Decorating your older home can present some challenges. It is not about making an older home look ultra modern, but about preserving the past and respecting the history of the property. Older properties often have a character about them that cannot be reproduced in a newer home, and that should be cherished and any décor compliment it rather than try and hide it. Here are 7 things you should know before decorating your older home.
7 Things You Should Know About Decorating Your Older Home
Ceilings, Walls, and Trims
To make the most of these when decorating your older home, paint them all in the same color. However on the trims and doorframes use of gloss version of the paint. This will make them stand out without looking garish. On the door uses a gloss that is just a couple of shades darker. This will show them off to be the architectural standouts that they are.
Celebrate Your Stained Glass
If you are lucky enough to have some stained glass, look after it to keep it in good condition. Have simple pale walls around any stained glass. This will help show the colors more and make it more apparent. This is a great way to show off those windows when decorating your older home.
Photo by James Balensiefen on Unsplash
In Window Shades
Shades that sit inside the window recess, rather than ones that hang outside or drapes, will leave any window trims exposed. They deserve to be as they are an inherent part of the décor in older homes. Window trims like in older homes are not used anymore. That is a shame because they really can make the windows more appealing. However, if you are lucky enough to have them, show them off when decorating your older home. It is a great period statement too.
Furniture and Fixings
While you are making sure that everything about the structure of your older home is good and well looked after, you also need to be looking at furniture and fixings that will not look out of place. A good place to start is Eames Furniture, as they have many items that are perfect for decorating your older home. You can also find things in thrift shops and flea markets. But then you might need to do some restoration work yourself, or pay to have the furniture restored to its former glory. Both are great options if it is in your budget though.
Conceal Awkward Windows
Older homes often have windows in awkward places or of an awkward shape. You can conceal these if you want to by hanging some drapes over them. You may want them to be seen though. If that is the case, you have the drapes hanging anyway. However, keep them open.
If you don’t want them concealed at all, accent them by staining them. You can also paint them. This can add a nice accent when decorating your older home.
Mix Old And New
Never be afraid to mix furniture and fittings from different eras including modern items when decorating your older home. If you feel that a piece fits well into your home, no matter what era it is from, you should have it. It might not fit in with the history of the home, but it will help you keep in touch with everyday life. Just as things like a TV, and computers will have to fit in somewhere, so can any other modern pieces that catch your eye.
Room Zones
Older homes often have weird shaped rooms. You can help to make these more usable by splitting them into zones. Break a rectangle into two, perhaps having one half for reading and the other for dining. Use rugs to help define the different areas, and then you will have two spaces out of one room. All of these provide a few new ways of decorating your older home.
Older homes can be great to live in, and they can easily become a home you will never want to leave. have fun when decorating your older home. Enjoy showing off the details that you don’t see in modern houses anymore. Do you have an older home? Do you have other suggestions?
1 Comment