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! I love beach, and farmhouse and modern. Traditional, bohemian, industrial and midcentury. Art deco, cottage, French and cabin! And that’s just some of the styles that make me swoon! But most of all I love love love a timeless look. You know, decor that is so perfectly classic that it looks as good today as it did twenty years ago! It’s true decor beauty! Timeless decor also is a great background to add almost any other style too! I think timeless styling is the perfect styling! Here are 10 tips to help us hone a timeless decor look!
Today’s PRACTICALLY SPEAKING is all about the beautiful, sensible, PRACTICAL, effortless look of timeless decor and how to achieve it!
FUNCTIONAL AND FABULOUS FURNISHINGS
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!
Make sure the styling is not too trendy or lack luster! A classically beautiful sofa or chair or table is the backbone of a timeless look!
KEEP TRENDY COLORS AND PATTERNS FOR ACCENTS
Timeless decor means fabrics that will stand up to years of changing trends! They 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!
Add layers of accent decor like lamps, art, tableware, pillows, bedding, etc. in more updated colors and styles. They can be changed out easily when they get tired or are out of style!
Introducing a new color or contemporary style is so easy if you have timeless pieces!
CHANGE PILLOWS AND THROWS TO REFLECT THE SEASON OR MOOD
Pillows and throws are like jewelry to our soft furnishings! 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!
This classic, neutral chair is a great background for these colorful pillows!
NEUTRALS ARE THE EPITOME OF TIMELESS
Neutral colors, for me, are the biggest bang for our bucks… perfectly timeless… and these tones work with most any color or style! And living with neutrals is a delight! Neutrals never go out of style! They evoke a clean, fresh feel and are the epitome of timeless!
Since I changed to a neutral color palette several years ago my home feels fresh and up to date no matter what’s new in the decor world! It was the best decor decision I have ever made!
DON’T OVERCROWD A SPACE
Timeless decor respects the space it’s in. Better furniture be a little sparse than crowded together! Timeless decor looks honor and shows off each piece of furniture!
This is a little hard for me! I love to fill my rooms. I’m still learning this tip!
BE DETAIL ORIENTED
Spend the extra time to think about and choose every decor detail with care. Pay attention to lighting and seating and mirrors and art and candles and objets d’art. Everything! With 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 in the room!
Give yourself time to sit in a room and day dream about how it could look. This is time well spent!
BLEND OLD AND NEW
Timeless looks often blend old and new. I absolutely love this look! I call it “collected”. Mixing classic pieces from different eras is an amazing way to bring interest and beauty into your decor!
Now is a fabulous time to put this tip into practice! Painted furniture is now a new classic and not just a trend… so paint an old outdated piece with a great new fresh color. Or upholster an out of date pattern with something new!
The chairs in the background were 18th century mahogany and I painted and reupholstered them. They have a great intricate style with a fresh new look! To see how I painted them click HERE.
EDIT COLLECTIONS TO JUST A FEW
Many of us love to collect something! And if you are a collector I bet you love showing it off. For a timeless look, edit your collection to the “best” and display them. Or rotate your precious items and display a few at a time!
Less is more when it comes to displaying collections within a timeless decor!
I am an avid “dish” collector! And I use my dishes as accent pieces all over my home. But I’m leaning that a little at one time can go a long way!
CURATE YOUR LOOK
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 it’s 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!
Here’s the good news. 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
Most important of all is to live with what you love! If you are looking for that timeless, classic, amazing look choose pieces that YOU love! It’s your home… your sanctuary! Make it a reflection of wonderful YOU!
If you love that timeless decor look that so many of us do, you now have a few tips to help achieve it in your home! Achieving a timeless look is a process! Enjoy the journey!
What is your favorite thing about a timeless look? Please share!
You might also like…
You might like to follow me on Pinterest and see all the amazing things I’m finding to pin every day HERE.
Love this website!
Thanks, Judith!
Love this episode! Great TIP OF THE DAY to go to high end stores (incognitoYvonne!) to look at items and then try to find same elements in lower price stors. I absolutely do that with clothing and jewelry.
I really enjoyed to read this article. I think this perfect tips for decorating.
Really enjoying your blog & neutral decor. Love the bird cushion! Need one for my new sofa lol.
I like your idea to use colors and patterns as accents so that you can easily replace them when new styles begin to trend. Another great reason to use them as accents is because if you use too many patterns or colors, you can make your room feel busy and overwhelming. If done correctly, it can give a room a dramatic flair.
Hi Yvonne,
I just love your blog! Your Pod Casts are Super helpful!!
