Classic Interior Design Trends That Never Go Out of Style
How to stop chasing decorating fads by incorporating these classic interior design trends to create a home that never goes out of style.
How Timeless Interior Design Saves Time, Money, and Waste
The biggest pain point of decorating your living room or dining room in new trends of our modern time period is it can be time consuming, expensive, and wasteful. The biggest perk of timeless design almost takes on a minimalist approach.
A timeless home that carries a design philosophy of creating perfect balance among different eras keeps a sense of history while still making those different styles relevant today. Timeless interiors can last forever!
Maybe I can blame it on the fact that I’m in my mid-30s or that our current house makes me lean more traditionally, but for the past several years, my style slowly evolved into a more classic interior design style.
That’s probably because if I paint a room, I reeeeaaaally don’t want to paint it again in 2-3 years just because I followed a fad and the trends changed yet again. Boo no fun.
It’s kind of like those stilettos in my closet that look great for a night out, but if I’m being totally honest with myself, I’d much rather trek around town in comfy, pretty flats. (Yep… really thinking this is a mid-30s revelation here.)
How to Transition Your Decorating Style
I’ve mentioned before how I transitioned my decorating style from farmhouse to modern classic style. Don’t get me wrong; there’s absolutely nothing wrong with farmhouse style design choices. It just no longer felt right once we moved into a traditional colonial house.
Are you in the same boat, tired of chasing decorating trends? In this post, we’ll break down ways to help you achieve a timeless look in your own home.
How Long Do Trends Last?
Did you know trends in fashion and interior design have an average cycle of 10 years? That means after a decade, if you’ve heavily followed trends, your home decor is likely to be going out of style. Keeping up with trends is expensive!
Usually the more intricate or over-the-top the trend is, the faster it will fade out, while simpler trends have more staying power.
BUT choosing classic interior design trends is a way to get off the constant merry-go-round.
So if you’ve been thinking the same lately and want to decorate your home so that it never goes out of style, I hope these tips will help you as much as they’ve helped me.
Decorate smarter, not harder, right?
Timeless Interior Design Elements That Never Goes Out of Style
1. High Contrast
High contrast neutral color palettes are your friends! If you go for black and white hexagon tile, white walls and black doors, or a black and white wallpaper in your living spaces, you can pretty much bet that it’ll never go out of style.
We use Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron on most of our painted interior doors.
2. Plaid and Striped Fabrics
Fabric patterns come and go, but plaids and stripes are forever. The colors you choose for those fabrics could be trendy, but those simple geometric patterns themselves will always be in style rather than trendy prints. The same goes for choosing wallpaper.
3. Pinch Pleat Linen Curtains
Linen curtains go with absolutely everything! Linen in general is one of those natural fibers that always has staying power. Go for full length, puddled if you like a romantic look or hemmed to “kissing” the floor for a tailored look. Pinch pleats are a great way to add a luxe detail that will always stand the test of time.
These linen pinch pleat curtains are my absolute favorites. Here’s a less pricey alternative. Or make them for $20 each using this IKEA curtain hack.
Related: Best Luxury for Less Amazon Curtains, Rods & Window Shades
4. Marble
Use marble look tiles on floors or in showers, put a marble top on a dresser, opt for marble countertops or a marble-look quartzite island, or go really inexpensive by adhering marble contact paper on table tops. Even marble accent pieces like bookends and sculptures are a good choice in sticking with timeless interior design trends.
If you have real marble, but it needs a good cleaning, here’s how to remove stains. If you can’t decide between marble and marble look porcelain, here’s a guide to help.
5. Traditional Molding
Crown molding is very DIY-able and can add resale value to your house because it’s one feature that is always “in”. (Here’s one of the best ways to beef up your crown molding quickly if you already have it.)
If you want to make a room feel extra upscale but still timeless, add large picture frame molding to the walls too. Here are 8 more wall molding ideas too.
6. Gilded Mirrors
If you have a window on only one side of a room, a gilded mirror can help balance the natural light in the space and remain classic in style.
Antique mirrors don’t have to be pricey either. I’ve found most of ours at thrift stores and on eBay. (Here’s a trick we used to hang ours in a gallery wall.)
7. Vintage Furniture
It’s hard to go wrong with a solid wood vintage dresser or dining table. Even if you prefer modern decor, adding just one vintage piece can make a room feel layered and collected.
Plus, it just feels good to rescue something secondhand of excellent quality. Give furniture new life with this wood cleaning method. Here are ways to score vintage furniture on Facebook Marketplace.
