Your CartDesigning a home with timeless style means striking the perfect balance of old and new, luxurious and casually comfortable. Curating a timeless, layered look at home can be stressful, but it shouldn’t be, it can be quite fun!
Going the extra mile to curate a collection of interesting, slightly quirky antiques to add to each room in your home that express your passions and personality is a sure way to make your interior swoon worthy.
After the basics are done, such as walls, floors and the main pieces of furniture, antique and vintage accessories will add a level of sophistication and create a sense of drama to each space.
More importantly, the right antiques, layered throughout your rooms will tell your story better than anything else.
My dear friend Eric Ross of Eric Ross Interiors says : “It’s the layers of things that take a space from blah to bombshell.”
Not only is Eric a decorator with amazing talent like the late, great Charles Faudree, he is such a charming, warm and kind man. John and I had an absolutely wonderful time in Parma, Italy last October with Eric and his wife Ruthann. I am so thankful that he graciously allowed me to use some of his beautiful design photos for this post.
Decorating is a process, finding just the right accent pieces for your rooms to create spaces surrounded by things you love is one of the best ways to express yourself.
Antique accessories let you play with color, texture and light. It’s why I chose to specialize in antique decorating accessories {called “smalls in the design trade”} because they are the tools with which you can add personality, style and unique design to any room in your home. Often, it can be difficult to find just the right fine quality antique accessories, our goal here at FrenchGardenHouse is to bring the best directly to you.
Antique accessories can be mixed in with other antiques of completely different styles and eras, and look gorgeous in combination with contemporary furniture and art. Best of all, simply by switching them out, or arranging them in different layers, ways, antique accessories can change a room instantly!
So how can you design your own home with the same seemingly effortless timeless style? It’s not difficult if you know the tricks my talented designer friends use.
HERE ARE SOME DESIGNER TRICKS TO CREATE A TIMELESS, LAYERED LOOK IN YOUR HOME.
1. COLLECT FINE QUALITY THINGS FROM THE PAST.
Celebrate your home and your own personal style be choosing the best of the past. Antiques are art with history, they have stories, and nothing displays your own personal style more than a selection of slightly quirky elements.
Coco Chanel said “Fashion fades, only style remains the same.” and nothing could be more true when selecting high quality pieces for your home. Beautiful, well crafted pieces made long ago of porcelain, glass, ironstone, wood and linen always add a touch of luxury.
In this beautiful study, Eric used an exceptional tapestry to set the tone for everything else in the room. A fantastic mix of patterns and colors are what makes this dark paneled room sing!
If you only buy pieces that you love, you will never tire of them, and they will continue to make you smile each time you see them. Any time I write for magazine publications, I encourage my readers to buy the best they can afford.
If you can only afford one great, heart-stopping investment piece for a room in your home, buy it! It will be the focal point of your room, and the rest can be less expensive until your budget permits another “I have to have that!” purchase.
2. BUY REAL ART.
Art is something so very personal, that giving a “tip” for that is difficult, but my advice is to buy a “real” work of art. The piece or pieces you choose need to fit the room’s dimension, but it also needs to be something you will want to look at for a while. If your budget allows, oil paintings have a charm all of their own. {Not all oil paintings are unaffordable, flea market paintings are charming for a French Country style home and often in the 400-600 dollar range.}
In this beautiful bedroom, Eric used two oil paintings in lovely gold period frames as the perfect accent for the walls.
One cost effective way to display beautiful antique art is to collect antique prints, chromolithographs or hand colored engravings. Framed as a group, they make an eye-catching display and will add color and style to any wall. They are not too expensive, and each is still a one-of-a-kind work of art.
3. COLLECT PORCELAIN TREASURE.
Antique porcelain comes in such a variety of colors and styles! Hand painted Sevres pieces are my own personal favorites, as even just one can make a whole room sing! But there are so many different kinds of porcelains to collect…find one you love and build a collection.
Blue and white is a classic & timeless favorite, and always looks fabulous. No matter what colors it’s mixed in with. Here, the blue and white porcelain pieces add depth and history to this entranceway designed by Eric for the O’Moore Showhouse.
Antique tureens look beautiful on a buffet, but don’t underestimate their charm when holding an exceptional orchid, or a fresh flower arrangement as the centerpiece for your next dinner party table.
Plates are happy to serve food, but just as happy to decorate your walls on individual plate hangers or in a plate rack.
In this alluring room designed by Eric, just one red transferware platter makes a statement on the mantel.
A whole arrangement of them would be stunning on a dining room wall! Antique porcelains are not just for museums, their grandeur will add a special spark to your home.
4. LIGHT IT UP.
Chandeliers add opulence and sparkle to every room. There are so many options available, my personal favorites are antique chandeliers, their crystals simply light up a space! Here at home I even have huge chandelier hanging over my desk in the office. Chandeliers are the gems of every room.
