It’s not hard for the inner architect or designer inside to feel a little dismayed at how property firms are purchasing up great swathes of real estate and outfitting them to uniform spec. In many respects, this can provide more homes to more people which is a good thing, but it also means some of the designed character and history of given buildings are being eroded from within.
That’s a topic for another day of course, and it doesn’t always have a right answer or offer an easy opinion to hold. That being said, you may decide to consider to reverse this process in your own home, trying to leave out some of the most modern influences by prioritizing decorating your home for character and consistency. If your building has any history or unique charm to it whatsoever, preserving that is not a matter of just retaining value, but also soul, and that makes a house easier to live in.
Without further ado, let’s consider how you could go about achieving that, no matter where you live:
Balancing Vintage & Contemporary Decor
Now, you don’t have to perfect the “old style” of your home, you can still dress up a vintage property with modern internal decorations if you wish to. But it’s also nice to balance them. For example, you might design a modern bathroom space but with the old fixtures that make it unique, like a top basin for your toilet with a chain pull flushing lever. Little details like that help the character of a property assert itself, without having to shout about its presence.
Preserving Architectural Features
In some cases, it can be nice to restore the function of old elements in the household. So for example, maybe the previous owner blocked up the fireplace and installed a modern electric implement, because it was cheaper to run and easier to maintain. That’s great, and there’s no mistake in that. But perhaps your own tastes are a little different. Unblocking the chimney, having it cleaned, and installing a wood burner might grant you that comfort you’re looking for, while restoring important character top to bottom.
Upcycling Your Furniture
The character of a property isn’t solely framed by the structure of the building, but what you do with it. After all, what is a home without you living in it? As such, the design decisions you make actually do matte and have an effect. In order to preserve character, you might decide to invest in sofa reupholstery which both looks great and saves you from having to throw out a statement piece, especially if it has some vintage or antique quality to it. Over time, this could help you repurpose old items or retain that aesthetic you worked so hard to build. Reupholstery can, of course, change the aesthetic slightly too, so it’s not as if you’ll be stuck with the same design forever.
With this advice, you’ll be sure to retain the character of your property from top to bottom, in the healthiest possible way.
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