A traditionally decorated home combines refined furnishings with elegant lighting, inviting color combinations, and classic patterns for a dignified, familiar feel. The three key components of traditional design are comfort, symmetry, and ornate detail. A traditional home is expertly curated, from the pieces you choose to where you place them, yet this timeless look is easy to achieve.

Traditional Basics

• Room layouts and plush seating that encourage conversation and lingering.
• Pairs (from chairs and lamps to architectural details) that create balance.
• Warm wood tones mixed with saturated hues on a backdrop of neutrals.
• Quality-crafted furniture featuring curved legs, rolled arms, and intricate detailing.

Traditional Color Palette

A traditional color palette starts with neutrals as a base: cream, beige, tan, brown. Wood tones factor into traditional design in a big way; mahogany, cherry, and walnut are common finishes.

Deep, saturated hues – burgundy, saffron, emerald, or navy blue – help create a rich, elevated feel. However, modern iterations of traditional design feature paler shades for a fresh twist. Metal details on lighting and furniture are usually brass, which lend a touch of luxe gold to traditional spaces.

Traditional Patterns

A traditional room is filled with eye-catching layers of intricate and colorful patterns, from window treatments to area rugs. Common patterns include toile, floral, stripes, plaids, paisley, and damask. These motifs are layered together, in varying sizes, to enhance the elevated look and feel of traditional design.

If a textile is not patterned, it's likely embroidered or embellished in some way. Whether it's a personal monogram, detailed edging, sleek piping, or a whimsy of fringe and tassels, there's always another detail. This emphasis on quality and craftsmanship sets traditional design apart.

Traditional Furniture & Decor

The details set traditional design apart – nothing is an afterthought. Luxurious floor-to-ceiling curtains (with panels or pleats) adorn windows, ornate Oriental rugs ground the rooms, walls display elegant mirrors and paintings, and shelves are carefully arranged with collections of antique vases, china, globes, plants, and figurines. Crystal chandeliers add sparkle and lightness to traditional rooms often saturated in deep color.

Symmetry in shape, lines, furniture arrangement, and decor (such as twin tables and lamps) are telltale signs of traditional design. Well-crafted details, like curved or carved legs, adorn accent tables, while elegant elements, like tufting, nailhead trim, and skirting, lend opulence to chairs and sofas. Seating in traditional living rooms is often arranged around a table or ottoman to encourage conversation, rather than facing a focal point.

Traditional decor often has global ties. As the wealthy class would bring souvenirs back from their travels, these pieces worked their way into the fabric of traditional decor, from blue and white chinoiserie vases and urns to painted Japanese screens.

Traditional Architecture

From immaculate hardwood floors to ornate coffered ceilings and every wall in between (crown molding, exposed beams, wainscoting!), intricate millwork is a style standard. Traditional homes often feature stunning built-in cabinetry throughout – in libraries, dining rooms, and bathrooms – not just in the kitchen. Attention to detail and exquisite handcrafted materials allow the lavishness of traditional style to shine through.

If your home doesn't have these features, use vintage frames, ceiling medallions, or furniture with curved lines and carved details to make a traditional statement. Use wallpaper, a classic traditional-style wall covering, for an elegant feel.

Traditional Style Tips

• Start small with a wingback chair or elegant throw pillows and work your way up.
• To keep the look fresh, opt for traditional silhouettes upholstered in modern or geometric patterns.
• Incorporate family heirlooms (hope chests, grandfather clocks, framed photos) for an authentic, unique touch.
• Match your metals and woods. While current style is all about mixing metallics and wood tones, traditional style requires consistency.