Timeless Design & Creative Authenticity

I was asked recently about what lies at the intersection of timelessness and authenticity for a home that reflects personal values and aesthetic. What a topic to deconstruct! I guess it’s one thing to develop an eye to recognize timeless design and authenticity in grand published projects with high end budgets and a professional team at work. But it’s quite another to create something set apart when there are realistic limits. Let’s dig in, and along the way, enjoy these images around my house just snapped in early summer.

Hello Lovely's French country courtyard is a secret garden hedged with stone fireplace surround and vintage dining set on pea gravel.

At the Intersection of Timeless Design and Authenticity

HOW DO SPACES SHAPE EMOTIONS & MEMORIES?

To create a space reflective of: YOU, your lifestyle, and the particular mood you’re after, you simply must first know yourself well. I have spent nearly 60 years getting to know me; thus, I will use myself as an example.

Hello Lovely's French country courtyard is a secret garden hedged with stone fireplace surround and stenciled mirror inside, vintage dining set on pea gravel.

I’m sensitive, artistic, intelligent, passionate, creative, and mostly introverted. I’m a 4 on the Enneagram, a trained psychotherapist curious about human behavior, and a contemplative spiritual seeker who loves slow living. I am the type of homebody who needs a ton of natural light and trees or mountains nearby. Along with creating things (whether it is baking sourdough or writing a poem), trees and birdsong are antidotes to anxiety.

Hello Lovely's red brick house facade and garden bed with lilacs in bloom.

I have the sort of nervous system and spirit where I absorb subtle energies around me whether inside and out. I have lived with tree mural wallpaper in my homes here in the Midwest for many years to set a calm tone. If it’s calm you’re after for your interiors, discover what motif, pattern, or element quiets the noise for you.

Color Stories That Set the Tone

We’re a diverse universe of humans. Thank God we’re diverse! We need all types. Does a particular color evoke optimism for you? There’s a whole psychology of color theory to get geeky about such matters if you’re unsure. When you are well-acquainted with yourself, you’ll also learn what depletes or repels you.

Hello Lovely's bedroom with coastal beadboard furniture, vintage chandelier and greige walls painted Sherwin-Williams Agreeable Gray.

My love of minimalism in the bedroom could be all wrong for you, yet I need all the tranquility I can get. The past matters too. If you grew up in an unhappy home where there was a particular wallpaper, maybe certain florals, colors, or patterns dampen your spirit. Timeless rooms often begin with understated, solid color upholstery for furniture that will not seem dated in years to come.

Pale neutrals are a lovely place to start if tranquil and understated are the goal. That said, classic patterns (damask, gingham, stripes, etc.) in upholstery, accents, and wallcoverings may be more you and may become powerful backdrops for the memories you’re making.

Hello Lovely's bedroom with turret sitting room, vintage chandelier and greige walls painted Sherwin-Williams Agreeable Gray.

What Contributes to a Restful Mood?

Architecture and design affect rest in subtle and even not so subtle ways. Our current primary bedroom is kind of an architectural nightmare that is an ongoing work in progress (like me!).

Work in a Spirit of Tendnerness

Psst. Try to be patient with imperfect rooms and homes. Don’t you want others to tenderly approach you with grace and nurturance? The spirit in which we approach these projects will influence the ultimate success. Excess scorn and closed-heartedness? Do you honestly think that won’t settle into the subtle fibers of these physical places you aim to decompress? When you’re touring a potential home, make sure to get a feel for the bedroom and how you will settle. If the bed can be oriented to the east, it’s ideal. BTW, I’m not sure any home I live in will be perfect or done…just like us.

Hello Lovely's primary bedroom and bath with vintage lighting, clawfoot tub, and walls painted SW Agreeable Gray.

I grew up with color, patterns, shelves, art, collections, and pretty objects as my mom loved decorating. We moved often, and my folks were Mr. and Mrs. Clean…strict about hospital corners, folded towels, and orderly cabinets. No big psychological surprise that the pendulum swung! I couldn’t wait to live by my own standards with a more relaxed style.

Hello Lovely's bedroom sitting room with Belgian linen chaise and beautiful view.

For example, let that linen wrinkle! Let the lampshade be a bit wonky. I could care less about how stored objects are nested behind closed closet and cabinet doors. (Unfortunately I do need to wear a helmet when opening certain closet doors…hahahaha). My organization style consists of open baskets where I toss like things together without fuss and the clutter is hidden but easy to contain.

Here’s the downside. I probably blew it with my own kids; letting them opt out of housework unconsicously because I feared repeating that perfectionism modeled in my childhood. Knowing your weak areas and being open to your blindspots is valuable.

