10 Decorating Tips For Older Homes
Interior design is not just about creating a house that looks new and up-to-date; it's also about preserving the past and respecting the character of an older house. If you have a house with a history and belongings that are personally significant to you, consider these suggestions that can help you repair and improve your house so it reflects the essence of its history while embellishing its settings and atmosphere.
1. Paint the walls, ceiling and trim one color to hide imperfections
As time goes on, you can grow fond of the moldings, trim, and door details of an older home. Such details build a specific, aged charm as you age with the house. Painting the walls, trimming, and ceiling one color, for starters, is a simple way to enhance the elegance of these architectural details. baseboard molding, frames, and doors are often painted with a relatively vibrant shade, such as dark charcoal, as a design element.
2. If your trimwork is in good shape, paint it a neutral contrasting shade
If your present trim is in fine condition and you want to really showcase it, using a neutral or contrasting color (such as a blue-green gray) will make it stand out, while using the same shade throughout your house contributes to a sense of consistency. If you use the same color for your ceiling, it helps to tie the look together, as well, for an impressive architectural feel.
3. Celebrate stained glass
If you want to highlight the existing decor, create a neutral or slightly contrasting color that functions as a complement to the existing trim, for example a blue-green gray. Using the same color on the ceiling helps to tie the whole image together as well, for a rich, architectural look.
4. Use in-window shades to keep vintage trim exposed
Window drapes, rather than in-window shades, are a wonderful option to frame vintage shutters. They also add a touch of contemporary flare that keeps the style up-to-date while staying true to the original aesthetic.
5. Use drapery to conceal awkward windows
Older homes have unique windows in peculiar spaces, but usually a full wall of dividers can delicately enhance the room's look without obscuring the windows and eradicating all light. Notice how the zone of the room feels comfy and refined despite the fact that the windows are really tall and slim.
6. Use airy shelving units
Open and airy tag rack res (shelving units) are a stylish way to provide extra storage and display space for collectibles, books and baskets of odds and ends, without intruding on the original architecture of your home or concealing built-ins or big bookcases. Also, they have the feel and style of gallery walls that fit older homes, but add contemporary touches.
7. Embrace simple contemporary furnishings
Generally speaking, clean and simple contemporary or modern furnishings are a good tool for incorporating a bit of modern life into a traditional home. Look for rich textures, clean lines and soft colors without resorting to ultramodern or feeling tied to stuffy traditional trappings.
8. Mix traditional and modern periods
Various items that give the impression they fit the period of the house (even if a modern historian may deny it) and some modern pieces aim to bind the bucolic feel of a house to everyday life. It also enables modern essentials like a TV, computer and couch to appear more familiar if some other accessories are more contemporary as well.
9. Add pieces that look as if they were weathered outdoors
You can also pick pieces that look like they belong in the garden, such as wood with a patina, woven baskets, linen, or antique house numbers. The organic atmosphere comfortably lends itself to a well-loved home.
10. Break unusual room layouts into zones
Old houses built on weird plots can have unique area layouts, and there can be long, slim areas that feel inaccessible. Divide a rectangle into multiple square sections for better ergonomics, using rugs to define spaces visually and open-sided furniture like armless chairs to connect multiple adjacent sitting areas.
