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<\/p>\nHaving spent the time and money to create a beautiful home, Donohoe Church says they also want to be sure that they are making the \u201cright\u201d choices.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom a design perspective, people are a bit nervous they are going to replicate that experience you have when you are a teenager and you\u2019ve gone through your goth period. It\u2019s only looking back you can see how dated it looks,\u201d she says. \u201cThey want to be careful not to make a mistake aesthetically.\u201d<\/p>\n
Put it in neutral<\/p>\n
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 \u201cgreige\u201d \u2013 a cool combination of beige and grey \u2013 we\u2019re being asked to embrace the new breed of neutrals, coming from a warmer base.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you were planning a whole house 10 years ago you would have been looking in the cooler part of the spectrum,\u201d Lucena Orr says. \u201cTimes do change.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Lucena Orr says the new \u201cclassics\u201d are warmer, Dulux Natural White and Snowy Mountains Half remain the most popular of the 125 or more whites in the range \u2013 and for good reason.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople 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,\u201d she says. \u201cThese two whites go with the cooler whites and warmer whites. They sit in the centre.\u201d<\/p>\n
But classic doesn\u2019t mean boring.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou still have to bring your personality out,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
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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<\/p>\n
Materials matter<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you look at history books or you visit old buildings in Europe where spaces are still intact, it\u2019s usually because they\u2019ve used natural materials,\u201d she says. \u201cIt is not something on trend or man-made materials. It\u2019s been around forever.\u201d<\/p>\n
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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.<\/p>\n
Indeed, Donohoe Church says natural materials are an ideal foundational base for any interior aspiring to a classic or timeless aesthetic.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey do the quiet heavy lifting, those honest, true materials, letting the spaces quietly unfold,\u201d she says. \u201cFrom there it\u2019s much easier to create something that has a sense of timelessness.\u201d<\/p>\n
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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<\/p>\n
Making your mark<\/p>\n
If it\u2019s all starting to sound like a bit of a yawn, take heart.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The beauty of this approach, Donohoe Church says, is that quiet spaces provide the perfect backdrop for a little drama.<\/p>\n
\u201cI imagine you can\u2019t write a sentence full of punctuation marks, and it\u2019s the same with interiors. It\u2019s about how things are stitched together,\u201d she says. \u201cIf you try to stick random things together, it falls flat. If we go back to the basics, it\u2019s using quiet materials in a beautiful way.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Alexandra Donohoe Church says clients often talk about timeless design but the key is getting the foundational materials right.Credit: Anson Smart<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe 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,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
In the end, a timeless interior is in the eye of the beholder.<\/p>\n
\u201cHere\u2019s the thing,\u201d says Donohoe Church. \u201cTrends change and transmute all the time. I could not look someone in the eye and say they will love [their home] in 15 years\u2019 time. That\u2019s creating a false sense of security \u2013 and it\u2019s a bit of a dream.\u201d<\/p>\n
Only time will tell.<\/p>\n