Traditional Rooms
Traditional Style
Cool, calm and collected, traditional style delivers a classic palette, polished aesthetic and casual elegance to the home.
What Is Traditional Style?
A traditional style of decorating can be thought of as tailored comfort. It favors the familiar – and avoids trends and the unexpected – with subtle curves, neutral colors and cozy materials. It can be dressed up with gold embellishing, intricate engravings and luxurious leather or velvet to deliver classic elegance, or stripped of accents and flourishes for casual sophistication. In either direction, matching pairs and a synchronized palette is essential to sealing in a traditional look.
Traditional Living Rooms
When styling a traditional living room, first decide on two main shades of neutrals you want for the overall look, and apply them to your three biggest pieces – the coffee table, sofa and rug (for a truly traditional style, at least two of the pieces should match in color). Then, consider design. For a traditional style that leans formal, go for details; claw feet, deep button tufting and an oriental pattern will add effortless luxury to a classic canvas. Conversely, a traditional style that leans casual will favor unembellished surfaces and designs to focus on comfortable textures. Whether elegant or casual, graceful roll arms, plush cushions, and a handsome fringe are hallmarks of the traditional style.
Traditional Dining Rooms
Nothing encompasses traditional style quite like matching sets, and nowhere is this easier to accomplish than in the dining room. Dining tables and chairs that feature the exact same material, color and silhouette bring a sophisticated uniformity; slat back chairs, pedestal legs and coordinated dinner plates seal in a traditional look.
One of the easiest ways to open up a space, balance texture and bring a touch of traditional class in the dining room is through a large rectangle area rug in an elegant pattern. Look for bold, detailed curves, like imperial trellis, in a rich hue, like emerald or navy, for timeless style with an antique flair.
Traditional Bedrooms
When arranging a traditional bedroom, uniformity is key. Keep colors within the same two or three shades of neutrals, and maintain an easy balance of soft lines, texture and material. For subtle contrasts, and to further the traditional ambience, look for ways to incorporate notes of luxurious detail: engraved wood, zinc doorknobs and a smooth glaze finish hint vintage elegance, and bring out the natural beauty of a subdued color palette.