8. Neutral Walls
Stick to whites and creams for wall colors to last you years without painting. Get colorful with accents and small textiles like pillows and throw blankets instead. (See a list of my favorite neutral paint colors here.)
9. Built In Shelves
Built ins help elevate a room, make a space feel bigger, and the concept has been around for centuries. Not to mention the storage space is pretty rad. Here’s how to make built in shelves using this IKEA bookcase hack.
10. White Bedding and Towels
They go with everything and they’re easy to bleach (or whiten using my favorite baking soda / vinegar method). Plus bedrooms with white sheets and bathrooms with white towels just feel fresh, clean, and calming. There’s a reason spas and hotels choose white linens. They’re timeless.
These are my absolute favorite budget-friendly bedding picks.
11. Navy Blue
It’s the number one color you can know for a fact will never go out of style. Navy blue is like wearing a comfy pair of blue jeans. It just goes with everything!
And like denim, even though you may style everything around it according to trends, the base of the ensemble will always be a classic. Here are some favorite designer recommended navy blue paint colors.
12. Jute Rugs
Jute rugs are like that chunky woven basket that just works no matter where you put it. Because they’re neutral and add great texture with natural fiber, they instantly add warmth to a room. Plus, they’re great for layering if you want to roll out a patterned vintage rug on top of it that might otherwise be a tad too small for the room.
Here’s more you should know before buying jute rugs.
13. Calming Color Palettes
Think of colors you’d normally find walking outside in nature – light blues, earthy greens, wispy grays.
There’s a reason we feel calm when we are surrounded by colors that mimic the sky, plants, and water. Our bodies are naturally programmed to respond to these colors this way. They will always be “in” for this reason. (These are some of my favorite blue gray paint colors and sage green paint colors.)
14. Blue and White Chinoiserie Ceramics
This one is a huge staple in traditional decor but one that’s also fun to mix into more modern styled rooms for a little juxtaposition. Chinoiserie ceramics date back to the 17th century, inspired by trade routes between Western Europe and China. It’s made an impact on interior design ever since.
15. Medium Brown Toned Hardwood Floors
If you want to refinish hardwood floors and choose a look that’s always on trend, go for brown hardwood floors that aren’t too light, aren’t too dark, and don’t have any major red, yellow, or blue undertones. Neutral medium brown forever and ever baby. Our hardwood floors are red oak stained in Minwax Provincial.
16. Clean Lines
The fewer curves, details, tufts, and complicated shapes you have in a piece of furniture, the more likely it is to remain in style. Simplistic furniture just has staying power.
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17. Subway Tiles
These had a big “trend” moment in Joanna Gaines’s early days when the concept of modern farmhouse style first hit the scene in the 2010s.
But despite their surge of popularity, you can always count on subway tiles to remain a classic in kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms, especially in a traditional brickset pattern.
18. Herringbone Pattern
For hardwood floors (or LVP) and tiles, laying them in a herringbone pattern is always a classic look. The concept of herringbone dates all the way back to the Roman Empire! So when in Rome… or at home… go for herringbone for a classic interior design.
19. Gilded Framed Paintings
They’ve been around for centuries for good reason, and they’re definitely here to stay for a long time.
The best part is you can score gilded framed paintings at estate sales, antique shops, and thrift stores for as little as $20-30. (Or just fake it with vintage art downloaded as printables and gild frames you already have using gold spray paint or gold Rub n Buff.)
20. Being Yourself
Okay, yeah, it’s corny. But THE most timeless decorating style ever is one that is uniquely YOU!
No trend could ever top you being your most authentic self. If some of these classic interior design trends don’t resonate with you, kick ’em to the curb.
Following trends isn’t a bad thing as long as you are following them because you genuinely love the look and not just a default because it’s what everyone else is doing. 😉
Have you noticed those 20 things in classic interior design before?
If it keeps me from spending way too much on trendy things that will fade out tomorrow and loving our home’s timeless style choices for much longer, then I’m allllllll for it.
Do you lean into timeless interior design? Or are you more a fan of sporting decorating trends? I’ll still never quit trends entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Generally, traditional style and mid-century modern are considered timeless, but especially understated traditional style spaces in a mostly neutral color palette. These are viewed as classic designs because they adapt well to evolving trends.
Neutral medium-toned oak with very little red, yellow, or blue undertones is considered the most timeless because it can blend well into a variety of interior design styles without skewing the color scheme in a room.
