Is There Actually Any Such Factor As Timeless Design?

I’ve been working within the studio this week, clearing out the room, packing issues up, and on the point of paint the ceiling, partitions, and flooring. It’s a giant job as a result of that room is giant, and it has collected lots of stuff! However yesterday, whereas purging and packing up the room, I got here throughout my stash of design magazines. There have been in all probability 300 of them, not less than. They usually dated means again to round 2005.

I didn’t take the time to have a look at them, as a result of I simply wished to get the room cleared out. I made a decision to do away with all of them. I imply, the probabilities of me taking a look at any of these magazines once more was slim to none.

However one caught my eye. I believe it’s a Higher Houses & Gardens particular publication. At first, I believed it was Elle Decor, but it surely’s not. And as you possibly can see, the duvet actually says “The Most Beautiful Rooms Ever”. That’s a fairly large declare!

I truly bear in mind shopping for this. I used to be in Barnes & Noble, and I noticed it, flipped by means of it, and was completely captivated by it. I believed that the declare made on the entrance cowl was 100% correct on the time.

So yesterday, once I got here throughout this once more, I used to be curious. Would these rooms stand as much as that label in the present day? Are these designs timeless? Or would these rooms look outdated in the present day? Is there even any such factor as timeless design? Let’s check out a couple of of them, as a result of I’m curious to know what you assume.

First, let me offer you some background and a few perspective. This particular publication is dated Fall/Winter 2006. So it’s about 16.5 years outdated. That was the yr earlier than I began this weblog. Fb was about 2.5 years outdated. Pinterest wouldn’t come into existence for one more two years, and we have been nonetheless 4 years away from Instagram. So social media was in its infancy. Myspace was the preferred social media web site. Fb was comparatively new. And the very first iPhone was nonetheless about six months away from being launched to the world.

So in that pre-social media, pre-iPhone world, when most of us have been nonetheless getting all of our design and adorning concepts from magazines and HGTV, right here’s a style of probably the most beautiful rooms ever.

I’ve to confess that it begins off robust with me. Whereas there are undoubtedly issues that I believe ought to be modified on this room, I don’t see it and instantly assume “outdated”.

At the least for me, I believe the wall shade remains to be very fairly and contemporary. The principle factor I’d need to change is the window therapies. See that swag factor (I forgot what these are referred to as) on the left window beneath? I bear in mind making a kind of for a shopper, and in 2006, my inside adorning enterprise was one yr outdated.

We simply don’t see many (or any) window therapies like these in the present day. Window therapies in the present day appear to have been far more simplified with window shades and/or easy curtains and material panels.

This subsequent one is fairly. If I walked into this room in the present day, I wouldn’t essentially assume it was outdated. It’s undoubtedly not my private model, and the colours appear too heavy and darkish for me, but it surely doesn’t appear outdated.

It is a wider view of that very same room. What I did discover about so most of the rooms on this journal is that the rooms appear to fall into two totally different classes for me. First, so a lot of them appear darkish and the furnishings appear very heavy and overdone. And second, those that don’t appear overdone appear very plain. You’ll see what I imply later. So these two classes appear to dominate.

However with that stated, there are various parts on this room that might look proper at residence in 2023 with only a few minor updates.

This subsequent one is an ideal instance of what I meant by darkish, heavy and overdone. I bear in mind this period nicely as a result of once more, that is once I had my inside adorning enterprise. And that is when nearly each new shopper I met with had considered one of two requests, and the preferred request was Texas Tuscan. My goodness, I got here to hate that time period. Texas Tuscan. And whereas this isn’t precisely what Texas Tuscan would appear to be, it nonetheless has that very same really feel to it.

In case you’re curious, the second most-requested look again then was Pottery Barn. I child you not. About 90% of my purchasers wished both (1) Texas Tuscan or (2) Pottery Barn. And that’s exactly why the joy about adorning for purchasers wore off fairly rapidly, and I solely did that for seven years earlier than dropping by the wayside and specializing in my weblog, the place I might escape from Pottery Barn and Texas Tuscan. And that’s in all probability why you’ve by no means seen me beautify my home with something from Pottery Barn. 😀

Anyway, shifting on. I bear in mind this kitchen nicely. This factor is etched in my thoughts, however solely as a result of I bear in mind seeing it in one other publication the place that they had edited the colour in order that it look pink. And I used to be mesmerized with that pink kitchen! I liked it a lot. After which once I noticed that it was truly purple, I used to be so disenchanted.

However that was in all probability one of many first colourful kitchens that basically caught my eye, and made me notice that I’d by no means be happy with a white kitchen. And I believe with some minor modifications (like taking the wall shade to a pleasant smooth white somewhat than taupe), that kitchen can be simply as nice in the present day because it was in 2006.

Right here’s one other kitchen. I don’t know if it is a case of this wanting outdated to me, or if it’s simply so reverse of my very own private model, however I’d personally must redo every part on this kitchen.

