How To Make Your Traditional Decorating Style Not So... Traditional

If you think traditional decorating styles are old and boring, you should think again! Traditional styles are often preferred by many individuals and feature wood grains, lovely patterns, and personalized touches. Choose window draperies as your window treatments and look to styles of furniture like Queen Ann, with lovely, soft lines.

Many people are drawn to a style of interior decorating that has its roots in historical traditions of design and decor. Decorating styles that fall under this category have a broad array of influences, ranging from eighteenth-century European castles to colonial American residences.

However, the growing popularity of contemporary and modern styles have exerted a significant influence on the development of traditional decor in recent years, and this has translated into a modified approach to traditional design that is more understated and less ornate than that which was common in traditional homes in past decades.

If you're worried that a traditionally decorated room will recall the stuffy, fussy feel of your grandmother's parlor, you can be reassured that today's traditional styles bear little relation to the traditional decor of yesteryear.

The aim of traditional decorating is creating a rich, sumptuous living environment through the use of layers of luxurious furniture, accessories, window treatments, and accents. The color palettes used in traditional decorating range from pastels to bold, regal jewel tones such as burgundy and hunter green.

Fabrics are often heavy and textured, and window treatments are typically structured, multi-layered draperies. Textured and/or printed wallpaper is another common hallmark of traditional decor, and walls are often highlighted with architectural details such as chair rails and various moldings.

The selection and placement of appropriate accessories, art, and accents comprise another key element of the traditional style. Typically, art and accessories on the wall of a traditional room are arranged in a more compact, condensed pattern than in other more contemporary styles.

Metallic tones are often central to the traditional look, and as such, paintings with traditional subject matter such as landscaped framed in gilt frames in baroque styles a common feature of traditional wall decor. Brass and gold-toned objects and accessories are another popular choice in this style.

Although contemporary decor trends have gained ground in recent years, traditional interiors remain popular. Even in an age when furniture and accents in virtually every style imaginable are readily available to shoppers, the enticement of a design tradition rooted firmly in the past continues to prove irresistible to many.