10 Designer Tips For Choosing Timeless Home Decor

Do you wish you were confident to pick out furniture and home decor that would stand the test of time and not go out of style in the near future? You can! Here are 10 tips for choosing timeless decor.

Timeless decor is a goal for most home decorators. It’s beautiful and feels fresh. But most importantly timeless decor looks updated for a long time. And this look is achievable! Here are 10 tips to help you choose timeless decor for your home.

When it comes to style I have a bit of a short attention span! I’m wild about many current trends and styles. But I’ll admit that I get tired of them quickly and am often waiting for the next newest decor trends to come around the corner!

But I’m savvy enough to know that trends come and go and come and go quickly! So although I love many styles, I am very choosy about what decor ends up in our home.

Why We Love Timeless Decor

Even though I can appreciate many home decor styles and trends I love a timeless look most of all.

Timesless decor is just that, home furnishings and accent decor that have stood the test of time and still look relevant and up to date! These pieces may not be the latest trend but they still look beautiful and very much in style!

Timeless decor is also a team player! It looks great when mixed with other styles!

No wonder striving for decor with a timeless look is a coveted goal when decorating.

What Timeless Decor Is Not

It’s important to mention what timeless decor is not! Timeless decor is not…

  • fussy
  • overstuffed
  • loud
  • out of date
  • worn or tired
  • something that makes other things in your room look dated

Now that you know what timeless decor is and is not, here are 10 tips to help you add timeless decor to your home!

Functional And Fabulous timeless Decor

TIMELESS CHEST IN THE LIVING ROOM

Timeless furnishings should be comfortable!

If you are going to have a piece of furniture, like a sofa, for a number of years make it the most comfortable one you can find. Look for well-constructed pieces and wonderfully time-honored fabrics! This is where you should be spending the bulk of your decorating budget. Timeless foundational furniture is not a splurge it is an investment!

Make sure the styling on these foundational furnishings is not too trendy or lackluster! A classically beautiful sofa or chair or table is the backbone of a timeless look!

The curlacue chest in our living room is a good example of a classic piece of furniture. I love it as much as the first day it came to live with us over ten years ago!

Keep Trendy Colors And Bold Patterns For Accents

WHITE BUFFET IN THE LIVING ROOM

Timeless decor means fabrics that will stand up to years of changing trends! Timeless fabrics transcend those changes. 

Don’t rush out and buy foundational furniture in the “color of the year”! It’s only the “color of the year” for one year! Choose colors and patterns, especially when buying big ticket items, that will still look amazing when this year’s trends have come and gone! Think CLASSIC!

Add layers of accent decor like lamps, art, tableware, pillows, bedding, etc. in more on-trend colors and styles. They can be changed out easily when they get tired or are out of style!

The white buffet is a classic piece of furniture. Neutral in color with simple lines. It’s a piece that will stand the test of time. But the large clock above it is a bit more trendy. I found this clock on sale for $27.00 years ago. Its original dark brown frame has been painted twice to update it. As far as I’m concerned it owes me nothing!

So earlier this year I changed the clock out for a pretty panel mirror that is also classic.

Change Pillows To Reflect The Season

pillows on a sofa

Pillows and throws are like jewelry to our home decor! They can be relatively inexpensive and add lots of pop and pizzazz to a timeless look!  Here’s where to add just-now colors and patterns! And have fun! When furniture is timeless introducing a little decor trend and sass is possible!

fireplace with picture above it in the living room

The spindle chairs that flank our fireplace are examples of timeless furniture. They might not be the newest trend for this year but they still look pretty and fresh. They are the perfect foil for lots and lots of fun and interesting pillows!

Here are a few pillow combinations that have lived on the spindle chairs…

There are so many reasons to love pillows! They can change the mood and look of a room and give it an updated look!

Neutrals Are The Epitome Of Timeless Decor

Neutral colors, for me, are the biggest bang for my buck. They are perfectly timeless and these tone-upon-tone colors work with almost any pop of color or style! And they play so well together!

Neutrals never go out of style! They evoke a clean, fresh feel and are the epitome of timeless decor!

Since I changed to a neutral color palette over a decade ago my home feels bright and up-to-date no matter what’s new in the decor world! It was the best decorating decision I have ever made!

Neutral colors run the gamut from the snowest white to creams, beiges, taupes, caramels, charcoals, grays, and more. They can be light and airy or deep and moody! No wonder neutrals are part of so many timeless rooms.

