How to make sure your renovation isn't dated in five years

With so many interior design influences — and influencers — showcasing and promoting trends, it can be difficult to understand what is “so hot right now” may not still look great in 10 years.

Sydney interior designer Greg Natale says Pinterest, Instagram and television programs such as The Block are like a double-edged sword.

“On the good side, it makes people more design-savvy and opens up their eyes to realise design adds value,” he says. “But with everyone snapping pictures on their phones and copying and pasting designs they have seen, many have created messy, non-cohesive spaces.”

Many homeowners have renovation regrets from decorating with “of-the-moment” style only to discover it’s completely out of date five years later.

Outdated decor negatively affects the value of your property, as future buyers will factor in the cost of updating the home into their maximum purchase price.

November Gray from Divine Designs says it’s a good idea to ask yourself about your home’s style.

“Is your home’s design style mid-century retro? Skandi? Hamptons? Industrial? If your design style has a name, then you are at as much of a risk of renovation regret as those who have Tuscan provincial blue, yellow and terracotta tiles from 2003 or the dark-timbered Bali resort style so popular in 2007,” she says.

“Whenever the interior design is based more than 60 per cent on a current design style, it runs the risk of being passé pretty quickly. If you are 80 per cent locked into a current design style, then you are running an even higher risk of being ‘design dated’. If it is 100 per cent the design style of the moment, it will be 100 per cent dated in five years.”

How do you create timeless design?

“Avoid trying to be trendy,” says Coco Republic’s head of interior design Diana Ribarevski. “Instead, approach your renovation in a timeless way.”

“You should draw inspiration from the architectural style of your house initially. If you have a period home, for example, you will probably consider doing one of two things. You will either conform to the traditional style and carry that through your renovation, or you may choose to negate it and embrace a contemporary style instead.

“Whatever it is that you choose to do stylistically, ensure that the major elements are somewhat in a neutral style,” she says. “This doesn’t necessarily mean nondescript but rather impartial to a certain look.

“If you approach the nuts and bolts of the major building elements this way, you can easily make some stylistic tweaks along the way as well as safeguard against the renovation dating too quickly.

“For example, arches are really in currently, and before you go putting in a series of arched doors and windows throughout your home — not that there is anything wrong with arches — think about whether you may dislike arches in five or 10 years’ time.

“Ensure that the feature elements that you choose to adopt are ones that you will not get sick of after a while.”

Gray says good interior design is not about “bullish” adherence to a style, era or look. “The secret to timeless design is empathy. Are the design choices you are making empathetic to the style of the house? The suburb? The demographic? Are the choices for your renovation empathetic to you and your lifestyle?”

Natale agrees: “You have to make the space personal. If you stamp your own story on it, it won’t date. Treat your home as your muse and choose what is suitable for the era of the house.”

Gray says following the core ethos behind comfy-cosy design concepts like hygge and wabi-sabi result in timeless design.

“Great interior design is inviting. You want to feel, ‘I would love to curl up on that sofa and imbue that view’, ‘I can see myself snuggled up in that armchair reading books by the fireplace’, and ‘That master bedroom is my dream retreat’.”

You can achieve timeless style without it looking dull, Ribarevski says. “Consider layering your choice of materials. Choosing a material palette that works together yet adds interest, texture and warmth while also being practical will always result in a winning combination.

“No one wants to live in a cold, dreary home, so think about how you can warm it up with the right mix of materials. Consider the proportion of their use and their application as well. Do you want to have sprawling timber floors or would you rather introduce timber in some feature beams or decorative detailing instead?”

How to avoid renovating mistakes

Gray helps clients make timeless decor decisions by breaking every part of the renovation down into three parts:

Permanent: flooring, tiles, window frames, cabinetry.

Non-permanent: tapware, lighting, furniture, window furnishings.

Easily updated: rugs, art, cushions, accessories.

“Avoid making faddish, or on-trend, selections for your permanent items,” advises Gray. “These are unable to be changed or updated without major expense. This is the major cause of ‘that’s so 2017’-itis.

“Avoid being too safe or boring with the non-permanent and easily updated items. These items are not permanently affixed, so be bold! Be stylish! If the new buyers don’t like your pendant lights and dining chairs, it’s an easy fix.

“If interior design is not your area of expertise, get professional help. Experienced designers can help you get the most from your project so that you don’t fall into the trap of having the same look as everyone else who saw the same style at the furniture store.”

Trends to leave behind

Gray says we need to move on from these on-trend, at the time, relics:

Edison bulbs – “Great at your favourite cafe – but if you have ever tried to help the kids with math homework while the Edison ambience twitches your eyesight, you know they are absolutely awful at home.”

Feather seat cushions – “No one should have to race to fluff the sofa cushions before answering the doorbell. Looks great in the showroom – so comfy! – and then completely terrible in two years.”

All white everything – “Amazing in photos, terrible in real life. Life is too short to keep up the commitment required to clean this. Don’t be the homeowner who has to wear sunglasses in the kitchen at 7am.”

Chevron tiles – “There is going to be some serious renovation regret about the abundance of these in bathrooms across Australia.”

Minimalism – “This is fantastic in photos for magazines, but it’s an uncomfortable way to live. Most of the lust-worthy minimalist interior photos in glossy magazines can be credited to one room being set aside for all of the real-life stuff to be stashed.”