This little sitting room is fairly, however do folks nonetheless do these antiqued finishes on wooden work? I don’t actually see that anymore as of late. However do you see what I imply about darkish and heavy and overdone? Heck, even the rooms the place the partitions are a lightweight shade, they nonetheless really feel ark and heavy to me.

I do assume that this eating room may be very fairly. This specific model by no means appealed to me personally, but when I walked into this room in the present day, I’d assume the room was very nicely executed. Though if the home-owner requested my opinion, I would recommend refinishing not less than one of many darkish items of furnishings (in all probability the desk) to make it a extra pure shade to lighten the look a bit.

This lavatory may be very fairly, however once more, even with partitions which are seemingly mild, the room feels darkish and heavy.

Let’s simply say that after wanting by means of this journal, I can completely perceive why every part shifted to paint-it-all-white farmhouse design.

I’ve by no means been a paint-it-all-white farmhouse type of individual, however I’ll must admit that I believe so many of those rooms might slot in completely in 2023 with a can of white paint. Not that every part must be white, however some issues might undoubtedly stand to be lightened and brightened a bit.

The heavy curtains, animal prints, all the browns in every single place. I actually do really feel like the entire white farmhouse look was a pushback towards this type of adorning. I hadn’t realized it or understood it till flipping by means of this journal and remembering simply how common these appears have been again then.

The bed room beneath on the precise is an instance of the second class I discussed above — very plain. There’s nothing to this room, and positively nothing that appears “designed” about it to me. I don’t know that this could make the lower for many beautiful room in 2023.

This one was in all probability the most important shock to me. Not everybody in 2006 was doing the darkish, heavy, overdone rooms. Kelly Hoppen was considered one of my favourite designers throughout this time. I bear in mind being amazed at her trendy minimalist aesthetic. I’d sit in Barnes & Noble and take a look at her e book, finding out every part about her rooms and designs. So wanting again at this, I used to be shocked.

If somebody confirmed me that image with out her title connected, and requested me to guess when and what it was from, I’d have guessed that it was a Vern Yip Buying and selling Areas room.

After which we’re again to overdone. However once more, I truthfully can’t inform if I’d put this in to the “outdated” class, or if I’d simply put this into the “that is so not my model” class.

However this bed room beneath on the precise appears dated to me. I can’t assist however marvel what it might appear to be in the present day in the event that they eliminated the valance from the home windows and simply had the material panels, after which eliminated the cover from the mattress.

This eating room is certainly a 2006 eating room. I’ll go away it at that.

This little sitting space is likely one of the few photos that I believe appears timeless. I would swap out the lamps, however aside from that, I believe it’s actually fairly.

This bed room is one other one of many rooms that falls into the plain class for me. The room is ok, however I believe it’s means too plain to make the lower for “most beautiful room ever” in 2023. I believe we count on an entire lot extra creativity from rooms which are going to be bestowed with that label as of late.

I lend a hand of this room. The room is ok, however there’s no means it might be thought-about spectacular in the present day, a lot much less “most beautiful”.

And once more with this bed room. It’s superb. If I walked right into a home with this bed room in the present day, I’d assume it was good. However it’s not a “most beautiful” room by in the present day’s requirements.

I believe that for the reason that introduction of running a blog and social media, we’ve simply seen means too many individuals with means an excessive amount of creativity and out-of-the-box pondering that we’ve come to count on actually spectacular issues from any room that we’d deem “beautiful”.

We didn’t have all of that again in 2006, so the bar for “most beautiful” was comparatively low. As of late, we’re blown away by on a regular basis owners DIYing their very own properties and arising with a number of the most artistic concepts ever. The bar has been raised significantly simply because now we have a lot simpler entry to concepts.

However I’d love to return and see what 200d6 Kristi considered this room beneath. I can’t bear in mind. However 2023 Kristi thinks that this room is greatest left in 2006. 😀

Anyway, this was a enjoyable little stroll down reminiscence lane. I bear in mind poring over this journal a number of instances, finding out each little element of each room. I really was mesmerized with them.

However are any of them actually timeless? That’s the query. Might any of those room present up simply as they’re in Instagram in the present day and be thought-about present?

It looks like each single considered one of these rooms would want one thing tweaked or redone so as to be spectacular in 2023. Do you agree? Or do you see some that look actually timeless to you? I’ll go away you with a couple of extra with out commentary. You possibly can let me know what you assume. Is there actually any such factor as timeless design?

Addicted 2 Adorning is the place I share my DIY and adorning journey as I rework and beautify the 1948 fixer higher that my husband, Matt, and I purchased in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do bodily work, so I do nearly all of the work on the home on my own. You possibly can study extra about me right here.

I hope you’ll be a part of me on my DIY and adorning journey! If you wish to observe my initiatives and progress, you possibly can subscribe beneath and have every new publish delivered to your e-mail inbox. That means you’ll by no means miss a factor!