Hello Lovely's primary bedroom is serene and greiege with a beautiful view and SW Agreeable Gray walls.

What Environments Make You Feel Safe?

I feel safe in spare, neutral environments and especially love those particular colors you can’t pin down easily with a few words.

Hello Lovely's serene bedroom with vintage Italian marble lamp and walls painted SW Agreeable Gray.

Wild colorful thoughts race through my head all the time…there’s quite enough color up in here, doncha know. Pale colors feel sedate, new, open-ended, accepting, and restful. I also feel at ease with deep blue-blacks reminiscent of night skies, cosmic mystery, and moonscapes where stars are born.

Hello Lovely's bedroom painted SW Agreeable Gray.

Greys and greige you can’t quite pin down as green or stone or putty when done right are not dreary or depressing for me – I find them lyrical, mysterious, and atmospheric.

LESSONS FROM OUR DESIGN JOURNEY

I have loved interior design and shelter magazines since toddlerhood! Rearranging furniture, creating cozy forts with fairy lights, and writing poetic songs under the covers were joys.

Hello Lovely's serene greige bedroom painted SW Agreeable Gray.

Creative pursuits are my favorite!

Hello Lovely's serene bathroom painted SW Repose Gray with clawfoot tub and botanical art created by Michele from wildflowers on her property.

My husband and I started decorating and renovating our first condo in 1987 and continued the work with a Chicago bungalow where he finished hardwood floors on his hands and knees with a hand sander. We were utterly poor, drowning in student loan debt and coudn’t afford to purchase how-to books.

There was a lot of hanging out in the bookstore studying wiring and plumbing manuals. Not gonna lie, we were very happy in such creative straits.

Hello Lovely's DIY customized closet dressing room at the Georgian with Venetian mirror and Empire style chandelier.

I remain frugal, and we remain scrappy DIYers who aren’t easily intimidated. It’s always a version of I bet we could make that ourselves!

Working as a Team for Renovation

The secret to working together joyfully (since we have different temperaments and skill sets) is our admiration of each other. Also, we don’t hold too tightly to outcomes.

SW Agreeable Gray in Hello Lovely's turret sitting room in primary bedroom overlooking forest preserve.

We laugh often and won’t take any of the work or ourselves too seriously. It’s an adventure. The renovation is always bound to become ridiculous. Mistakes will be made. Humor is never far.

Hello Lovely's white bedroom with greige walls painted SW Agreeable Gray.

We’re aware of resale, but since we design to please ourselves, we’re truly not typical flippers. We do as we please without any crew or help.

SW Repose Gray in Hello Lovely's two story foyer with mural wallpaper, modern orb chandelier and Farrow & Ball Railings painted front doors.

Sometimes limping along and cursing, I AM the cleanup crew. Loose plans come together, and hiccups always arrive.

Hello Lovely's Georgian home with split staircase and traditional architecture.

The wrong hardware will be shipped, a sofa won’t fit, we’ll mix up the measurement of something. We’re stalled, we laugh and we often pivot.

WHY IS TIMELESS DESIGN TRENDING AT THE MOMENT?

Plenty of folks are exhausted, anxious, filled with uncertainty, and craving sanctuary in the turbulent 2020s.

Timeless looks comfort us as they are enduring, adaptable, classic, high quality, well-crafted, and a blend of eras.

They offer sophisticated simplicity, natural materials, quality lighting, thoughtful architecture, earthy colors, and clean lines.

Buying vintage furniture and handmade online is easy now.

It’s not that we want to move into one home and stay forever, but we want to choose foundational pieces that last and layer with art and objects that reflect our values as we grow and change.

A Word About Neutral Color Stories

Love neutral colors?

Hello Lovely's modern French kitchen with Darlana lanterns in gilded iron.

Educate yourself about white paints. Whites have undertones and vary as far as light reflectance. Sample at least three neutral paint colors before choosing the one you like. Even if it takes ten tries, it’s totally worth it.

Hello Lovely's modern French kitchen with breakfast nook and white harvest table.

Visit Hello Lovely for paint colors to sample.

Hello Lovely's family room through French doors from kitchen.

What lies at the intersection of timeless design and authenticity?

Hello Lovely's modern French kitchen with light grey cabinets and skirted sink.

The wonder and joy you bring to the creative process of gathering harmonious design elements that soothe you. SHOP MY HOME HERE.

Thanks for considering these ideas from a real life renovator and homebody!

Peace to you right where you are.

-michele

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