Home Decorating: Tips for Traditional Style

Many people instantly think of traditional furniture as European in style - 18^th-Century English, 19^th-Century Neoclassic, French Country or British Colonial Revival. However, American traditional furniture has also developed through the years.

American traditional furniture has a uniquely American style with a timeless, elegant, yet casual appeal. American artisans have created many beautiful styles with enduring appeal, such as the clean lines of Shaker furniture, the simple structure of Mission style and many others.

No matter what your preference in the traditional types of furniture, there are many ways to blend great pieces together for your own unique traditional room design. Melding your design together with unique traditional pieces will immediately create an atmosphere with a tasteful, welcoming feeling.

Choose Quality Wood Furniture

Fine quality woods used to construct beautiful living room furniture in the traditional style include cherry, maple, mahogany, oak, pine, and walnut. The rich natural hues and grains of these woods result in stunning furniture that only becomes more beautiful with age.

In the traditional design you'll find lovely prints and soft textured upholstery to add to the beauty and comfort of each piece. With the traditional design, you'll have a room that invites everyone to sit and enjoy the comfortable haven you've created.

Select Various Textiles

Adding accessories that work with the traditional furniture designs will also enhance the ambiance you're looking for.

Soft sofas and loveseats, accessorized with pillows of beautiful textiles, rolled arms and slipcovers made from eye-catching floral patterns in subdued colors will also enhance the warm, inviting traditional look.

Accessorize with Period Pieces

Add a Queen Anne side table with a lovely Victorian lamp to create a warm ambiance. Area rugs can also complement your décor for additional warmth, whether you layer these over your carpet or your hardwood floors.

Modern Traditional Design

A current trend today is the combination of modern pieces with traditional pieces and has been dubbed Modern Traditional by some designers. This style is a wonderful way to use great traditional pieces and blend them into a more modern design.

You can create a thoroughly unique design all your own with this approach. A few tips to help you create this look might include:

Look for a unifying idea that will tie your design together - maybe a particular color or a fabric you can use on all upholstered pieces, both old and new.

If you have rustic pieces, try to balance with a more streamlined piece - something with clean, straight lines.

One designer suggests taking a picture of your room to get a better perspective of how your design really looks.

When you're mixing styles of furniture, be sure to spread them around your room for balance. Don't put all modern together and all older pieces together. Mix them up.

Be sure the older pieces you use are worthy of the attention they will receive in this type of setting.

Evaluate your space and decide whether you need to emphasize the modern or the traditional. If your space is more modern, add the older pieces, if your space is more traditional, add the modern for the dramatic effect.

Complete Your Design with the Right Flooring

Whether your lifestyle calls for hardwood floors or carpet, you can use either type of flooring to complement and enhance your traditional design.

With the vast number of options in carpet today, you can choose from the hand-crafted appearance of Berber for a warm graceful feel, or perhaps you'd prefer to go with an elegant plush carpet for extra luxuriance. There are so many options in colors, patterns, designs and materials; you'll be able to find the carpet that fits your budget and your sense of style.

If you prefer hardwood to complete your room décor, you can choose from many different types of woods in various finishes, widths and lengths to produce your own personal version of traditional elegance.

Create the Style That's Right for You

Regardless of whether you stick with a completely traditional look or you try your hand at mixing modern with the traditional, there are beautiful styles of high-quality furnishings and accessories available to help you create just the style that's right for you. Have fun and create a space that will make you happy and comfortable!