Americans update, redecorate or completely renovate a room, or the whole house, about every 10 years.
Kitchens and bathrooms are the most commonly renovated spaces, and yield the most return on money invested. Replacing the front door and adding a deck also have high return value.
Most homeowners do small remodeling projects in a space more often than 10 years. Usually, the projects involve trading in one trend for another, which has the effect of freshening up a space and making it current and lively. But it also dooms the room to fade out of fashion like last year's hemline. Follow decorating fads and you're on a track to refurnish, paint and select new accessories on an almost continuing basis.
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This traditionally styled guest bedroom won't go out of style and need updating anytime soon since all the furnishings (and the window seat) are both timeless and classic. No trends or fads here. (Staff photo by Rachel S. O'Hara)
Interior designer Terrance Leaser's University Park clients -- an active retired couple who prefer anonymity -- decided to go another route. They bought a two-story, 5,000-square-foot home that had Mediterranean revival elements on the exterior, as well some some of those features inside -- arched doorways, a fireplace flanked by twisted columns, and niches. The home was built in 2000.
The homeowners were happy with the neighborhood, the house and the size of the rooms, but they weren't interested in recreating some version of an Italian villa inside. They wanted a home that would be comfortable, welcoming, attractive, practical and in a style that would accommodate furnishings they were bringing from a former home.
Also, the husband wanted a pair of really comfortable recliners for the family room. The couple wanted a traditionally styled home that would take no notice of prevailing trends in decor.
"Recliner is the word that all designers dread to hear," said Terrance Leaser about his assignment to create a whole-house, traditional design scheme. "But I did find a trim pair of dark brown leather recliners, and they fit right in with the rest of the furniture and accessories. The house I helped them put together is traditional in style. That means it's timeless and classic -- not related to trends, but to creating a layered, collected look that doesn't belong to any time period."
Interior designer Terrance Leaser, who helped his clients achieve a timeless and classic look with traditional furniture and neutral colors. (Staff photo by Rachel S. O'Hara)
The couple brought their black baby grand piano into the scheme; the instrument was the inspiration for the black-and-white color scheme for the music room.
"Black and white always works," said the designer. "But, include an accent color. In this room, it's pale gold. I found a pair of classical black and gold chairs in a local consignment store that look just right, and then we added an area rug and occasional furniture in wood, iron and glass. It's a room that won't ever go out of style because it avoids trends."
The furniture is antique or heritage-looking English, French and American. The walls and upholstered furniture are in neutral colors of cream, sand, latte and mellow gold. Bolder color comes in through art work, toss pillows and accessories that can be changed easily should the homeowners want different colors to claim the spotlight.
"To add to the traditional feeling of the decor, we installed ceiling medallions for the chandeliers and fans, and we did ceiling treatments, such as coffered and cove features, which, along with the crown molding, make the rooms look polished and gracious," said Leaser. "Built-ins, niches and window seats add to the traditional style statement."
Leaser said that when you choose a traditional style of design, you're secure that it won't go out of style. It's safe from trends, but if homeowners want to go trendy with accessories or a particular room color, such alterations easily reversed or updated. Reliable ways to refresh a traditional style are to change the art work, bring in new lampshades or toss pillows. These are generally small and budget-friendly changes to a design style that endures through the decades.
