When updating or remodeling your home, you face many small decisions that contribute to the overall look and feel of your space. Striking the right balance between modern and classic designs can seem tricky, but it doesn’t have to be. By following a few helpful guidelines and trusting your own design preferences, finding that balance can be easier (and more fun) than you might think.
So when should you choose a more traditional design, and when should you opt to follow the trends?
Invest in Timeless, Durable Materials
While you can always paint over a trendy wall color or replace a few rugs and curtains, you probably want to avoid having to remodel your entire kitchen every few years because your cabinets and countertops have gone out of style.
That’s why it’s important to invest in high-quality, elegant, and durable materials. Whether you’re refinishing hardwood floors, choosing tiles for your shower during a bathroom remodel, or deciding on a material for your kitchen counters, it’s a good idea to choose designs that will last and look beautiful for many years to come.
Sticking to the classics when choosing materials gives you the freedom to experiment and follow trends when it comes to cheaper, more easily replaceable design elements.
Here are a few examples of home design choices that just never go out of style:
- Hardwood floors and other natural wood elements
- Fireplaces
- White kitchens
- Built-in shelving
- Marble countertops, floors, and tiles
- Clawfoot tubs
- Stainless steel
- Clean lines
When to Follow Trends
The key to following home design trends without going overboard is to experiment with accents and finishes, while sticking to the classics when it comes to your big-ticket items.
For example, if you choose hardwood floors, white cabinets, and marble countertops, your kitchen will still maintain an air of enduring sophistication while you experiment with a trendy wallpaper pattern or paint color and trendy light fixtures, wall art, floor mats, and decor items.
Home design trends can be a lot of fun, but if timelessness is your goal, you may want to incorporate trends in smaller, more subtle ways. For example, if you absolutely love a particular trendy pattern, you may not want to buy an entire furniture set in that pattern, but integrate it into your space with accent cushions or an area rug.
Here are a few fun ways to incorporate design trends, while maintaining the right balance between classic and modern:
- Incorporate texture with replaceable pieces to contrast smooth, clean lines.
- Experiment with photo frames, vases, lamps, cushions, and trinkets.
- Patterns are a great way to add dimension and integrate trends with timeless materials.
- Choose a couple of unique vintage pieces to add personality.
Trust Your Instincts
Above all, remember that your home is yours. Trust your tastes and preferences when making decisions. The classics may be the classics, and trends may come and go, but it’s important that your home be a place that you love and enjoy spending time.
No matter how timeless or trendy your home is, you want your furniture to be comfortable and your kitchen and bathroom spaces to be functional.
It’s a good idea to keep comfort and practicality in mind as you consider designs, materials, and trends. For example, you may love the way those metal chairs look around a kitchen table, but will you be comfortable sitting in them every day? Remember to ask yourself these kinds of questions, and trust yourself and your preferences.
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Do you have questions about the balance between timeless and trendy home design?
At L. Evans Design Group, we understand the importance of timeless elegance as well as how to incorporate the latest trends into your project. We can answer your questions and help you strike the right balance between modern trends and classic materials and designs. With our expertise and your unique vision, we can’t wait to help you design and build the space of your dreams!
Give us a call at (971) 404-1241 or contact us online to set up your project consultation.
