Designing a home can be challenging, especially if you’re the kind of person looking for a low maintenance style that can endure the years. But it’s not easy to execute a timeless design. It’s easy to fall into trends that become outdated fads or over accessorizing a room until it becomes a cluttered mess.

To help you avoid all that, here are five general tips for creating a timeless home design.

Keep Your Home Fad-Free

This may be the most obvious piece of advice in this article. If you’re looking for a timeless style that requires no fuss or work year to year, stay away from fads. You may love a sleek and severe minimalist look right now, but it’s certainly not going to be in style forever.

Make Sure Your Designs are Functional

Each furniture piece should serve a purpose. In the same vein of creating a fad-free home, it’s best to make sure your furniture makes sense in the room. Ornate, fragile side tables or never-sat-in designer chairs may not factor into a timeless design.

Choose Subtle Patterns and Colors

Busy or decorative patterns and accessories can give your room a cluttered, outdated feel. Certain colors may be in style one year and suddenly out the next; don’t be caught with a pale green couch that’s horribly out of style within a year. Though these colors or patterns may appeal to you at a certain point, they certainly won’t stand the test of time.

Let Your Fabrics Bring a Room to Life

Painting and wallpapering are hassles, and it’s just not practical to put on a fresh coat each year. So instead of painting a bright accent wall that may not feel right a few years from now, use throw pillows, rugs, and drapes for that pop of color. It’s easier to change out these fabrics than it is to change wall color or carpeting.

Simplify Major Furniture

By major furniture, we mean sofas, dining room tables, and bed frames. If you simplify these pieces of furniture, you can use other elements in the room to add personal style without overdoing it. Simple furniture tends to be timeless and classic, whereas hyper-modern, antique, or ornate furniture can seem outdated or fussy.

Home design is a delicate balance of welcoming aesthetic and personal style. If you’re looking for a low-maintenance, timeless design, follow these tips. You can create a balanced room without clutter or antiquated style. Imagine how relaxed you’ll feel each time you enter your perfectly timeless room.