Capture Timeless Beauty with Classic Interior Design Ideas
Perhaps, you’re renovating your HDB or starting fresh. Then, you’re probably wondering if there’s a style that will endure the test of time. The traditional interior is a look that not many will seek. Still, there’s always something charming about this old-age style.
The challenge is to create a classic interior design for a timeless and sophisticated look of your HDB flat.
The classic design interior is a mere reflection of what you’ll see in some century-old historical buildings. The mixture of bold colours and intricate accents will undoubtedly give your HDB interior a majestic spin on things. What’s more, there are plenty of classic interior design ideas to execute. What you need is just a little courage to readily bring back the old-time charm in your home.
What Does Classic Interior Design Mean?
Typically, traditional or classic is a general term that refers to a mix of interior design styles and concepts. While they have a common idea in mind, they don’t commit to a particular era or spirit. In this regard, it’s safe to say that classic interior design celebrates history by bringing in some modern elements.
The primary principle is to give the interior an elegant spin. Meanwhile, it focuses on highlighting the European interior trends of the 18th and 19th centuries. As a result, this style often exudes majestic elegance and comfort with a pinch of modernistic notes. This makes it the first choice for those who love classic art, symmetry and traditionalism.
What Makes Traditional Interior Design So Unique?
Typically, you will recognise the classic design interior by its rich, warm and cosy atmosphere. In this regard, the traditional style is both elegant and comforting while focusing on the details. It manages to mimic the timeless look of a European building with a historical past.
Traditionalism loves art in all forms and shapes, and so its fans. But any wall art is bound to fail at impressing without the proper lighting. Luckily, the classic interior design employs a wide range of chandeliers and table lamps as accent pieces.
Unlike many modern concepts that embrace neutral hues, this one has three classic colour combinations – blue, earthy, and creamy. You can experiment with different shades ranging from turquoise, cobalt, and sky blue, to beige, wood, and bohemian tones.
Apart from the cold tones, you can add warmth to your interior with greige, cream, and russet shades. You can further enhance the cosy atmosphere by mixing and matching bold-textured cushions, rugs, or carpets, a contrast to industrial interior design.
As a general rule of thumb, the bigger the prints, the more toned-down the looks.
How to Create a Classic Interior Design HDB flat?
By now, it’s clear that classic interior design doesn’t commit to one particular style or era. It’s more of a mix of extraordinary and even luxurious elements where symmetry is everything. For this reason, it requires a meticulous approach and lots of patience.
Here are the essential aspects of every classic design interior:
The Classic Design Interior Colours
If you’ve ever thought that the traditional style is dull and boring – forget it. This concept offers a lot more freedom than many other modern designs, especially in terms of colours.
Surprisingly, the classic interior design will save you from the lifeless white and neutral hues with some powerful tones.
In turn, the seemingly random combination of furnishings will quickly become a cohesive palette of bold colours. In other words, you should steer clear of contrasting or substantial colours like white and black.
The eclectic style focuses on infusing the interior with life through tones like turquoise, beige, creamy, sand-like colours, etc.
The Classic Design Interior Furnishings
The idea of not committing to any particular style can be quite challenging. Still, the classic interior design is the ultimate nod to history and a celebration of the traditional timeless look. In this regard, your first task is to get rid of any overly minimal and modern furniture, similar to rustic interior style.
Instead, you should rely on pieces with charming and unique quirks and designs. Find some items with architectural features like moulding and fixtures to complement the eclectic mix of traditional elements.
Also, make sure to avoid high-gloss and modern finds made of lacquer, veneer, or laminate.
Traditional Textiles
Much like the colour palette, there’s complete freedom in the use of textiles here. In other words, anything that blends in with the concept of the classic design interior is a go. Whether you pick antique tapestries or fresh gingham, there’s a myriad of options to choose from.
Typically, you should go for a natural combination of upholstered furniture and cushions. The main idea is to mix and match bold stripes. Just make sure you avoid geometric shapes because they may be too sterile for the luxe of traditionalism.
Classic Interior Design Accessories
One thing that plays an essential role in nailing the classic interior design is the accessory setup. You can use anything from mid-century modern to classical Chinese ideas. The decoration’s placement is crucial, and it’s really all that it takes to make your interior captivating and exciting.
Usually, it highlights the heavy accents, just like in any building with a historical past. The ornate and luxurious accessories are often the standard here. That’s why you should ensure you rely on goods of uncompromised quality.