Don’t Overcrowd A Room

Timeless decor respects the space it’s in. No need to crowd a space when you are decorating with timeless, classic furnishings! Rooms need space to breathe and each piece of furniture you put in a room should be curated and intentional.

Most of us add too many pieces of furniture to our rooms. Doing this will make a room look dated and busy.

Negative space, or empty space is an important part of decorating and will make a room look inviting and airy!

You might like to read Why Scale And Proportion Is Important When You Decorate

Pay Attention To Detail

timeless chairs in the dining room

Spend extra time thinking about and choosing every decor detail with care.

Pay attention to lighting and seating and mirrors and art and candles and objets d’art. Pay attention to everything!

Pro Tip

For a timeless look, less is often best. Ask yourself if what you choose to put in a room is something you love and is worthy of the space it takes up!

Give yourself time to sit in a room and daydream about how it could look. This is time well spent!

Mix Old And New

A Timeless look often blends old and new. I absolutely love the juxtaposition of old and new decor! It looks collected or curated. Take your time to add timeless furnishings and other more trendy items to your home. Be picky and don’t be afraid to pass up a piece because you just don’t love it.

One of the biggest decor offenses is buying everything for a room at once. It will never look like YOU. It might look like the showroom floor or the designer who helped you put the room together. But that should not be our goal. Take time to marry things you have with things you bring into your home. You just can’t rush a timeless look!

Painted furniture is a new classic and not just a trend anymore! So paint an old outdated piece of furniture with a great new fresh color. Or upholster something outdated with a pretty new fabric! It’s like giving a second life to decor with great bones!

Edit Collections To Just A Few Favorites

Many of us love to collect something! And if you are a collector I bet you love showing your collection off. For a timeless look, edit your collection to only the “best”. And rotate your precious items displaying a few at a time!

Less is more when it comes to displaying collections because they often date a look (sorry, but true). Which is the opposite of timeless! So display the things you collect with an edited hand.

Curate A Timeless Look

white buffet in a living room

To “curate” means to choose, organize and look after something! Today, we have talked about “choosing” timeless decor. We have mentioned “organizing” or how to use your timeless furnishing in a space. Now let’s make sure we look after our furniture to keep it looking its best. Part of a curated look is “caring” for it!

A timeless look is well cared for and neat as a pin. Free from dust bunnies and stains! Nothing ruins a timeless look like unkempt areas and furniture that has seen better days!

When a timeless piece finally starts looking tired, it can be repainted, slipcovered, or reupholstered as long as the frame is still good! And it can continue to give you years of service!

Live With What You Love

WHITE BUFFET WITH URN

Most important of all is to live with what you love! If you are looking for that timeless classic, choose pieces that YOU want to live with for quite a while! It’s your home and your sanctuary! Make it a reflection of wonderful YOU!

And don’t settle for any decor you don’t love, EVER! Make sure you want to live with what you have not just tolerate it!

I end so many decorating posts talking about the importance of living with what you love!

Achieving a timeless look is a process! Enjoy the journey, friend!

Now it’s time to put these tips into practice in your home!

Click The Video Below For More Inspiration

TIMELESS DECOR- WHITE BUFFET WITH A LAMP AND A VASE OF GREENS

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33 Comments

  1. Great and timeless tips!
    BTW- Have you ever thought about a metal/glass coffee table in your great room? Of course I’m not the one with the fabulous decorating blog. ?

    1. I just got a glass coffee table right after Christmas and sent it back. Not sure what to do yet.

  2. Absolutely love your beautiful timeless style. Hoping to get a spindle chair one day!

  3. Barbara A Karas says:

    Could you do a post on lamp shades and picking the right style for the lamp and room?

    I have some lamps I love but the shades are broken and the style is old but pleasing. How do I pick the right
    shade for the shape of the lamp?

    Thank you in advance. Love your help with decorating!

    1. Hi Barbara. That is such a great idea, thanks! Mostly I choose drum shades. They look updated and fit almost any style.

  4. Diane Palena says:

    Hi Yvonne! I have been searching for an area rug for my living room and love the diamond pattern one you chose! You offered the link in one of your posts but it appears much more “orange” than yours. Was it originally offered in different shades? I need something that leans more towards taupe.

  5. Ashley Walter says:

    I love your timeless style and enjoy reading your blog everyday! I have a clock that is dark that I am looking to paint. What paint did you use on your clock?

