What is traditional style for furniture and home décor? (2024)

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Updated 2/3/23

What is traditional style for furniture and home décor? (1)

The traditional style has long been one of the most popular styles to decorate homes. In this guide to traditional style, we'll look at traditional home design, as well as the features of traditional furniture and how to decorate traditional homes.

Traditional Home Design

Traditional style home designsmay includecharacteristics from one or more historical architectural styles. Did you know traditional architecture is characterized by symmetrically-spaced windows and understated ornamentation?

Homes that are made in the traditional style often includeelements from older home designs,such as front porches or covered entryways, dormers, columns, and at least one front-facing gable.

Traditional Home Floor Plans

Popular designs for new traditional homesfeature two-story plans, but single-story traditional homesmay be preferred by older homeowners or young families.Like the architectural designs of traditional homes, thefloor plansfollow the model of older homes,includingformal living and dining rooms and fireplaces.

New traditional homes combine the styling of older homes with modern conveniences, such as home offices and open concept living/kitchen areas to facilitate entertaining and family time.

Traditional Furniture

In the midst of all this wonderful furniture design happening in workrooms around the world today, it is traditional furniture that endures. To understand it better, let’s define traditional furniture. “European-inspired furniture deriving its look fromthe Victorian period; elaborate and formal looking with its dark woods, luxe fabrics, and intricate detail. The rich mahoganies, maples, and cherries used in the construction of the frames give traditional furniture a stately elegance.”

What is traditional style for furniture and home décor? (2)

Traditional furniture descriptions aside, traditional furniture is considered the precursor to modern furniture design, which took its cue from the Modernist movement (late 19th and early 20th century). Just look at the graceful curved lines ofProvenceand workmanship ofClassics by Bassettto see the hallmarks that define traditional furniture.

What features make furniture traditional?

The traditional furniture definition includes a celebration of opulence. Drawing from the styles of furniture seen in the homes of royalty, traditional furniture made kings and queens of commoners -- even if that regal feeling was limited to just theirliving room. Traditional furniture summons neutral wall colors, which can accent the accent colors of the furniture; similarly,chairsandsofasare replete in warm jewel-toned upholstery.

A few of the hallmarks usually associated with traditional furniture:

• Carved, dark wood

• Scallops or shell designs

• Bun feet, or ball and claw foot legs, armrests

• Arched backs

• Ornamentation

• Luxe upholstery

How to Furnish a Traditional Home

Traditional style decoratingrelies on classic furniture that lends a refined and elegant atmosphere.Rich, dark wood tonesandbronze accentscreate a warm and inviting interior for family and guests. Symmetrical arrangements of furniture and accessoriesandrich color schemesfurther emphasize the orderliness and refinement of the traditional home.

Traditional homes furnishings borrow details from many historicalstyles, including:

• British Colonial revival

• 18th-century English

• 19th-century Neoclassical

• French country

Some of the more popular furniture choices draw from the18th and 19th-century stylings ofItaly, England, and France. Symmetrical arrangementsand refined elegance characterize the furnishings and decor of a traditional-style home.

What is traditional style for furniture and home décor? (3)

Traditional Furniture at its Best

With over 100 years of historyof using old-world craftsmanship, Bassett endures as one of the most recognizable furniture brands in the United States.Shop a Bassett showroom near you, or shop online at any hour, day or night. Have a question? Chat with our Design Consultants. Shop Bassett where quality, craftsmanship, and customer service come in hundreds of traditional furniture pieces, fromsofastodining chairs, andtablestocabinets.

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What is traditional style for furniture and home décor? (2024)

FAQs

What is traditional style for furniture and home décor? ›

Traditional style often includes silk, linen and velvet upholstery and window coverings in damask, florals, stripes and plaids with ornately detailed dark wood, inspired by 18th and 19th century designs. Layered in color and texture, traditional style interiors bring a sense of history and glamour to a space.

What is the traditional style of furniture? ›

Traditional style combines ornate details, warm colors and architectural design elements to bring a piece to life. From turned legs to classic crown molding, traditional style pays great attention to all detail. Bold, rich and timeless colors are used to complement the elegant design features.

