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What Is Traditional Interior Design Style?

traditional design

Nile Johnson Interior Design

Traditional interior design is just what it sounds like—a classic, warm, comforting, familiar home decor style that is rooted in the traditions of the past without being specific to any single time period. A traditional interior design scheme is timeless and placeless, comfortable and put together but not overly fancy.

What Is Traditional Interior Design Style?

Traditional interior design is a popular style of decor that is based largely on 18th- and 19th-century European styles and conventional notions of what a home looks like. 

The kinds of furniture, textiles, color palettes, and decor used in traditionally designed rooms reference history and are familiar rather than trend-setting. For example, a traditional style bedroom might include a neutral color scheme; a carved wood or upholstered headboard; matching nightstands and table lamps; a chest of drawers; an upholstered armchair and ottoman; and possibly a landscape painting on the wall.

Traditional interior design style

TerryJ / Getty Images

Origins of Traditional Interior Design Style

Traditional interior design became widespread in the 20th century as postwar suburbs boomed and people sought to emulate interior design traditions of 18th- and 19th-century Europe, particularly England and France.

Traditional interior design hums along quietly in the background while more exciting, trendy, or decade-specific design eras come and go. While midcentury modern designers were taking advantage of new production methods and the post-war housing boom to pump out innovative furniture and household objects using new materials, fans of traditional design were using those same production methods to create reproductions of classic Queen Anne chairs and Chippendale highboy dressers.

Traditional design held its appeal for the mainstream while the postmodern 1980s saw influential but short-lived movements such as Memphis design that challenged every conventional notion of color and form.

Traditional Design Today

Many Americans grow up in homes that could be characterized as traditional, and feel most at ease in a traditional interior that is nonetheless updated and comfortable for modern living. The goal of designing a traditional living room isn’t to create a wow factor but to provide a reassuring backdrop for family living that is at its best elegant, comfortable, and understated. At its worst, a traditional room can feel boring, old-fashioned, dated, and uninspired. 

Traditional continues to subtly evolve with the times. Grandmillennials are responsible for a granny chic revival. 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. A hybrid of traditional and contemporary design, Transitional style has become an interior decor category unto itself. 

Traditional interior design style

Sara Ligorria-Tramp / Emily Henderson Design

Key Characteristics of Traditional Interior Design Style

  • Furniture, decor, art rooted in European design primarily from the 18th and 19th centuries, particularly from England and France
  • Design is based on styles of the past but often finished with fewer fine ornamental details
  • Rooms are set up to be functional, family-friendly, and comfortable
  • A focus on symmetry includes conventional space planning; pairs of furniture and objects such as armchairs or lamps; and an overall harmonious feel rather than a room full of juxtaposition and contrast
  • Interiors may include traditional architectural elements such as crown molding and wainscoting
  • Color palettes include subtle neutrals with sparing use of bold color
  • Wood finishes on floors and furnishings tend to be darker 
  • Walls are usually painted in muted neutrals but may include subtle patterned wallpaper in traditional motifs such as floral, stripes, or damask
  • Textiles are generally neutral or subtly patterned as with wallpaper and may include heavy cotton, wool, velvet, fur, and silk
Traditional interior design style

Nile Johnson Interior Design

Traditional Interior Design Decorating Tips

  • Pay attention to furniture layout, prioritizing symmetry, flow, and cohesiveness to make rooms family-friendly and easy to use 
  • Choose a neutral color palette that favors subdued earth-toned colors or jewel tones
  • Look for pieces that work together in terms of style and color, but don’t go for matching sets of everything or you will end up with a furniture showroom look
  • While you are more likely to find reproduction furniture in a traditional decor scheme, don’t be afraid to sprinkle in antiques, contemporary pieces, or vintage art that harmonizes with the overall design but adds dimension
  • Incorporate patterns in soft furnishings and textiles in subtle tones, stripes, florals, and plaids
  • Install simplified contemporary versions of classic lighting fixtures such as pendants, sconces, or chandeliers
  • Persian-style reproduction or vintage rugs work well to add pattern and interest to a traditional room; opting for an overdyed Turkish rug here can add a modern feel
  • Choose warm, rich wood tones such as walnut for furniture and darker stains for flooring
  • Window treatments tend to be classic and layered, with simple window blinds and curtains or even drapes while skipping the fussy curtain valances of times past
  • Use traditional accessories such as tablecloths, candelabras, antique silver, sets of china, and vintage linens, but in a carefully edited and intentional way to avoid looking cluttered or dated
  • Consider traditional style as a point of departure, rather than an end goal, feeling free to mix in non-traditional elements to create a more personal and memorable space

Examples of Traditional Interior Design Style

kitchen with traditional design

Studio Peake

Studio Peake paired rich stained wood with peacock blue paint and brass swan neck cabinet pulls to update glass-front pantry shelving in this traditional London kitchen.

den with traditional design

Becca Interiors

A brick fireplace will give any room a traditional feel. This home office den from Becca Interiors includes a red brick fireplace with a painted black wood mantel, sage green built-ins, and an antique farm table desk. A jute rug adds texture to hardwood floors for a timeless look.

bathroom with traditional design

Marie Flanigan Interiors

A freestanding garden tub will add traditional elegance to a modern bathroom. Marie Flanigan Interiors paired a silver tub with warm wood accents and white walls for a new traditional feel in this spacious primary bathroom.

bedroom with traditional style

Becca Interiors

Traditional style is a natural fit for an older or period home. Becca Interiors refreshed this primary bedroom with a mix of black-and-white wallpaper, paint, and patterned textiles.

An airy metal canopy bed adds a focal point that structures the room without taking up too much visual space. Layered pillows and blankets add coziness.

living room with traditional style

Becca Interiors

Use a neutral palette and a mix of new and old pieces with classic shapes to create a serene feeling in a traditional living room. Becca Interiors refreshed this carriage house living room with tones of cream, beige, and brown on everything from the walls to a reupholstered chaise longue and vintage-style sofa. Farmhouse lighting, a display of decorative wall plates, and herringbone brick floor tiles give the room a timeless feel.

FAQ
  • Is traditional interior design still in style?

    Traditional interior design is still in style for those who appreciate interiors that are warm, understated, and familiar. Many people feel most at home in a traditional interior that has nonetheless been updated to make it comfortable for modern living. 

  • What is new traditional design style?

    Traditional design is rooted in tradition, but always changes with the times to accommodate modern comforts and evolving tastes. New traditional style incorporates modern elements like central kitchen islands, open-plan spaces, bolder colors, and contemporary accents alongside antique, vintage, or reproduction furniture and decor.

  • What is the difference between classic and traditional interior design?

    Traditional interior design is based largely on 18th- and 19th-century European styles and conventional notions of what a home looks like. While many traditional design elements can be considered classic, they may also be regarded as dated. Classic design refers to styles from any period with a timeless feel. This can include anything from black-and-white interiors to midcentury modern furniture and decor that felt new in the 20th century but feels current today.