  6. Love your style, Beautiful!

    Can you mix wood colors? I have quite a bit of cherry queen Anne furniture and would love to change to something more up to date but cannot afford to change all of it. Where should I start?

      1. Thank you!
        Will you be offering virtual consultation in the future?
        If so I would love your expertise in the Spring
        Happy Valentine’s Day!
        Linda

        1. I am so busy with my blog and other things I am not offering decorating consultations right now.

  7. I would love to know where to find your spindle chairs. I have found some on Amazon, but not quite as nice. Yours are gorgeous!

  8. I always enjoy your posts. Where do you find your beautiful napkins?

  9. There can be a a look that looks so generic and mass produced and not timeless. I want to do timeless like your beautiful home. I was shopping at Christmas and was in the “Christmas decor aisle” at a department store. I felt the “I want a Christmas thing” that I think you can feel an impulse for. I looked over the stuff and noticed these glitter reindeer. I did not want foam glitter reindeer. It is ok if that is something someone likes, but I don’t like that look. . I passed the aisle up and went and bought chocolate candy instead. At home I still sat feeling like “I want a Christmas thing.”. I really wanted an heirloom type Christmas thing, not temporary one season reindeer. I was in a thrift store a week later and found two large brass reindeer from the 1950s that looked sculptural, for the exact same price as the two small foam glitter covered reindeer. I can’t break the brass reindeer, and we couldn’t stop looking at them and how pretty they are. I am always going to love them. I had to say no at the not-so-timeless store and go home with just candy (not empty handed!), then found the timeless things I love.

  10. Kimberly Davidson says:

    I Love your blog! Beautiful work!! Do you have a good site for looking for decorative pillows?

  11. Annamare Smith says:

    I love your home ! Any suggestions for Artwork? I moved into an open concept home and I am struggling with how to blend Artwork and where to find anything other than abstract?

    1. I live in an open concept home too. It took me thee years to find art I thought would work in our home. Can you sen me pictures of the areas you want to add art too? I can help you better if I can see the areas you are talking about. Email me at stonegable333@gmail.com

  12. Judi in the UK says:

    Hi Yvonne
    I love it when I see an email from you pop up telling me about a new post, as I know I’m going to enjoy another look at your beautiful home. I’ve been reading your blog for about 10 years now, and have gained so much knowledge and inspiration from you. We are currently in the process of selling our home, which is pretty much based on all the things I’ve learned from you, and everyone has viewed, has been very complimentary about the way things are displayed, how it’s furnished etc., so it just goes to show that your ideas, really do work, so many, many thanks for all your help over the years.

    1. Oh, Judi! What a lovely thing! How kind of you to let me know how StoneGable has helped you. I pray that you sell your home soon and are blessed in your new one!

  13. I always love your content. Your home seems to match your personality. 🙂

    For a timeless look I could use some input about a family room couch/loveseat dilemma. Our couch faces a beautiful accent wall – two spindle chairs on one side, facing a loveseat (matches the couch) on the other side. I’ve decided a No on a sectional.

    The dilemma: our loveseat rarely gets used and will long outlast the couch but it’s not a keeper.
    I would like our next couch choice to be more timeless … would you still get a matching loveseat as well? I have considered refinishing the fabric of some other cane chairs, the real deal from my family growing up. But are cane chairs trendy and on the way out again? And didn’t know if two different kinds of chairs facing each other would be too much going on.
    Sorry for the lengthy response … TIA.

    1. Hi Kim, I could better help you with pictures. But let’s give this a go: Your layout sounds lovely!!!! A tried and true good design. I would not buy a sofa and love seat. That will really date your room and is not very interesting. I think refinishing cane chairs would be stunning! Wicker is not trendy anymore (or will not be in a year or two) but you have the real thing! And that is priceless and a classic. I think two different kinds of chair will bring lots of interest to your room. Just be careful with the pattern and undertones of the fabric you use to reupholster your cane chairs. Hope this helps. Please send me a picture when you are done your update.

      1. Thank you for taking the time to respond! I think I inherited a design gene from my mother, yet have made many errors in judgment before. Your posts have really helped. ?

  14. Lyndsay Pasi says:

    Hi! Your designs are so beautiful and timeless – I’m doing my best to nuture that kind of vibe in our home now! I’ve searched through two different blog posts to try and find a link for your mirror over the buffet/sideboard but I can’t find it anywhere – would you mind sharing it?

    Thank you so much for the ideas and generosity with your designs 🙂