10 Design Decisions I Don’t Regret

Never miss out on these 10 structure possibilities that last further than the trends, plus 4 ideas to embrace when creating your very own design and style choices!

Today’s put up is a small unique (sometimes, different is good, proper?!). Instead of a tutorial or a job or a expose or even decorating guidelines, I required to share a bit about design longevity. So generally the push to go with the trends is powerful… And whilst I get pleasure from updating items alongside the way, style choices that past are surely my choice.

Extra than that, design and style and decorating must be for you and your household, not to make sure you other people. So currently, I thought it would be entertaining to share 10 design selections (that may not have been well-liked with everyone who noticed them on the world-wide-web 😉) that I really don’t regret… even decades and decades later.

Favourite Layout Selections (a long time later!)

1 – Marble Counter tops

We opted for serious Carrara marble counter tops in our kitchen area and several bogs. Do the etch? Certainly. Have they scratched and chipped some? Indeed. Have they stained? Not at all. Would I do it once again? In a heartbeat. They have been less expensive than most quartz options and have a motion and natural beauty that person-produced resources simply just are not able to match.

Go through a lot more about our marble countertop alternative listed here.

2 – Painted Kitchen Cabinets

Talking of our kitchen… Developments (like painted vs stained cupboards) arrive and go, and whilst I appreciate stained wooden cupboards, also, I’m so happy we painted these cabinets 6 decades ago and have in no way the moment regretted the final decision. If your cabinetry is a wooden species or stain color you don’t like, painting the cupboards is a excellent facelift possibility.

Read far more about refacing kitchen cupboards right here.

3 – Painted Brick Exterior

About 10 several years ago, we painted the outdoors of our 75 yr old residence a medium-toned grey. The brick was stained and not my most loved coloration, and the fresh new paint breathed new lifestyle into the residence. We really really don’t dwell there any more, but I was lately driving via our outdated neighborhood and noticed the property, and it is however attractive!

4 – Light-weight, Neutral Paint Colors

This is a great instance of traits that arrive and go, and I recognize that right now daring, saturated hues are popular… but I’ve discovered that light-weight shades carry me extra psychological area and creativeness. And picking out light-weight, neutral hues (in particular for huge spaces like two-tale entryways) can be a price tag-successful alternative that lets versatility in fashion.

We put Agreeable Grey in our dwelling seven a long time ago, and I still enjoy it now! It is a stunning mix of heat/cool tones, also, which is an additional bonus.

Examine far more about Agreeable Grey listed here.

5 – Not White Grout

I have hardly ever regretted not employing white grout. Even although white grout can be stunning, I basically simply cannot preserve it seeking clear and new. Light-weight gray grout is my not-so mystery alternative to maintaining tile hunting lovely for a long time.

Read through all about my favored heat and great possibilities for grout colours right here.

6 – (Engineered) Wood Floors

My spouse and I grew up in old residences. They weren’t particularly extravagant, but they did all have genuine hardwood flooring. When we moved into our 1990’s residence seven decades back, I knew I required to exchange the tile and carpet combo that it experienced, but stable floating hardwoods would have been vastly high priced and complex to put in over the slab foundation.

We opted for engineered hardwoods (which are in essence a true wooden layer around a plywood foundation and can be laid on a slab), and we beloved them so significantly that we used the very same ones (in a distinctive coloration) at our ranch household (as observed earlier mentioned) a several many years later on.

Read through all about our favored engineered hardwood floors right here.

7 – (Some) Painted Furniture

Even with my love of actual wood flooring, I really like a blend of wooden and painted furnishings. Really do not misunderstand me: there are absolutely some pieces (like this 1) I would instead not protect up with paint!

But for parts that are badly damaged or a wooden coloration I really do not adore, paint is a attractive resolution to bringing new existence to a perfectly-built previous piece of household furniture. I have been portray home furniture due to the fact I was in substantial college, and I’m nevertheless performing it right now!

See my ways for portray wood home furniture below.

8 – A Bed in entrance of a Window

Furniture placement may perhaps look out of location on this list of important style and design decisions, but I required to open the discussion to extra than renovation products. The truth is, we experimented with to match our outdated home furniture (which include a tall 4-poster mattress) from our very last final property into our learn when we moved 7 a long time ago… and it basically wasn’t proper for that place.

The format of our learn in this home felt SO Significantly better with the bed on the wall with the home windows, which meant transforming out our large 4 poster for something that permitted gentle as a result of the headboard. We designed the adjust just about 5 decades ago, and I’m so glad we did!

9 – Wooden Wall Treatment options

I enjoy molding and trim work and comprehensive wall treatment plans they include elegance to a place and make improvements to house price devoid of introducing “stuff” to your lifestyle. This molding we did on our fireplace renovation is my beloved, but I appreciate all the wall therapies we have done in excess of the decades.

See some of my preferred (Do-it-yourself-able) wooden wall treatment solutions in this article.

10 – Marble Toilet Tile

The considerations about marble countertops were echoed by numerous when I chose marble floor and wall tiles in our bathrooms. But extra than 10 yrs after initial making use of marble in a bathroom, I proceed to opt for it yet again and again.

See extra about marble in bogs listed here.

Creating Style Selections that Previous

While I’m a agency believer that layout is a particular option (houses must be as distinctive as the men and women who stay in them!), I uncovered a number of typical takeaways in reflection:

1 – Go for timeless, all-natural resources

Lesson discovered from: marble countertops, wooden floors, marble bogs

I know budget is often a consideration, but normal components like marble and wooden that have been applied for centuries (hello, Rome!) are generally a superior preference.

2 – Locate your content neutral

Lesson discovered from: light-weight, neutral paint hues and not-white grout

Interesting shades had been all the rage 8 decades back, although heat types are creeping in now… But I know my favourite neutral is appropriate in the middle. I like heat grey partitions and heat grey grout. Each are uncomplicated to clean up and go with just about anything. Your joyful neutral could be distinct than mine, but when you obtain it, don’t second guess you centered on developments.

3 – Preserve very good bones, but don’t be concerned to reface them

Lesson figured out from: painted brick exterior, painted cupboards, painted home furnishings

As every single grandpa everywhere enjoys to say, “The just really don’t make them like they employed to.” Additionally, restoring one thing is usually more eco and economically friendly. 😉 If you would like a little something better with a refreshing look (irrespective of whether it’s a brick exterior or an antique dresser), do it! If can repaint, refinish, or restore one thing instead than starting from scratch, really don’t be worried to go for it.

4 – Embrace the space you have

Lesson uncovered from: wood wall solutions and beds in front of home windows

It can be easy to see attractive interiors and want to replicate that in your household. When which is surely not a lousy thing, I imagine it’s beneficial to bear in mind that each house is special. I like formal, elegant molding, but it would in no way go properly in our ranch home. I beloved our old bedroom home furniture, but it created our present master bed room really feel tiny and cramped. Understanding to see and embrace your space – and then make it stunning – can make all the variation.

I’d adore to know: what are some style decisions you are grateful you made?