Traditional home decor can bring a beautiful, timeless look to your home, but only if you get it right. One thing you don’t want to do is end up making your home look like a place straight out of the 40s, 50s, or 60s.
If you get traditional home decor wrong, your home could end up looking more like a film set than a genuine place where someone actually lives.
Image courtesy of Uplift Interiors
Here, we’ll discuss the dos and don’ts of achieving traditional home decor style so you can make your home decor last, and seriously enjoy it too.
Do Incorporate Old And New
The first thing you want to make sure you do is incorporate both old and new items. This will give your home a more timeless appearance, rather than trying to make it look like a specific era.
You don’t necessarily want to step in your home and feel like you’ve gone back in time. It should be a decor that’s all your very own!
Buy older items you like that you know will last and emphasize the traditional home decor you’re going for – they should be high quality, and you could even buy new items that simply have an old style.
Image courtesy of Camilla Molders Design
Incorporate newer pieces too so that you can switch things up and create a unique look in your home.
Make sure you spread pieces out. Don’t group old items together and new items together, as this won’t look as good! Switch it up with an antique chest of drawers and a modern art work. Or an antique mirror with a modern chair.
Don’t Forget To Let Natural Light In
If you’re going for a traditional look, the last thing you want is for your home to be too dark inside – it can start to feel seriously old, which isn’t the same as traditional.
You could incorporate some custom plantation shutters for example, which are great for letting natural light in but still giving you some privacy when you want it.
Natural light is key for health and happiness!
Do Choose A Mostly Neutral Color Scheme
Neutral color schemes tend to look best with traditional decor, whether you go for whites, pastels, greys, or a mixture.
Image courtesy of JV Design
You can potentially go for darker neutrals, but do be aware that if you have a small room, they can make it appear even smaller.
The level of natural light you have in a room plays a key role in how a room feels. If the room is swamped with natural light, then you can use a darker colour or a brighter white.
Don’t Be Afraid To Mix And Match Furniture
Buying matching furniture sets may have been what people did way back when, but these days, people have realised that a home looks better with furniture that doesn’t completely match.
You can make your furniture look more uniformed by choosing similar styles and colorways, but they don’t have to be from the same set.
Do Incorporate Your Personality
Make sure you find ways to incorporate your personality, whether that’s with a space you can read/write in, or by showing off your favorite souvenirs.
Image courtesy of Ben Dial – Interior Designer
Your own style sense is a very important part of the redecorating of your home. Trust your instincts and surround yourself with things you love. If you love it, then it deserves to be in your home.
Don’t Go For Aesthetics Over Function
Your home should always remain functional, so make sure you’re not sacrificing that for aesthetics.
Can you still use your home in a way that suits your lifestyle?
I always discuss with my interior design clients about their lifestyle and how they use their home BEFORE we start talking about gorgeous style.This often saves them lots of money.
No matter how stylish your home is, if it’s not functional you will just get frustrated.
Do Vintage/Antique Shop
Going vintage/antique shopping is a great way to add unique style to your home that you will want to keep forever!
Keep items original or get creative with fabric or chalk paint. Re-think how an object is used. For example, a suitcase can become a bedside table with the simple addition of some legs. Or create a lamp from a vase.
Dark furniture can look completely different when painted in a bright colour. I’ve seen fabulous old dressers given a new lease of life with bright orange or pink paint.
The great thing about chalk paint is that furniture doesn’t require sanding or priming. Perfect!
