A home with contemporary decor exudes confidence and edge, but when it’s complemented with a classic style? Then you have a beautiful home that will be envied by your peers. Understanding the subtle tug-o-war of what can be toned down and what needs more prominent will come with experience. However, fortunately, everyone can develop “an eye”. So, start mood boarding and follow these style tips.
It’s all in the details
It always come down to details doesn’t in? Your favorite restaurant holds that title because of the friendly staff, and you always photograph your coffee when they have beautiful cups. Apply the same care to the details in your home and don’t accept average. Installing rich-coloured eyelet curtains will set the tone of your rooms, injecting a classic element while still offering contemporary block-out or light filtering. Artwork and ornaments is another way to achieve a nice harmony of classic and contemporary.
A timeless colour palette
Remember when neon was all the rage a few years back? A neon handbag – edgy. A neon coloured living room? Disaster! A timeless colour palette should be our only consideration, and we don’t just mean white. Some neutral tones include beige, grey, browns, and soft blues. Fortunately, these colours are both classic and contemporary. That being said, only you know your home and what works for an inner-city apartment might not be right for a coastal beach home.
Brighter tones like red, yellow, green and blue make it harder to compliment with furniture and decor. There are apps where you can photograph your home and drop in colours to see how they look, so make sure you do your research and pledge to love those same tones in 1, 5 and 10 years from now.
Less is always more
Is there anymore exciting than a blank canvas? Oh the possibilities and endless potential. New art here, personal treasures here, and Aunt Maggie’s vintage lounge suite by the window. And then just like that you have an eclectic an confusing mix of items that leaves your guests unsure where to look or sit. Less is more. This is classic style 101.
Any stylist or feng shui advocate will tell you that fewer items will make your space seem larger, lighter and will make the items you do have shine brighter as focal points. Determine your non-negotiables that must stay in the room, and everything else rehome or distribute evenly through the home. Classic style is only achievable without clutter.
Stay away from trends
That truly goes against our most human instinct; to fit in. We are all guilty of picking up a magazine or having a scroll on instagram and seeing something that influential people have, and feel that urge to replicate! Trends are not trends by accident, they look good and get the right attention. But that always wears off, and is no competition for classic style.
Mood board out your decor desires so that you are never in the position where you enter a store unsure of what you need, only to leave with everything but the trendy kitchen sink. Sticking to the classics will give your space longevity, and also shows your peers that you are above market trends and beat to a different, more classic, drum.
Breathe. Recentering and redesigning your home is a fun task! The challenge lies in finding the right balance that will make people ‘ooh’ over the classic fittings and finishes, and ‘ahh’ over the contemporary piece of art of eclectic design-led study nook. Finding that sweet spot is possible, and when you have it don’t let it go.