I have a problem and I hope you can help me. I purchased 2 linen balloon panel drapes from Soft Surroundings. One of you mentioned it on your Pod Cast a few weeks ago. The panels are beautiful but…. they are so wrinkled I don’t know what to do with them. I know that you cannot steam linen. I did try a cool iron but the design of the panel makes it almost impossible to reach all parts of the panel. Please let me know what you did.
Thanks,
Sue
I have been “neutralling” my apartment and have used different accents according to season or just mood. Thank you for your wonderful posts!
Thank you for the terrific blog. You mentioned in the blog that small throw items are like jewelry to your furnishings, as they can really help things pop in the room. My brother just moved into a home and wants to decorate it nicely to impress his guests. Small items like that would be perfect, as they are generally affordable and could help fill that empty space in his rooms.
I thought these were all really good tips for decorating a home. I especially like how it suggests changing certain decor items to reflect the season. It sounds like I’ll need to find some good home decor items I can buy in order to keep my home trendy and attractive!
Thank you, Yvonne ! I’m remodeling now too and struggling with some classic pieces I love. I just can’t say good-bye and have decided to paint them! Now I can’t wait.
Judy
Love your sofa! Would you please share where it was purchased?
My sofa came from Pottery Barn. It has a foam core and is wrapped in down. The fabric is a performance fabric, which is an upgrade, and so worth the investment!
What a great post. Beautiful decoration tips and ideas. You are so creative. I am full of inspirations now.
Thanks for share your tips.
One of my all-time fave posts! The pics are very inspiring, as well! Thanks, again!
I love everything about your style! Changing a lot of things myself and what a clean look you have. Your home is gorgeous and on the way to creating mine. Thanks for your great tips.
I love your decorating style. Where did you get you bird pillows and lamps?
I tried to sign up for your emails but it said you have to many. Please stay on Pinterest so I can follow your beautiful designs.
The bird pillows were found at a Spring Market a few years ago and the lamps are a family treasure.
I like “beautiful” but “functional” is what I really think is important so if I have beautiful and functional, I’m really thrilled! Thanks for all your tips! They have changed my way of thinking and I’m bless by them!
I struggle with not knowing when something is truly “classic”. I’m trying to learn though.
I’m planning a few post about classic furnishing. Keep looking for them.
LOVE these ideas!
Thank you for your ideas and combining farmhouse style with timeless decorations and pillows, white dishes, etc. You gave me some new ideas for the coffee table in our living room,
I’m incorporating your ideas in this blog this year! Have you ever painted an upholstered piece of furniture? Would love to see a blog on this.
Thanks for all your fabulous ideas! I so enjoy reading you posts.
beautifully done.
Good ideas, as you always have
Some good reminders! Thank you!!
How in the world did you get spaghetti sauce off of white fabric??? I can’t seem to get it off of anything! Advice please????
I love reading your blogs. Today I really appreciated reading the comments and your responses to others concerns. Thank you for that!
I am thinking of spring, we have been up and down in coastal SC and the jasmine is a few places is starting to bloom and I see one hydrangea bush has small flowers on it…My new new neutral in my living room/kitchen and hall is Forest Light which is a very very pale green.
Thanks for these tips… Looks like I am on the right track! Love all your advice… Thanks for sharing!❤️
On this snowy cold winter day in Pa. it is fun to read and think about spring!!
I nodded ” yes” all through this post. That is my take on design, too. I keep my furniture classic (in neutral colors), use pillows and throws for extra layers and comfort, make little vignettes, and keep clutter to a minimum. Oh, and I buy only what I love!
I always enjoy reading your posts, Yvonne. Your home is beautiful and you seem so down to earth. Just my kind of person.
I am trying to purge and simplify my home and I love your ideas!
All of your post are so timely for me as I am in the process of pulling my house together – I recently moved. Your tips are spot on. I love reds and rusts and have been trying to figure out how to blend those colors with neutrals. You’ve given a lot of suggestions and tips. I am definitely going to rethink the sofa fabric that I was considering.
Thank so much and have a great weekend!
I love your statement to live with what you love. That would be my husband!! I never follow trends. I always choose what I love and what will be timeless. I love my built in glass shelves in our great room, kitchen, and study. We have plenty of space to place our collections of flow blue, cut glass, dishes, Hummels and souvenirs from our trips. I am surrounded with things I love. I recently bought a sofa and chair. They are semi-neutral. The sofa has a light gray, blue and off white tweed. The chair has a calico design with light blue, medium tan, mixture of light browns. I can use any color of pillows.