What is traditional decor style? ›

Traditional interior design is a popular style of décor that is based largely on 18th- and 19th-century European styles and conventional notions of what a home looks like. A traditional interior design scheme is timeless and placeless, comfortable and put together but not overly fancy.

What is traditional house style? ›

Traditional-style homes typically feature balanced and symmetrical designs focusing on classic, well-defined lines. Common characteristics include pitched roofs, dormer windows, gabled roofs, and a mix of materials like brick, stone, or wood. Interior spaces often have a formal layout with separate rooms.

What is the difference between classic and traditional style? ›

The most obvious difference between classic and traditional style is that the latter exploits references to the past in a flexible way, offering an aesthetic idea that is less ostentatious (as well as, generally, more affordable) and linked more to the concept of hospitality than luxury.

What is traditional vs modern home decor? ›

Traditional styles can be considered more similar to maximalist styles, as traditional design focuses on rich, dark colors, floral patterns, and lots of details around the home. Modern styles focus on appealing to minimalism by emphasizing muted light colors, open spaces, and fewer details.

What is a timeless home decor style? ›

Embrace natural materials in your finishes, fixtures and furniture such as timbers, stone, marble, cottons, linens and wool. It is balance that is the essence of timeless interior design. By embracing timeless designs in your home, you are transcending trends and fads that will become old very quickly.

What is American traditional interior design style? ›

And other common features of traditional American interiors include: Making a space look bigger by dividing it into zones. Lots of oversized furniture but a smaller number of accessories and decor. Earthy natural colors from light beige to dark brown and green. Often, light wallpaper is covering the walls.

What colors are used in traditional design? ›

Dark, Warm Tones Define The Color Palette.

Think red, brown, green, and plenty of dark wood. "Palettes can be bold and saturated or pale and soft, but tend to be welcoming and not jarring or too graphic," Gates says.

What is the color of traditional furniture? ›

Rich Color Palette

As to be expected, traditional upholstered furniture often features rich, saturated hues like deep burgundy, golden yellow, classic blue, and emerald green. Contemporary furniture pieces often boast a more varied color scheme ranging from muted sage green to crisp ivory.

What makes a house a traditional house? ›

Though these styles differ in origin, traditional homes tend to have several common features. These features include large, open porches with overhanging beams and rafters, dormers, and a tall, pointed roof with one or more gables. They use traditional building materials such as brick, wood, plaster, stucco, and stone.

What is the difference between transitional and traditional furniture? ›

Both styles are elegant and timeless. They celebrate the classic characteristics of traditional design, but the transitional will take the ornate details and tone them down for a more modern effect. The transitional style elements will allow you to add modern touches, like lighting fixtures and hardware.

Is traditional decor out of style? ›

Classic decor is something that has stood the test of time and good taste and is always in style. Classic interior design transcends trendiness.

Is traditional still in style? ›

Many of today's traditional homes incorporate modern elements such as large kitchen islands and open-plan spaces. Current designers are likely to add contemporary pieces, bolder colors, and a mix of antique and vintage furniture and decor to create a riff on classic style that many call new traditional.

How is traditional look different from modern look? ›

Traditional design incorporates a lot of detail, often in a way which has a cosy appeal to it. Modern design is all about bold colours, rigid structures, sleek finishes, open spaces and muted tones. In architecture, modern homes often feature many elements of intentional asymmetry.

What is modern traditional furniture? ›

Characteristics of the style include:

Rich, vintage, and expressive wall decor. Opulent furniture and decor accents. Soft and soothing color palettes, often in neutral colors. Greenery, houseplants, and floral arrangements. Classic furniture upholstery options such as leather and deep woods.

What is timeless style furniture? ›

In interior design and decorating, neutrals are often a staple palette that never dates. Therefore, timeless furniture uses neutral colors, yet it doesn't mean that it is boring. On the contrary, you can combine neutral colors with some art pieces with blues and greens.

What is the difference between modern and traditional furniture? ›

Modern furniture emphasizes simplicity, clean lines, and minimalism, while traditional furniture tends to feature ornate details, classic designs, and rich materials. 2. How do I choose between modern and traditional furniture? Consider your home's design style and personal preferences.

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