No Comments »

Design Dilemma: Keeping Your Home Young

• Tweet

• Tweet

Does your home decor feel “old”? Are you stuck in a classic style you’ve clung to for years because you’re insecure about dabbling in anything new?

It’s often not too hard to figure out the age of a homeowner just by taking stock of a home’s interior. Old homes often feel cluttered and stuck in time. It’s evident that the occupants settled on a style they liked 30 years ago, and never diverged from it. Often, there’s a feeling of claustrophia, simply because things seem so… set. Or, on the other hand, there’s a definite lack of excitement. You get the feeling that things stopped being fun a long time ago.

Well, we maintain that it’s possible to keep your home youthful, just as it’s possible to keep yourself youthful. All it takes is a little will. If you are one who feels that your environment can directly influence your behavior, then you’ll want to keep your home feeling vibrant and alive, no matter how old you get.

1) Try new things. Yes, you know that you love Southwestern decor, or shabby chic or mid-century Modern. But nothing gets stale faster than a home that rigorously toes the line on a certain decor style. If you want a more interesting home, go for one that is a little more eclectic. Mix in new looks every now and then. Try switching out rugs, accent pillows, artwork, for something that’s a little offbeat. Mix in new colors. And if you don’t want to spend the money try, swapping some of your pieces with a willing friend looking to freshen up their home decor too. What we love about the interior below, is it’s simple, eclectic feel. It mixes a variety of colors of the same Eames chair with muted mauve walls.

Below, an Australian bachelor pad exudes that youthful feeling, simply by virtue of the unexpected use of bold patterned wall paper and colorful patterned rugs.

2) Get trendy. Young people love trends. Okay, so it’s possible to go too far with this, but it’s also true that indulging in moderation can be fun and refreshing. Check out design magazines to see what’s new and incorporate a few of the less expensive elements in your home. Try a trendy throw pillow, for example, or maybe a fun paint color, just to get the energy flowing again. In fact, a vibrant, unexpected paint job is one of the best ways to inject a bit of youthful verve into your home. Take the apple green stairs below, for example.

3) Pare down. One tell-tale sign of aesthetic-sclerosis is letting clutter and objects build up, without ever taking the time to reconsider their use in your home. A young person’s home is usually not cluttered, just because they haven’t had the time or money to collect an overabundance of objects. Take this same strategy to heart by holding regular yard sales or giving away items you no longer need or want. And for the items that you feel that you do need, ask yourself if you need so many. It’s possible you can make due with far less, which will give your home a feeling of youthful lightness. Another corollary to this is losing the massive pieces of furniture that can overtake a room and which are hard to move anyway. Since young people are on the go, they often avoid oversized pieces that won’t get through the doorway of their next home.

4) Socialize often. Young people are always entertaining. If you want to give your home that youthful feel, throw plenty of get-togethers with family and friends. Doing so often will force you to rethink design elements so that you can entertain often and well. And that will definitely keep your home feeling young.

5) Don’t take yourself too seriously. Your home is your refuge, but it shouldn’t necessarily be a deadly serious one. Have fun with color, pattern and style choices. Experiment. Think like a young person, if you get something wrong, you can always change it.

6) Don’t stop caring. One hallmark of the young is that they tend to spend a lot more time on appearance than seniors do. When you stop trying to look good (or make your home look good) then that spells the beginning of the end. So don’t give up on your home Pay a little attention to your home and your home will give back in spades!