Traditional Window Treatments
The window treatments are yet another essential part of the classic interior design style in Singapore. Perhaps, you may opt for the typical neutral-toned curtains and deal with the issue effortlessly. Still, the primary purpose of the traditional treatments is to induce a grown-up appeal and relaxed elegance.
A brilliant solution is floor-to-ceiling drapes in neutral tones and heavy velvet curtains in bold colours. You can complete your window treatments with a boxed valance or embroidered border to complement the rest of the interior.
A Classic Interior Design Room-by-Room Guide
Perhaps, you’ve gained some basic knowledge on how to create your classic interior design. Now, it’s time to get a more detailed insight into bringing in the traditional vibes at home. Read on the room-by-room guide to learn the specifics of nailing the timeless style in your HDB flat.
The Traditional Kitchen
The country interior kitchen exudes warmth and classic elegance, typical for the past French and English homes. Similarly, the classic-style kitchen shares most of these features, using muted creams, taupes, and even green tones.
The difference is in the mix of contrasting elements and the use of natural patterns and prints. Here, you won’t see any contemporary ideas or streamlined hardware. Instead, you should bring in attractive items with lots of details.
The Classic-Style Dining Room
The classic dining room plays a significant role in every traditional home. In this regard, you should ensure yours makes a statement, too. The age-old look is undoubtedly hard to achieve, but not impossible if you keep everything symmetrical.
Focus on selecting practical furniture with clean, straight lines that will give off a timeless and luxe feel. In most cases, you’d want to use inlaid wood, polished silver, or some decorative crystal items.
You can also make use of a China cabinet to showcase your silverware in a typical traditional manner.
The Traditional Living Room
The traditional living room is where you can safely build an eclectic mix of styles and eras. The only condition is to make everything work together with a consistent approach. Consider the placement of each piece wisely to achieve a harmonious look. You might also consider adding specific furniture to your living room area.
What’s more, you should put emphasis on some eye-moving elements. You can bring in some mismatched but statement-making pieces of furniture. Also, don’t forget to add some antique items and ornate accessories to complete your overall interior design in Singapore.
The Classic Bedroom
The bedroom is another crucial part of every classic design interior. As expected, you should do your best to make it the most enjoyable part of your HDB home. For example, you may decide to play with a soothing base to create a calm and serene environment. This will allow you to adorn the room with some vibrant pops of colour.
After all, the key to nailing the classic interior design is to use a bold foundation with quirky design styles. When you put everything together, you get a satisfying and cohesive look.
The Classic Bathroom Interior
Finally, there are plenty of bathroom interior design ideas to help you create the ultimate private zone. Needless to say, the excess use of glam detailing and crystal elements will make this place look lavish and decadent.
The intricate wall coverings and expensive materials will make for a truly unique bathroom design.
Define a focal point and add symmetrical details
A classic interior design encompasses richness, balance, and order. Therefore, symmetry plays a very important role in such a style. To start adding symmetry to any room, you first have to identify a focal point and build symmetry around it. The focal point can be a fireplace, mantle, or the window. You can even define your own focal point by choosing a sofa, for example.
Once you have the focal point, create symmetry in the space by adding elements in pairs. The point is to create mirror images with respect to the focal point. For example, you can place two identical chairs facing each other and a table in between them to create a separate space. Or you can place two identical vases on the mantle on each corner and a center decor piece. Such mirroring designs help create balance and harmony in a room which is the basis for a classic, timeless interior.
Artwork and ornate elements
Symmetry is also important when accessorizing any space and placing decoration items and artwork. Decor elements and ornamentation is an important feature of a classic design. However, to achieve balance and cohesion in the space, all these accessories must be placed in the right order. For example, you can place one large wall art in the center of one wall and arrange smaller wall hangings around it in a grid. When placing wall art on the wall next to a door, be sure to balance it by placing similar wall art on both sides of the door. You can also color coordinate the accessories and display similar colors together on one wall. Place some furniture which contrasts those colors next to the wall to create balance in that space.
Moreover, the kind of accessories you place in a classic design also add to its uniqueness. Mirrors, ornamented pieces, and works of art with ornate details all make good accessories for a classic design. Gold and silver antiques, carved wooden pieces, candlesticks, and precious marble items all can be used in this design. Furthermore, mirrors with gilded frames add a touch of elegance and class to the interior while also helping in making the room appear bigger.
