The terminology of “timeless” and “trendy” are often bandied about in design circles in reference to the value that each holds in making a stylish and well-designed space. Instagram’s @remodel_school recently provided a simple explanation on the difference between the two, with some great examples on how differentiate that may help inform the decisions that homeowners make when they decide to decorate, renovate, or modify a home. While “timeless” typically refers to those elements that have invested time, craftsmanship, and endurance, “trendy” elements often manifest as variations on an original timeless idea, but those which are often passing and short-term. According to @remodel_school’s Instagram reel, “Concepts are timeless, details are trendy.”

These are some excellent ways to think about elements in your home, whether it’s how you cover your walls, how you light a room, or which furniture you fill your space with. When decisions feel overwhelming, timelessness can ensure you invest your energy, money, and efforts into choices that can last for decades. While there is a definite place for trends you love in choosing smaller details, the base elements in your home, like flooring, tile, or countertops, should strive for a sense of timelessness and endurance.

When designers say something is a trend, it typically refers to a current moment in which a particular design is cropping up frequently in homes and home design-related media. Trends might be described as fashionable or chic, though they sometimes have an expiration date at which they become dated or unfashionable. While trends can be beautiful if done well, they can also be done hastily and without attention to craftsmanship and endurance, as with many popular DIY approaches and fast budget-friendly fixes to get a certain look. Trends can also refer to specific takes on more timeless elements, like the rise of shiplap paneling associated with modern farmhouse spaces that is a spin on wood paneling, or installing temporary peel-and-stick wall moldings to get the look of older European homes.  

A great example could be capitalizing on the more timeless element of wooden countertops by one of the many inexpensive hacks to get the look without actually utilizing real wood, or installing panels with planks on the wall to get the look of classic board and batten paneling seen in older homes. These short-term projects are usually interpretations of a timeless look without the endurance of materials, style, and construction. Telltale signs that even a seemingly timeless trend won’t last include oversaturation and shoddiness of construction. More transitory elements can also often be associated with trends, with decor elements like rugs, cushions, paint finishes, and lighting being easily changed out as trends change.

Timeless elements are often seen as those which have both craftsmanship and endurance. Not only does the latter ensure the former, especially in older homes, but the look of these elements, like classic millwork details or the value of real hardwood floors, often provide a backdrop that allows other trends to come and go. Classic home decor trends commonly manifest in new forms, like adding a DIY-paneled look to walls with planks of wood to mimic well-constructed board and batten paneled walls, but the popularity of hastily constructed or fashionable elements typically does not endure the way something with invested labor, time, and materials does.Another great example is wood flooring. While wood floors can be timeless, many designers advise against gray wood flooring, an especially current trendy and popular choice, instead investing in warmer wood tones and natural wood that are sure to remain stylish forever.

The difference between “timeless” and “trendy” is especially important when thinking about less frequently replaced elements like flooring, tile, counters, and finishes that endure decades of possible use and more of a time and financial investment to install or replace. Choosing timeless elements can provide a backdrop for you to explore trends that come and go while still keeping your basics like flooring or cabinetry simple and enduring.