highly agree when you mentioned that less is more and a clean design never goes out of style. If I plan to add a Buddha wall art to my space, do you think I can add more canvas art? If yes, how much wall art is too much?

  13. I liked that you said that you could easily transition from one style to another when you add new wall decor and shop for new pillow covers. My husband and I will then drop by a home decor store later this afternoon. We find the current design and style of our living room outdated, and we want to change the living room’s overall feel.

    1. Yes, new pillow covers, or a new color scheme for your accents could be all you need to give your outdated room a fresh new look.

  14. I love how you said that neutral colors and darker shades of blue and green won’t go out of style. My roommate and I want to find some decor pieces to put in our living room to spruce it up. We will be sure to look for accessories that are of neutral colors or dark greens and blues.

    1. Throughout the decades, those have been pretty “safe” colors that have remained popular. Thanks for your comment!

  15. I was looking for the tips and guide for timeless decoration of my home. I found your article and read it. It provides me information of my requirement. I like your article because it helps me a lot Thanks for sharing it..

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  17. I was looking for the best decorating ideas for my home. and your article helped me alot while decorating my house.
    Thanks for sharing this blog.

  18. Thanks for these helpful tips! I highly agree that neutral colors help in making it look like your interior is always new because of its fresh tones. Would Kartell furnishings fit best for a timeless interior, right? I’m planning on buying more Kartell furniture for my make over and I’m also trying to achieve a look that would go for a long time.

  19. For our wedding anniversary next month, I thought of redesigning our entire master’s bedroom to that of our dream bedroom when my husband and I were just dating. Thanks for your tips on incorporating trendy patterns on accents and accessories like bedding and pillow covers. I also want to buy furniture sets that will complement our aesthetic for added touch.

  20. I am planning to decorate my home in a more creative way. Previously, I have checked some other blogs about decorative tips. I always wanted to give a premium look to my house. I found some decorative items online but some products were not available in my region, so I had to order those products from international shopping apps like- Amazon international ,Ubuy , and best buy. Your Neutral Colors are also very appealing to me; I will definitely try it as well. Keep sharing more amazing tips!

  21. This is a great article for anyone looking to update their home’s interior decoration. The tips are easy to follow and will help create a timeless look. Thank you for sharing!

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  23. The article has been written nicely, especially the idea of timeless design & trends has fascinated me to read the whole article. Though I also maintain a blog to cover the home design ideas, bathroom decorations & kitchen gadgets. But the timeless ideas inspired me deeply and i will definitely add something similar to my blog as well.

  24. Your all tips are awesome!! These tips can help people like me to save time and money when it comes to decorate a home. I will use your tips and also will share with my contacts. Thanks and keep posting more!!!

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  26. Thanksgiving is next week and my wife is gonna host her relatives this time around. If she wants to make our house appears more pleasing, she should definitely check out this article and then make the right purchase. Plus, you gave such good advice by recommending we opt for a more minimalistic concept when decorating our residence to make it less messy and crowded.

  27. I love your site. Great post and lovely decor ideas. I enjoy reading your article. It improves homes’ structure and value. Thank you for sharing your brilliant tips. I love it! Great article!

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  29. The paragraph then introduces the first three tips for achieving a timeless look, emphasizing the importance of furniture with clean lines, choosing neutral colors for walls and furniture, and incorporating trendy colors and patterns as accents. The tips provide practical suggestions to create a versatile and enduring interior. Overall, the paragraph effectively introduces the topic and sets the stage for the upcoming tips on timeless decorating.

  30. The summer celebration comes the following week and this time my wife will be hosting her family. She should absolutely read this article before making the proper purchases if she wants to improve the aesthetics of our home or even hire an interior decorator. Additionally, you provided us with some excellent advice by suggesting that we use a more minimalistic theme for our home’s design to make it look less cluttered and cramped.

  31. I loved it when you said timeless interior designs often make use of natural items like wood, stone, baskets, and plants. My sister does use the same style for her home, and it looks nice regardless of the season and year. I’ll try adding more plants if I ever decide to spruce up my living room.

  32. This article offers fantastic insights for achieving timeless decor. I found the ten tips practical and inspiring. Incorporating elements like neutral colors, quality furnishings, and classic design principles can truly transform any space into a timeless masterpiece. Thank you for sharing these valuable ideas!

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