When you buy an old house or apartment, you're getting more than just a piece of real estate. You're also getting a part of history and a slew of personalities. However, the task of redecorating a historic house with new decorating ideas is one of a kind. If you fill your home with too many historical antiques, you run the risk of making it look like a museum. However, if you include an excessive amount of modern fixtures, you risk erasing the unique characteristics that make it special.
Here are some of our best interior decorating ideas to help you straddle the old and modern worlds for your old house design:
Heritage features
The uniqueness of an older property cannot be replicated. Period features like crown molding, soaring ceilings, and stained-glass windows are some of the first decorating ideas that should be preserved in a period home if at all possible. If you have kaleidoscopic stained glass, for example, keeping the rest of the room minimalist with neutral white walls can pop the colors in the mirror.
Expose the bones
Preserving and honoring the originality of a historic property is key to making the most of your old house design. Removing the old, musty carpeting will reveal the original wood flooring, which will need to be repaired and burnished to restore its original luster and beauty.
There is also the possibility of becoming more industrial and exposing some of the original brickwork in some of the rooms. Use these decorating ideas in a small space to create an eye-catching brick accent wall that pays homage to the property's rustic past without overpowering the rest of your décor.
Make use of colors that are complementary to one another.
For your home's interiors, make sure the color scheme you choose highlights rather than hides the old house design and the property's particular features. In a historic house, muted tones of green and blue go well, as does smoky grey, which was a favorite of the Victorians. If your home has high ceilings and wide windows, don't be afraid to use darker, moodier colors to amp up the drama.
Contrast and highlight with paint
A fresh coat of paint updates an old home design while masking any flaws caused by its age. Try painting your home's cornice and trim in contrasting colors as an alternative painting technique. Over the plaster cornice, use a bold color to draw attention to this eye-catching period detail. Choosing a neutral tone like slate grey for your trim can help to keep the look from being too harsh. You may want to. Seek the services of a general contractor to help you pick the best paint for contrasting and highlighting and also implement your decorating ideas. You can seek the services of professionals to achieve consistency and a sophisticated color scheme that draws the eye from room to room across the house.
Make a significant financial investment in antique furniture and accessories.
One method to modernize your house without losing its charm is to incorporate period references throughout your décor. Whether you're looking for an Edwardian writing desk or an Art Nouveau wardrobe, estate sales and auction houses are excellent venues to find standout pieces from the era. Even if space might become stuffy with too much antique decor, a few well-placed original pieces provide an interesting tribute to the past for your old house design.
Combine the old and the new in an interesting way
Combining historic charm with modern conveniences is a great way to breathe new life into an old house. In a room with ornate plasterwork, sleek, minimalist old house design features look great. A soothing contrast to the elaborate architecture may be found in soft neutral-toned rugs and glass fixtures with clean lines.
A good mix of vintage and modern style is key for old home design ideas. Get creative when decorating your old house. Find a few unique decorating ideas to go with your style.
Go green!
Having plants around the old house can be a relaxing and calming experience. Indoor gardening is a stress-reliever that also improves creativity, productivity, and concentration, as well as aiding in recovery from illness. Evidence suggests that houseplants can also improve the quality of your air.
New House?
If the idea of redecorating and remodeling is not the right thing for you, you can also think of other things you can do to get the house of your dreams. An example would be building a custom home which would be built specifically for you. When building a custom home, you should work with home builders who would provide you with the opportunity to control layout, lot size, and accessibility
Conclusion
You may create a safe and comfortable living area by changing your old house design with decorating ideas. Remodeling your home can also make it more useful, which will make your daily life easier and give you more time to do the things that are important to you.