I agree with everything you said.
After moving from NJ to Fl,I am trying to
lighten up the house and incorporate some farmhouse touches.
We just got new bedroom and dining room furniture that is cream
and pale grey.In the future will be a new couch,maybe a linen look
which I love.Always a work in progress.Your home always looks
lovely,you have a classic decorating style.
I appreciate this article about timeless home decor tips. It is good to know that neutrals are always a good choice. I did not realize that these tones work with most any color and style. Something to consider would be to find desired furniture and other items for prices within your budget.
This is a really great article about home decor. My wife and I have just inherited an older home and we are having trouble making it look as current as we want. We are doing some research on home decor to spice it up a bit. I love what you mentioned about mixing classic pieces with newer ones. It seems like a good way to make our older house seem more timeless. We will put it into practice, thanks!
I like the idea of getting timeless decor that will stand up to years of changing trends. One reason I am nervous to buy decor is because I am worried that they will go out of style. I like your idea of adding layers of accent colors. That way they can be changed out easily when out of style!
You wrote that an important part of obtaining the timeless look is to make sure your furniture is well cared for and neat as a pin. I’ve been thinking about redecorating parts of my home and want to make sure I have a look that looks good for years to come. I’ll have to find some unique, good looking pieces to compliment my home, and make sure I maintain them well. Thanks for the tips.
I really appreciate the tips on decor in your home. My sister is buying a new home in the next few months and she is looking into home decor and what works best. I would imagine there are a lot of issues with overcrowding when it comes to home decor, I know sometimes there are so many things I like that I want them all up. I will be sure to share this information with my sister, thanks.
My wife is thinking about doing a little redecorating, and wanted to know the best ways to buy home decor. I really like that you say new stuff tends to blend with the old. That way, she will be able to use some of her old things, and get new ones at the same time.
Looking through your pictures about blending in new with old intrigues me. I really like what you did with the counter space and the tabletop is beautiful. I want to do something similar with my table.
Love this advice! You make a really good point about going more timeless with your bigger pieces, and then being more creative with the rest. When I start shopping around for accent pieces to decorate my living room, I’ll definitely try to be more adventurous. If I make sure the decor matches with the rest of my furniture, hopefully everything will look good and cohesive.
Love this idea!!!!
I have been really wanting to remodel my living room and am hoping to come up with a plan for the decor. I really like your collected look with the old and new items put together. I really love some of the furniture pieces that I have already and so maybe I can add in some more modern ones to the room so that I don’t have to take out and replace everything. I think that this type of look really gives me a lot of freedom, especially since I could just paint or upholster anything that I would want to look different.
For a long time I have admired your throw pillows with the birds. Would you divulge where you got them (or the fabric if you made them)?
Love the blog!
Hi Susan, I found these cute pillows at the Luckett’s Spring Market in Leesburg Va. Sorry I can’t tell you where to get them. I bought them from a vendor. You might want to look on line for the fabric.
Absolutely liked and pinned these home decor tips because they are simple to follow. I sometimes overcrowd a space and it takes my time to reorganize my stuff
Thank you for writing this article. I needed this because I just sold of everything I owe in my house in Phoenix and getting ready to buy in Houston. I was just thinking about what new pieces I should invest in and came across your great article. Would love to get some input or possibly have you do a piece on what types of fabrics and prints are considered timeless. Thank you again.
I am reading your question quite late in the year so you may not ever see this, Kimmothy, but start a Pinterest board of rooms, furniture and colors you like, including your husband of course, if you’re married. Also start clipping pictures out of magazines and store in a file folder. After a few months of doing this, a pattern will emerge and you will gradually see the same sort of style/color you consistently like. Also, go on Houzz and browse their photos; you will see tons of ideas. Warning: Houzz is highly addictive! When you love something, the best piece of advice I can give is: go with your gut feeling! I am of a certain “vintage” now but throughout the years, visitors and friends have always loved what I did and say “this house is so you”.
Oh goodness, that would take another post!
I absolutely love your blog. My home is more traditional but little by little I add a little farmhouse style to it.I love your white dishes and I am trying to justifying to buy another set of dishes. I love your home and I am looking forward to your ideas in decorating ,cooking etc, I even have my daughter love your style.
I love that you covered your books in burlap; what a clever idea!! Your home is beautiful. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Sincerely,
Kelly
Yvonne,
Great tips for timeless home decor, dear friend!!!
I’m still working on Curate Your Look!!!
