There are many details that make up the design of a home.  The average person notices when something is “off” but more often than not they cannot identify or articulate what it is. Here are 5 design details that stand the test of time.  Often you will need an interior designer to get these right.

1. Pay Attention To Trim Details

Properly proportioned trim around doorways, windows, and built features in your home has a huge impact on how visually comfortable a space feels. Trim and moldings tend to be thought of as part of traditional design schemes but the typical crown moldings and colonial casings seen everywhere are far from the only options. Trim is necessary to finish edges, corners and transitions. To go largely “trim free” in super modern spaces it requires precise and complete finish carpentry work. This is often saved for very high end projects. You can still achieve a modern, clean aesthetic using trim. The most important thing is to get the size, scale and proportion right. Trim that is too small or flimsy makes a room feel “off” immediately. Getting the proportions right is tricky and an interior designer or architect is really critical in getting this piece of your design correct.

2. Select Classic Materials

There are new and exciting design elements that pop up everyday and like all shiny objects, it can be very tempting to try them especially when you see them trending all over social media. Certain materials however, never go out of style and keeping them as the base or core of your overall aesthetic allows your space to evolve in a way that doesn’t date easily. New materials may claim to give you the “look” of the real thing, but often the real thing or natural materials are the better choice. Examples are real stone - Granite, marble and quartzite, wood either stained or painted - even painted wood has a warmer and richer feel than manufactured finishes, metal and concrete. All have “quirks” and are subject to natural changes but this only adds to their dimension.

3. Stick with a Palette of Three Colors

The law of “threes” is important in designing spaces. Groupings of three are appealing to the eye and create balance. Your color selections are no exception. In my interior design projects in Westchester, NY I generally stick to three main color groups. Brown as in wood tones is usually one of them, white or ivory tones are often a second color family and the third can vary based on individual aesthetic direction. Blue is very often a great family to incorporate because it can feel neutral, or it can add a pop. Bringing in variations of a color family and different textures within the same color add interest and dimensions without overwhelming the visual. In addition to the three, black added sparingly is important (and usually necessary, hello TV) to ground elements in the space.

4. Create Balanced Lighting

This is often advised but what exactly does it mean? When a room has just one light source, even if there is plenty of light, it can feel flat. Ambient or overall light is just one type of light in a space. Depending on the function of the room, you may also need task lighting and accent lighting. Adding different types of light will create a better sense of depth and will highlight some things and downplay others. There are also endless types of light bulbs available. Color temperature, lumen levels and wattage are all factors in putting together a lighting scheme for any room. This is where an interior designer can be very helpful in incorporating the right lighting into the overall design scheme.

5. Only Have Things You Love

I seem to always go back to this but it’s so important. To borrow from Marie Kondo, only have things in your home that “spark joy”. Be ruthless about getting rid of (or better yet don’t bring home in the first place) things unless you really love them. The same rules that apply to your wardrobe apply to your home. Go in your closet and look at your favorite stuff. Do you detect a theme? A lot of a certain color? Things with certain textures? These are clues to the imagery you are repeatedly drawn to and likely will never tire of. In addition, surround yourself with things that you have collected throughout your life that bring back happy and meaningful memories. This is another way an interior designer can be helpful, Sometimes all your things start to feel like clutter and you don’t actually see them anymore. A designer helps edit and highlight a nice composition of important pieces and allows you to see them in a whole new light while still keeping the lasting memories.