{I have a new container of antique French chandeliers and sconces on their way from Europe to FrenchGardenHouse, they should be on the website by mid-May.}
5. SAY IT WITH STATUARY.
Whether you like marble, limestone, or bronze, statuary can add another dimension to any interior. Statues add great charm and personality to little niches, on top of a stack of antique books, or on a pedestal.
In this great room, Eric placed two stunning bronze statues to flank the mantel. Not only are they beautiful to look at, they add another texture and dimension to the room.
Statues or figurines almost always tell a story or have a theme that the artist of the time wished to tell. Again, buy the best you can afford, or just choose something for its whimsical details! This pair of antique figures are so charming, he, a figurine peddler, is showing off his wares to this lovely mademoiselle.
I know you’ve seen these vintage dog figures before. If you adore dogs, they are a fun way to display that love and inject a little whimsy into your decor.
6. CLASSIC BOOKS.
Decorating table tops, shelves, and bookcases with stacks of antique or beautiful design books creates a comfortable and inviting look.
When you place a small antique decorative accent piece on top of a small stack of books, or right next to several upright books, it gives your eyes a chance to rest and really focus on that antique piece.
Books are great space fillers an are a relatively inexpensive way to highlight your accent colors in any room.
7. LET YOUR PASSION SHOW.
I love to add antique French Country pieces into every room. Just one slightly well worn piece will bring all the other elements of your room together, it grounds the room. When that piece is something I adore and collect? Magic.
In this guest cottage kitchen, Eric displays the home owner’s collections with such flair! Classic and timeless, and who wouldn’t want to visit here?!
Here is another welcoming and personal kitchen designed by Eric. You can tell right away that this home owner loves blue & white, French Country, and my favorite {!} toleware. The wall color is bold, it makes all the collections stand out beautifully, don’t you think so?
Collections of antiques you love help give a room a sense of timeless style, and the feeling that the room has been assembled over time with things you love, rather than being purchased straight off the furniture store showroom. Even the smallest rooms in your home can show off your passions, as these two bathrooms Eric designed show!
My friends and clients know that designing a home with timeless style is all about the mix – it’s about creating a place that feels authentically like you as a canvas that evolves as you do. Adding at least one antique accessory to your rooms is my very best advice for timeless style.
Antiques add drama, luxury, and a sense of history. It’s why we sell country and fine antiques sourced in small French villages and all over the world, antiques with plenty of wear, patina and charm. A quality antique will give your home a sense of history, and will add beauty and joy to your home forever.
After all of the above tips, please remember that your goal in designing and decorating your home is to create a space that makes you feel happy and is a reflection of you and your family’s lifestyle.
Fill your home with the things you love, regardless of whether they are in style or trendy. Trends come and go, but a home filled with timeless beauty that appeals to you and makes you happy is what matters most.
You can learn more about Eric Ross HERE >
{If you live near the Nashville area and are looking for a decorator to make your home everything you’ve always dreamed it would be, Eric Ross Interiors will be able to make that a reality!}
BE THE FIRST TO SEE ALL OUR LATEST ANTIQUES HERE >
Remember to leave a comment for our reader’s appreciation on any post:
What antique or vintage accents do you use in your home to tell your story? Do you add to your collection? Do you move your accessories around during different seasons in the year?
This was a wonderful post, full of eye candy! I like Eric Ross’ style as showcased in many of these rooms!
Wow! If Powerball, MegaMillions, the Delaware Lottery, or PCH ever come through with big wins I know who I’ll be calling! Mr. Ross’ work is spectacular.
You and Eric Ross speak my language. I appreciate your bringing beauty back into interiors. The new stark trends that look like home staging have no personality, in my opinion. Thank you for sharing something beautiful. ?
I love the books stacked on a table. I fine I will pick them up and read them more than if they were in the bookshelf. I love your dog collection. It made me smile and I know they give you great joy too.
I agree whole heartedly about art that you love. I have been given paintings from family members that I did not care for and could not make them work anywhere in my house. Buy what you love and you will keep it your whole life. Thank you for all the wonderful tips and ideas.
Love the interiors of Eric Ross!….Yes, interiors layered/collected/curated over time are the best…I have found that my fav places to shop are estate sales and my fav wonderful consignment shop…I have found that you can find “real art” in these places for decent prices….your home is indicative of the perfect example of beautiful layers and exquisite collections….Have a most wonderful day Lidy and thanks for the gorgeous inspiration!!
Love every room—just so beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
I love every room. I have pieces of my own that I need to bring out and make them feel at home!
Thank you for building on my creativity.
So happy to hear that you’re thinking of bringing out some of your beloved pieces again and creatively making them part of your interior again, Debra!
A wonderful, informative post, Lidy, and the photos are eye candy! Thank you!