Since retiring, I’ve had more time to find my “true” style
and bring about a peaceful home environment!!!
So~o~o important when one now spends the majority
of their time at home!!!
Fondly,
Pat
Thanks so much for sharing such amazing ideas….you’ve provided some beautiful inspiration!
I love your blog and have been looking at all your posts for inspiration. My husband and I just bought our dream farm!! There is a 5 bedroom 2 bath 1800’s + house sitting in the middle of 11+acres with pastures and a barn with stable. We will be remodeling the house and I am so excited about having a blank canvas to design. I am definitely keeping the farm style design. If you have any ideas you can share I would welcome inspiration in any form!
A farmhouse is amazing to decorate! Mine is an inspired farmhouse. I chose to furnish it with timeless and classic pieces and add bit of farmhouse charm. Congratulations and I pray years of happiness and good works in your new home!
Always enjoy your tips Yvonne….I am slowly getting toward a neutral palette after years of color…looks like lots of reupholstering is in my future!….Love the sparkle in the dining room!
My husband built a beautiful farm table from an old barn that was 100 years old. I desperately have been searching for chairs that can stand up to this majestic beauty. I have two muslin host/hostess chairs and need 4 chairs to hold their own to this table. Something tall and strong. The table has so many beautiful rich colors of woods and I am at a loss as to finding the perfect chairs. Do you have any suggestions? I would love to send you a picture of the table, but am not sure how to do that. Thank you in advance for your help! I really need a source for chairs, but need the help of selecting the right chair, foremost.
Hi Mary Anne! Send me a picture. My email in on my sidebar! Looking forward to seeing this gorgeous table!
I have a limited income and would like to know if you have any suggestions about where
to purchase slipcovers? I need either a cream color or a natural light color for a love seat.
I live in a small apartment. Your ideas are great and I love the clean simplicity. I like color, but
as an accent because I love changing things. I have never written anything like this before, but
enjoy very much your blog and would appreciate any thoughts. God bless!
Check Ikea .Not the best of the best but good value for the money.
Good tips!
Best slipcover material that is cheap? Fabric dropcloths! Different brands are different shades, so check out various stores like lowe’s or Home Depot until you find what you like. If your tastes and sewing skills don’t match up (i.e. you want highly tailored slipcover but only basic sewing ability – ask a sewing friend if they would like to trade some of your skills maybe cooking or cleaning, or painting a room. Barter is a budget-friendly idea!
Thank you Betty for your kind answer! I do sew, but have never taken on a slipcover,
so your barter idea is great!
Such a great idea!
Sorry to have bothered you. I will work it out myself.
Great post! Love your advise, I love how you have used your dishes in your decor,
Yvonne your home always looks fresh, clean and up to date. Good advice. Thank you.
Great tips as usual, Yvonne! Your house looks so fresh and inviting. One thing I have discovered….if you want to lighten up a coffee table or such and dont want to paint it, drape a tablecloth, runner, shawl, scarf etc over it. Even a fabric remnant works. I see this done in parts of Europe, and allows you to add color, texture, and change as desired without altering your table.
Great idea!
I love your fresh clean design. I have the hardest time trying to incorporate what I have and make it fresh and new. I have antiques and a bit of a rustic ranch like style.I would love to see a blog or post on this style. I follow so many blogs, not one of them has this . It seems that natural wood is out of fashion, and painted furniture is in. I guess I have way too many of grannies items!
Ellie, both wood and painted are timeless. I don’t have that style so I really can’t authentically write about it. However timeless pieces can go nicely with any style!
Thanks for the tips. I do use many of your ideas!
Love the bird pillow. Where can I get one?
I got mine at a Spring Market vendor. Sorry that’s all I can tell you.
I have seen them at TJMaxx every once in awhile!
Loved them and went searching! Found them on the Hayneedle site. They have several sizes to choose from.
I think we are related, Yvonne! I couldn’t agree more with EVERY single thing you said! I really like the advice you gave Terry about painting her chairs. Getting rid of some of the “brown” wood in a room makes such a difference that once you get the courage to try it (usually against hubby’s opinion**!) you want to paint more. Re ** what is it about guys and their fear of painting wood?? lol! Once they see how getting rid of the heavy brown in a room, transforms the decor, they agree! 🙂
I see all these trends popping up all over Pinterest and the blogosphere, and I must say it gets pretty confusing. I like elements of just about every style. And let’s talk about colors! Two years ago I loathed the gray walls trend because gray seems so depressing. Now I like it in limited amounts (and incidentally, my dust bunnies are technically gray, so I may be on to something here. Don’t judge).
