While trends can be fun and provide an opportunity to experiment, the elegance of classic home interiors remains unbeatable. With timeless interiors, the aim is to create spaces that are inviting, facilitate your lifestyle and taste, and are always in vogue while leaving space for change and growth. Our expert tips cover everything you need to know, from colour palettes and lighting to layout and furnishings.
1. Lay the foundation with the right floor plan
The layout of a room directly affects your use and perception of the space. In smaller homes and ones where social gatherings are the norm, an open plan layout for the social areas i.e. the living room, kitchen and dining area. Symmetrical layouts are always pleasing to the eye no matter the style. Achieve this by mirroring décor and balancing weight and proportion on either side.
2. Prioritise functionality
While not the most fun part, making enough room for storage, choosing long lasting furniture and materials, sustainability, energy efficiency are all various aspects that you need to consider. Investing in these aspects now can save you money and time down the line. To start with, choose materials with long warranties, opt for large windows and incorporate as many plants as possible.
3. Create a focal point
While you want people to look around a room and notice all the details, what makes any space stand out is a focal point. It could be an architectural feature of the room such as bay windows, exposed ceiling or brick walls. Alternatively, you can create one with displays like a gallery wall, furniture such as TV units, an indoor vertical garden and so on. Focal points give the eye a resting place and add directionality to the room since the furniture will be arranged around it. Keep it simple by having only one focal point in a room.
4. Avoid decorating a space in only one style
You want to avoid being tied down to a single style as that can easily look dated. But if you blend styles that span decades but have the same basic principles such as mid-century modern and Scandinavian or Japandi, the result will truly stand the test of time. Another way to add a contemporary touch to more traditional styles such as neoclassical is to introduce fresh and contemporary art pieces.
5. Incorporate trends strategically
Trends provide an avenue to experiment with your style and give your home a quick refresh. The perfect way to achieve a balance between a classic style and trends is to use the former for foundational elements such as sofas, bed frames, built-ins and colour palette. Incorporate trends as accents so that you can easily replace them. Some ways to do it are changing rugs, drapes, throws, using peel and stick wallpaper, etc. You can also easily swap out accent chairs, lighting fixtures and hardware like knobs and pulls.
6. Traditional colours, patterns and materials
A neutral colour palette works as the perfect base for home interiors in any style. You can enhance this classic by using natural materials such as wood, rattan, marble, terracotta, linen and silk. They add a lot of texture and depth to a space. Certain patterns such as florals, stipes, brocade will never truly go out of style. Whereas ones like graphic geometric and animal prints are cyclical trends.
How can Arrivae help you?
At Arrivae, we take a human centric approach to design, where YOUR needs, style and aesthetics are at the forefront of all the decisions. Our design experts provide options that are best suited to your lifestyle and reflect your personality. And this carries through every step of the process, from civil work and layouts to material selection and colours. So whether you’re looking to give your home a makeover or create your dream home from scratch, reach out today to get a free quote!