Ginger, aren’t the rooms Eric Ross designs beyond beautiful? So happy you are a fellow admirer, you can follow him on IG too! And he blogs. Have a happy day!
Lidy, Eric Ross is one of my favorite interior designers. What a treat this morning to see his gorgeous rooms! All of your tips for timeless design are spot on! Enjoy you day!!!
I’m so glad, Shannon!
So many great ideas! My mind is reeling! I love decorative accessories because they fit in my small apartment and can easily be changed out.
So happy to set your mind to reeling with imaginative ideas, Teddee! Happy decorating.
Thanks for everything you shared today. I plan to share several idea with my new client. Also, I ordered Kristy’s first novel and it’s fabulous. Thank you so much for recommending it. Enjoy your day.
Susan
The Ivy Cottage
Thank you Susan! I think you will love Kristy’s book so much! Hope you are enjoying your Tuesday too!
Hi, Lidy,
Love all the photo’s and the display’s are great, wonderfull idea’s and everything so well done and inviting and cozy, thanks for posting, so enjoy everything you put on here~Happy Spring~~~~~~~~~Jean~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you so much, Jean. Inviting and cozy, that is what we all want for our homes and lives, isn’t it? You said that so perfectly, friend. Happy spring to you, too~
Lidy, what a fabulous post with wonderful ideas. I do love Eric Ross spaces…his use of color, texture, and layering are always perfect! His rooms are so warm and inviting! Thank you for showcasing his amazing talent, he is a favorite of mine!
Pam, I agree, Eric’s spaces are warm and inviting!
Hi Lidy,
Another wonderful Blog, Designing Your Home with Endless Style. Eric Ross certainly has an eye for Interior Design. I love Timeless Designs. You can change things just by moving them around when you get tired of the the look, and by adding something, or taking away, and adding some new items, makes thing interesting all the time. So many ways to use decorative accessories. You gave me some great new ideas for some new fresh looks.
I loved the mix of antique, vintage, and traditional. Every room looked so inviting, and had so many wonderful accessories to fill your eyes with pleasure. I love taking accesories out of my China cabinet and Curio’s, and putting them on diplay in another areas of the house. Gives them a whole new demension seeing them in a different setting. I use antigue books in stacks of three, I tie with beautiful ribbons
to which I add a eye catcher, such as a set of antique skelton keys, or and art deco pin. I also put a tea cup or some other acessory on the books. I place one stack of them in each of the guests rooms. People have actually asked me if they were for sale.
Loved the way the blue and white dishes and accessories looked with the coral painted walls. I always think of blue and white porcelain with a background of white walls. Wow, it really made the collections stand out.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful Blog, and helping us to showcase our own collections in our rooms at home, to make “Happy Spaces” not only for us, but for the people who visit out homes. I so enjoy sharing my day with you when I read your Blog, and look at all your wonderful pictures that you post. I always look forward to seeing the French Country House in my e-mail.
Janice, I love that mix of antique, vintage and traditional too. I love that you use your accessories! Your way of displaying books tied with ribbon sounds so beautiful! No wonder guests have asked if they were for sale! I enjoy sharing my day with you, too!
What a wonderful post and with such great tips! Eric’s interiors are so very beautiful. My favorites were the bedroom with the blue plaid pillow shams, that fabulous blue entranceway, and the room with the stone fireplace. Oh, who am I kidding? I loved them all!! I also loved your table setting at the very end of the post, Lidy with the beautiful white ruffled napkin, the place setting, the silverware with the beautiful mother of pearl handles, and of course the gorgeous flowers in that stunning trophy cup! Thank you so much for sharing! It made my day…
Sharon, it IS hard to choose a favorite, isn’t it? I love all of the rooms too. Each room has so many intriguing layers.
Wow. I need this. I love timeless interiors based on much loved classic pieces that have a story, even if was not my own. There is something so interesting and inviting about a room that includes antiques and beautiful fabrics and art. I really was appalled these last 8 or so years with these colorless grays – they drew the life out of me – looked dead and made me feel dreadful. These interiors you have displayed just make me want to come in and relax. Thank you!
Thank you so much, Theresa! I love interiors with color {although I do have a fairly neutral living room} and I’m so happy you enjoyed these shots, some of which are from our own home at FrenchGardenHouse.
Just lovely – every photo! Lots of inspiration here!
Your photos are gorgeous, the rooms are terrific! I change things around all of the time. Sometimes I totally change a room! It is an occupational hazard-I am a retired teacher, and had to change my classroom decor every month. I have evolved now into a more neutral background palette, so I can insert pops of seasonal color. I am always repurposing something to decorate!
I loved all of it. I love French Country
I collect antique silver pitchers. I am so impressed with this home. Beautiful
Thank you so much Ledia, for taking the time to comment. I hope your holidays were blessed!