Designing and decorating the home of your dreams is always fun and exciting, but this can sometimes lead us into getting carried away. Furniture and home décor can be expensive and you don’t want to be kicking yourself 5 years down the line for spending hundreds of dollars on pieces that suddenly seem… yuck. It’s difficult not to fall victim to trends, be it in fashion or home design – but there are ways to feel trendy and up to date without running the risk of owning outdated pieces before you can blink. Here are some style tips for long-lasting style.
Buy Quality
When you’re talking about long-lasting, you have to consider that in a physical sense too. Saving money is something that’s important to a lot of us, but it’s important to remember that sometimes skimping will only lead to more expenses further down the line – something that could have been avoided by spending a little more on a quality piece of furniture. Opting for better quality staple pieces, like a performance fabric sofaand a sturdy wooden dining set will ensure you’ll have them for years to come.
Buy Simple and Neutral
These staple pieces, like sofas, coffee tables, dining tables and beds, are the major focal points of a room and can easily function as foundation pieces for your designs. Keeping these pieces simple and neutral will allow you to change up the décor and accessories to keep up with trends and seasons (if you so wish) without having to spend loads of money or have regrets about expensive purchases that don’t last. When your biggest and most important pieces are neutral, minimal and classy, you can take your decorating in almost any direction you could imagine.
Go For Wood
Wood is not a building material that has ever gone out of style – and we don’t foresee that happening in the near future either. You can choose between light or dark woods depending on your personal style and preferences, but good quality wooden pieces are likely to last you for years to come, both in terms of their lifespan and their place in your on-trend home.
Pick a Lasting Style
You might be into farmhouse right now, but is that still going to be something you’re into 20 years from now? Choosing your home design and décor based on a particular aesthetic can be a little dangerous if there’s a chance that your own preferences might change in the future – irrespective of trendiness. Going for styles that are likely to age better pairs well with the concept of buying simple designs and neutral colours. Minimalist, contemporary, traditional and modern are more likely to last the ages, and you can always add elements of other styles (like boho, country, or industrial) in decorative pieces that are more easily changed out.
Be Colour Wise
If you’re a person who changes their mind as often as they change their clothes, buying furniture in bold colours might not be the best move for you. Even if those colours seem to fit well with a neutral palette (like navy blue or emerald green armchairs), you might be better off buying scatter cushions, throws, vases or artworks in those colours instead. There’s nothing wrong with a pop of colour (in fact, it’s pretty important) but limiting that to pieces that are more easily changed or replaced is a smart way of incorporating colour trends and bringing life into your space. Nobody wants to be regretting an expensive pastel yellow sofa 3 years after buying it.
Keep it Natural
Wherever you can, opt for natural materials. Woven, wooden and cane furniture and décor is versatile and can be paired with so many different styles, meaning that it will definitely be able to last you throughout various trends and phases of your life. Natural pieces are also light and textural and can add something beautiful and interesting to an otherwise simple and neutral space. Think wicker baskets, wooden side tables and rattan mirrors – you can almost never go wrong.
The Takeaway
The most important thing to keep in mind when shopping for your home is to tread lightly when it comes to trends. Much like the clothing industry, fast fashion is fast for a reason – itsseason doesn’t last long. You don’t want to be spending your hard-earned money on a trendy sofa that won’t be cool anymore by the end of 2021, in the same way, you don’t want to be buying embroidered flare pants that your kids will make fun of you for wearing.