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Traditional home decor is having a big moment as we all lean into cozy, nostalgic vibes and feel-good decor in our spaces. Here are the seven things every traditional room needs to feel complete.
Traditional home decor is a style that I’ve always loved, but it’s definitely been gaining in popularity over the last little while. We’re all craving cozy, safe, feel-good spaces in our homes, and the nostalgic look of traditional decor brings that feeling to life. Not only is traditional style beautiful, it’s also timeless, sustainable, and inexpensive because it makes use of pieces that never really go out of style, so you’re buying and replacing fewer things over time. While adopting a traditional decoration style is truly a classic way to furnish your home, like other decorating styles, it can sometimes take a little finesse to get the balance just right. I thought I’d put together a little cheat sheet of sorts today with these seven things that every traditional room needs. If your space feels like something is missing, read through the list below for ideas!
Blue and White Ceramics
Pictured above: Umbrella Stand (similar) | Gold Arch Mirror | Kind Sir Canvas (use code CREEKLINEHOUSE for extra 5% off)| Rug
I always think every traditional room needs at least a little blue and white, whether it’s in an elevated Victorian country-house, a casual farmhouse, or a cozy cottage. Maybe it’s a lamp, maybe it’s just a little bowl on top of a stack of books on your shelf or console table. No matter how you include blue and white, it’s an extra layer that just feels right and makes your traditional space feel a little more personal and a little more elegant.
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Glass
Pictured above: Bookshelf lights | Doorknobs | Rug | Cabinet Hardware | Greyhound Print
Glass brings sparkle and shine to any space and really helps lighten a lot of the heavy furnishings and textures that make their way into traditional rooms. Glass can be used in so many ways, from a simple vase or cloche on the fireplace mantel, to glassware on a shelf, to glass furnishings like a glass-door cabinet or glass coffee table. If your room is feeling a little dark, heavy, or dingy, a little glass can go a long way.
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Baskets and Woven Textures
My love of baskets has been documented over and over again, which might be why I think they are essential in a space. Adding baskets to a space not only creates more storage, but it also adds so much texture and coziness instantly. I’ve always been fascinated by the magic that happens when you layer in baskets and other woven finishes in a space. If you don’t have room for actual baskets, consider using woven window shades in bamboo or jute, or furnishings like chairs, tables, and dressers in wicker, rattan, seagrass, and water hyacinth.
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Wood Furnishings
Pictured above: Chandelier | Lamp | Horse Print | Ginger Jars
You just can’t create a traditional space without the warmth, durability, and timeless appeal of wood furniture pieces. My preference is for antiques in darker wood tones, but lighter woods can work beautifully as well. Classic wood pieces will last you a lifetime and never really go out of style. They really help to anchor a space, and while you may switch out many of your other furniture pieces over the years, your wood pieces will become inviting staples that you build your rooms around over and over.
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Books
While books may not technically be decor items, they add so much to a space and bring that feeling of a sense of tradition to your traditional space. The collected look of books on a shelf, or stacked on a table really brings so much depth and character to a room design, and if you’re not much of a novel reader, collecting beautiful coffee table books, travel books, and books about art will bring so much richness to your home and your life. I can’t believe how many homes we visit that don’t seem to have a single book anywhere in sight. I’m especially surprised when it’s a home filled with beautiful custom-built-in shelves. Adding books to your space after you’ve covered the basics, like pillows and curtains, will bring not only style, but substance as well.
More inspiration for living with books: Bookshelf Wealth is the Trend That Needs to Not Be Just a Trend
Mixed Metals
Pictured Above: Green Cafe Curtains (use code CH12 for 20% off your entire order)| Super Affordable Sconces | Wicker Shades
Just like with wood tones, many people get a little confused when it comes to adding metals to a space in the form of lamps, tables, cabinetry hardware, light fixtures, and decorative accessories. The inclination is often to pick one metal tone, either brass, cool-tone metals, oil-rubbed bronze, or matte black, and stick with it. This might seem like the “safe” approach, but in reality, this will create a space that feels lifeless, plastic, and artificial. The look can be like you picked up a display from a big-box furniture showroom and placed it in your home. The best traditional spaces have layers of different metals, bringing depth and authenticity to a space, and making it feel like it has developed over time.
More ideas for how to decorate your home: 8 Home Decor Items That Show You’re Definitely an Old Soul
Lamp Lighting
As much as I love a beautiful pendant light fixture or chandelier, nothing cozies up interiors more quickly than adding a lamp. Using lamps to decorate around a room creates an instantly welcoming atmosphere, and gives you another opportunity to bring in a decorative touch by using lamps in interesting patterns, colors, and materials. Just like with most other things, it’s best to take a mix-and-match approach to the lamps around your space rather than having a matching set. A pair of matching lamps placed symmetrically on a console table or buffet can be striking, but avoid using a matching floor lamp and side table lamp as well.
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Do you decorate your home in a traditional style? What other essentials would you add to this list?
Courtenay Hartford is the author of creeklinehouse.com, a blog based on her adventures renovating a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada. On her blog, Courtenay shares interior design tips based on her own farmhouse and her work as founder and stylist of the interior photography firm Art & Spaces. She also writes about her farmhouse garden, plant-based recipes, family travel, and homekeeping best practices. Courtenay is the author of the book The Cleaning Ninja and has been featured in numerous magazines including Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, Real Simple, and Our Homes.