What makes a room nearly timeless? Well, good design of course. But you know that! So, let’s take it a step further with these
3 Elements: Authenticity, Functionality, & Relevance
We’re starting with Authenticity:
Have you noticed that some of the easiest people to be around are those who are very comfortable in their own skin? –Those people who aren’t working overtime to project an image of who they think they should be but those who “just are?” The same principle is true when making a house a home.
William Morris said, “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”
Rooms that seem to transcend time have very little to do with keeping up with the latest trends and more to do with what you love. Is your home full of what makes you smile? Hope? Feel comforted?
If we’d never met, but I was given a tour of your home (and let’s assume for this illustration that wasn’t weird!) could I distill a few characteristics of your personality, your heritage, or your aspirations? From photos to furniture, heirlooms to innovations, include elements that bring you delight–regardless of what’s in the latest Pottery Barn catalog. (No disrespect to Pottery Barn or any other housewares chain–they just shouldn’t be considered a manual or a check list.)
For future purchases, ask, “Would I have loved this last year?” (ie. before I saw it on Pintrest or so-and-so’s house– who always has the latest thing?) In time, your unique preferences–the ones that will transcend trends–will emerge.
For example, I am obsessed with textures. Worn wood, mottled mercury glass, an impossibly soft blanket–if an item offers a unique texture, I’m likely to enjoy it for many years to come, not just while it’s popular with others.
Likewise, some of my favorite homes to visit are those in which the owner has been true to his or her unique style. My friend who loves Early Americana with its distressed woods, heirloom quilts, and aged pottery, proudly expresses her love for this era in her furniture and decor choices. Though she updates and edits over the years, her house always seems designed well because it is true to who she is. Another friend loves mid-century furniture and decor–and has loved it LONG before it became trendy. Her home also bears a “non-stuffiness” about it that invites others to simply be who they are and enjoy that time together. So, remember:
Authenticity is beautiful–in life and design.
