Old houses come with their own character and charm, and that’s exactly what we love about them. However when thinking about how to decorate an old house, you may find yourself coming across a few challenges. It can be more tricky maintaining the property’s unique charm, whilst creating a modern living space that feels fresh and hospitable. However, with a few simple tips and tricks it’s easy to create a dream living space that celebrates the quirks of an older home whilst making it perfect for modern life. These are just a few of our top tips for how to decorate an old house:
Repaint The Walls, Ceiling & Trim One Colour
One of the easiest ways to make a home feel light and inviting again is to give it a fresh lick of paint. That’s why, one of our top tips for how to decorate an old house is to repaint the walls, ceiling and trim one colour. Painting them all the same colour will provide a sense of uniformity, whilst hiding any imperfections. Some more dated homes can have beautiful trim work and so if you want to show this off then opt for a neutral paint colour.
Use Drapery To Cover Awkward Windows
One of the quirks that you’ll find in a lot of older properties is windows being placed in awkward positions. That’s why one of our top tips for how to decorate an old house is to cover any awkwardly placed windows with drapery. Using some beautiful drapery to cover these spaces is perfect for tidying up the look of the room without stopping any daylight from getting into the room.
Add Contemporary Furniture With Clean Lines
One of the common challenges that people face when thinking about how to decorate an old house is preventing the property from feeling stuffy or cluttered. So choosing a few pieces of modern furniture with clean lines will freshen up the space and make it more inviting. The Matte Oak and Serenity collections from IOL are perfect for this. Sleek, simple, and clean cut, these furniture pieces are the perfect complement to a rustic build.
Introduce Nature-Inspired Elements
If you’re struggling with how to decorate an old house, another one of the challenges you may be facing is how to make the space feel fresh, and prevent it from feeling dusky. Nothing lifts a room like nature which is why one of our ultimate tips for how to decorate an old house is to add fresh greenery, flowers and natural inspired decorations and art work. Our stunning collection of dried flowers make a beautifully rustic decoration, whilst breathing a natural element into the room.
Create Zones
Long and narrow spaces that lack practical capacity can be another common feature of old or period properties. What’s the solution to this? Zoning. This involves using furniture to break up a room and create zones. This enables you to make much more practical use out of the space. Coffee tables and dining benches are perfect for separating areas of a room, and creating individual zones.
Use Standalone Shelving
Another one of the best design recommendations for how to decorate an old house is to use standalone shelving. This provides you with a storage/display area without needing to damage the original architecture. Open and airy shelving units are perfect for creating a gallery-like look that is suited to the design of older buildings. They also don’t take up a huge amount of space, preventing the room from feeling cluttered.
Emphasise Period Features
Whilst we’ve been discussing how to decorate an old house, many of the tips we’ve mentioned have focussed on adding modern touches. However it’s just as important to emphasise period features. These are what give your home it’s unique charm. Highlight period features by decluttering and using lightning to shine on the unique elements of architecture.
Mix Traditional & Modern
Our final tip for how to decorate an old house is to be bold in embracing both the traditional and the modern. Don’t be afraid to mix modern pieces with vintage elements, rather than feeling like you need to stick to one particular style. This makes modern accessories such as TVs and computers look less out of place in the architecture.
For further inspiration on how to decorate an old house, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team at IOL.