I am needing new living room furniture, and I want to follow your advice and get timeless pieces. I really like your whitish sofa and chairs, but how do you keep them white? I don’t want to stress over my furniture.
What fabulous questions Jule! First and foremost LOVE what you choose, no matter the style! I’m not a huge fan of gray, but like you I love it small amounts. I adore it other peoples homes but it’s not for me… I could not live with it.
I chose light colored furniture because it is so so easy to live with. I have slipcovers on all my furniture that is light OR my light colored upholstered pieces are covered in a fabric that will not stain. Check around there is such a thing!
My white chairs in my living room got a big meatball and spaghetti sauce stain on them during a party and I did not discover it until the next day (bad form on the part of one of my guests!). I cleaned it up according to the manufacturer’s instructions and it is fine!
I am having one issue with one piece of furniture I got awhile back and I’m sending it back! We need to be assertive about furniture living up to it’s promises!
We can stress over any furniture we have really! Furniture is to be lived with and in! We need to take care of it, but accidents are a part of life. Take it in stride and relax!
I have a dark brown sofa traditional style. I need pillows to give the room a pop. Walls are kilim beige, tables are dark cherry. I love the color green. My curtains are a creamy color which brightens the room but I need something to bring it all together. Could you help me with a suggestion please?
Hi Terry: i know you love green (so do I) but if you ever want a bit of a change, I’ve found an icy pale-ish blue is terrific with browns as well. I have Benjamin Moore “Ranchwood” on my walls and two medium brown loveseats (plus two cream chairs & throw) and found some icy blue & brown pillow cushion covers one happy day. Then I saw some more (same colors) in another pattern and two lumbar pillows and it looks just great (if I may say so). The icy blue I’m talking about looks almost like a silver blue – it’s such an unexpected color and a change from the aquas everyone is using. I hate grey as I find it depressing, love aqua but now love this icy blue. Another great color with brown is a lavender – not the baby-looking pastel lavender but more of a “grown-up” greyed-down lavender.
Terry, Here’s my thoughts… why don’t you buy a great nubby throw in a spring or citron green (something bright). I could also have some whites and browns in it too! Then 2 large pillows in a creamy color, 2 medium pillows in a great bright, fun, updated green (spring or citron) color and one rectangle pillow in a a solid green(to work with the pillows). Add a vignette to your coffee table. See HOW TO CREATE A VIGNETTE here: http://www.stonegableblog.com/transitional-vignette-styling/ and select some great objects that are green, like a candle or a plant to go in it. Why not buy a green garden stool and include it next to a chair as an end table! If you can’t find one you can always spray paint one like I did.
Would you consider painting your cherry table? I bet if you painted it a soft beige white and antiqued it it would look fabulous!
There you go… just a few suggestions off the top of my head! Hope they helped! Be brave!!!! Create a room you love!
Thank you so much for your advice.
Yvonne,
Happy New Year! I love your blog and especially your style and advice! I wish I’d discovered you years ago before I went through my own sometimes painful journey to understanding design. Anyway, I think the best thing about timeless pieces is that you never grow tired of them! It’s like having a great wardrobe too. You can move, mix and match and always have a new look. I think you have to give yourself permission too to use things in an unusual way, to put something like a beautiful kitchen canister on the bathroom vanity.
I love your method of layering unmatched but coordinating dishes too and am always on the lookout for neutral accent dinnerware to mix with my Spode red toile and Lenox Butler’s Pantry for a casual look.
And I have been using your 30 minute cleaning routine for a few months now and it has really helped me keep a house that is always ready for drop by company! The best thing is having the bucket full of products to carry room to room, with a trash bag inside. That saves me a lot of steps!
Thanks for sharing your ideas and creativity!
Becky
BECKY!!!! You have made my day, sweet girl!!! Thanks so much for your very sage advice! I could not have said it any better. You are so so right! And I’m so glad that my 30 minute cleaning routine has helped you! For anyone else reading this here’s the HOW TO CLEAN YOUR HOME IN 30 MINUTES A DAY post: http://www.stonegableblog.com/clean-house-in-half-hour-a-day/
Love your decor! So inspiring, especially after the holiday decor started to look a little tired,,I wanted a fresh look …….your post is just the right fit, for my inspiration & showed me , which way to go.Thank you, for sharing, so enjoy your decor posts 🙂
Still a newbie to the blogosphere, please do drop by my blog,”stirringmyspicysoul.com” when you find time, would love to hear your thoughts 🙂
Very cute post today Maya!