Having spent the time and money to create a beautiful home, Donohoe Church says they also want to be sure that they are making the “right” choices.
“From a design perspective, people are a bit nervous they are going to replicate that experience you have when you are a teenager and you’ve gone through your goth period. It’s only looking back you can see how dated it looks,” she says. “They want to be careful not to make a mistake aesthetically.”
Put it in neutral
Any discussion around timeless or classic colour schemes will inevitably involve selecting a neutral colour palette. The trouble is, says colour expert at Dulux Andrea Lucena Orr, definitions of neutrals can change over time. After spending most of the past 15 or so years painting our walls inside and out in various versions of “greige” – a cool combination of beige and grey – we’re being asked to embrace the new breed of neutrals, coming from a warmer base.
“If you were planning a whole house 10 years ago you would have been looking in the cooler part of the spectrum,” Lucena Orr says. “Times do change.”
While Lucena Orr says the new “classics” are warmer, Dulux Natural White and Snowy Mountains Half remain the most popular of the 125 or more whites in the range – and for good reason.
“People do want timeless design, so especially when they are doing a whole house, they tend to go for classic design in the white or neutral category,” she says. “These two whites go with the cooler whites and warmer whites. They sit in the centre.”
But classic doesn’t mean boring.
“You still have to bring your personality out,” she says.
The foundations of this room designed by Kate Nixon Studio is a classic mix of timber and a neutral colour palette enriched with layers of fabrics and textured floorcoverings.Credit: Maree Homer
Materials matter
For those struggling to get a grip on how to manifest timeless design, interior designer Kate Nixon says you need look no further than the past. There, she says, the common factor is natural materials.
“When you look at history books or you visit old buildings in Europe where spaces are still intact, it’s usually because they’ve used natural materials,” she says. “It is not something on trend or man-made materials. It’s been around forever.”
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Materials such as timber and stone that age well will never date, she says, but develop a more aesthetically pleasing patina with time.
Indeed, Donohoe Church says natural materials are an ideal foundational base for any interior aspiring to a classic or timeless aesthetic.
“They do the quiet heavy lifting, those honest, true materials, letting the spaces quietly unfold,” she says. “From there it’s much easier to create something that has a sense of timelessness.”
Classic does not always mean neutral. Artwork picks up on deep crimson velvet curtains in this room painted in Dulux Clouded Sky. Styling by Bree Banfield Credit: Lisa Cohen
Making your mark
If it’s all starting to sound like a bit of a yawn, take heart.
Well-executed timeless design is not boring. The key is to keep the base materials classic and then play around with the details to add depth and personality. Even in a restrained neutral palette, textured materials such as floor coverings, fabrics and window treatments can be used to create a sense of luxury, comfort or detail.
The beauty of this approach, Donohoe Church says, is that quiet spaces provide the perfect backdrop for a little drama.
“I imagine you can’t write a sentence full of punctuation marks, and it’s the same with interiors. It’s about how things are stitched together,” she says. “If you try to stick random things together, it falls flat. If we go back to the basics, it’s using quiet materials in a beautiful way.”
Alexandra Donohoe Church says clients often talk about timeless design but the key is getting the foundational materials right.Credit: Anson Smart
Artwork and accessories that can be moved around are an ideal way to refresh rooms while maintaining a timeless but cohesive look, says Nixon, without the cost.
“We will play with smaller details like paint, cushions and fabrics because they are much less expensive to change up easily than say, floors, and benchtops and tiles,” she says.
In the end, a timeless interior is in the eye of the beholder.
“Here’s the thing,” says Donohoe Church. “Trends change and transmute all the time. I could not look someone in the eye and say they will love [their home] in 15 years’ time. That’s creating a false sense of security – and it’s a bit of a dream.”
Only time will tell.
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