Yesterday, I talked about some bad design decisions from the past. But if you want to make sure you don’t fall for the fads and bad design decisions of the future, you need to have a good idea of what is central to good design. Here are a few ideas to help you make those decisions.
Image: Andreas Fischler / Flickr
1. Neutrals never go out of style. White and off-white are boring, but they are so inoffensive, they will last many design cycles. If you are decorating a room, make sure that the majority of the room is decorated in neutral such as white, cream, grey and flat blues.
It makes sense that these colours are neutral, because at varying times of day, they are the colour of the sky. Our eye is used to not paying attention to them, and they make a good background for your other decorating decisions.
2. Natural always lasts longer. Natural fabrics and materials like wood, stone, cork, cotton and linen are pretty timeless. Whereas many synthetics seem stuck in a particular time (like polyester and Bakelite), natural products always fit in. Sure, there are trends towards the futuristic and sci-fi, but even in that context, natural products can still look modern and up-to-date without looking dowdy.
3. Referencing the past helps you avoid the mistakes of the present. Shaker furniture has been in style for hundreds of years, and country looks barely change from year-to-year. Even more modern looks are pretty impervious to changing fashions. No one will look down on you for having Barcelona or Le Corbusier chairs (or their imitations). Just don’t get ironic. A collection of ironic bric-a-brac from the 60s and 70s is fine if you are a college student, but it isn’t a good design decision for adults.
4. Never go too far into trends. Whether its urban decay, new bohemianism or glam, the key thing you want to remember is to take one or two ideas from these looks to apply to your home. Design stores and shows encourage you to do high impact renos, but that’s because they don’t have to live with the results. Most designers have very blank or classic looks to their homes (think of all the fashion designers who only wear black). Most of your home should feature classic and understated design.
That doesn’t mean you should completely avoid design trends. It is a good idea to add a few pieces to freshen up the look of your home. After all, you don’t want to be bored by your home decor. But think of it as adding accents. Put a distressed mirror in your modernist living room, or add some animal motifs to your country dining room. The pieces will draw the visitor’s eye, and make the whole room seem new and updated without the expense. Even better, when you need to get rid of them, you can easily change up the rest of the look.
I hope this has been helpful!
Heleen Jacobsen
Broker of Record with InfoMarket Group GMAC Real Estate
www.infomarketgroup.com
No related posts found