Unique walls as backdrop
The classic style boasts unusual architecture, especially the walls which serve as a beautiful backdrop for all the furniture and other elements. To bring a modern touch to such unique walls, you can create patterned and textured walls and place the other elements in the room while considering that wall as backdrop. Moreover, you can also create plaster decorative patterns or frames on the walls which will make the room look elegant and stylish.
Also, don’t just focus on the walls but include the ceiling as well when you plan. You can create intricate details on the ceiling or fix an ornate, crystal chandelier there. There is no better way to bring a classic touch to any interior than a regal and intricate chandelier!
Use of natural materials
A classic interior design is dominated by the use of natural materials with much detailing and ornamentation. Therefore, choose wooden furniture and flooring to bring that earthly theme to the interior. Opt for marble countertops and decorative items. When selecting fabric for curtains, upholstery, and bed linen, choose natural materials like cotton, silk, and linen. However, don’t keep them too simple. Add details in the form of patterns and textures. Use soft colors for the major items, but add a pop of color to balance the appearance and to not make it too dull.
Use layers of curtains with heavy, luxurious drapes on the front and sheer curtains at the back. This not only helps in ensuring that the light entering the room is subdued, but also creates a regal touch. Similarly, add fur elements with cotton and woolen upholstery to bring a smooth transition between the textures. All these elements and colors will balance each other in harmony to create a timeless design.
Pay attention to flooring
As mentioned above, hardwood flooring is probably your safest bet when it comes to creating a classic, timeless interior. However, only adding hardwood flooring will not create a classic design since this design should also depict class, elegance, and decoration. Therefore, heavy rugs and carpets are a must on hardwood flooring. The rugs can be simple and elegant or can be rich and vibrant. Turkish rugs with intricate patterns, paisleys, and motifs go perfectly well in a classic design.
However, when selecting a rug, pay attention to how it matches with other elements of the room. You should follow the overall color scheme of the room, otherwise the rug would appear out of place. Try to match the carpet with the curtains and choose contrasting or complementing upholstery colors and patterns. If your upholstery has an abstract theme, select an abstract carpet. On the contrary, if the upholstery features motifs and traditional patterns, stick to similar style carpets to maintain balance in the space.
Embellished and carved structures
Classic interior design is all about intricate details, ornamentation, and elegance. The traditional design is dominated by moldings, carvings, and embellished structures not just on the walls but the ceiling as well. Intricate wooden carvings or antique carvings on the walls can help create the classy ambience that you desire in such a design. However, to add a modern touch to this interior, you can create patterns on the walls and ceiling with embellished details. Gold and silver accents on plaster moldings and frames on the wall create a very royal touch. Use various forms of lighting like indirect lighting and lamps to further accentuate all the details and add a dramatic effect in the space. While natural sunlight is best during daytime to illuminate this design, warm modern lighting in the form of lamps, accents, indirect, and recessed lighting help enhance the interior during nighttime.
Add luxurious drapes
If you think that adding too many intricate details and ornamentation might become too expensive for you, then a simple and cheap trick to achieve a classy look in the interior is to invest in luxurious drapes. Curtains are one of the most overpowering elements of any room; whenever you walk into a room, the curtains help create the first impression and overall ambience of the room, followed by other details. So if the curtains are classy, elegant, and luxurious, it will definitely help set a classy mood for the room. Choose high-quality, heavy fabric for the curtains and try to add layers of different fabrics in them. Invest in beautifully designed and tailored pelmets to cover the curtain railings and to give a beautiful combined effect with the curtains.
Traditional patterns
Choosing traditional patterns like motifs and paisleys for the curtains, upholstery and other fabrics also help create the classic and timeless look. Mixed fabrics like velvet and damask can be an excellent choice for curtains and upholstery. Such fabric also goes very well with antique and Victorian furniture. Classy ornamental details like chandeliers and embellished structures can further be enhanced by using these patterned fabrics. When soft colors are combined with a few bold colors and traditional patterns, the result is a rich and elegant space that is bound to endure the test of time.
What is classic in interior design?
A classic interior design is depicted as a coherent and balanced design greatly influenced by traditional patterns from the European 18th and 19th century. The furniture and other decorative details also have their roots in that era with antique Victorian furniture and decorative items taking up much of the interior.
What makes a timeless interior?
A timeless interior is one that can never go out of style; no matter what the trends are of that particular era, a timeless design has a class and elegance that is unmatched and does not appear temporary. A classic interior design can be considered timeless since it boasts elegance, comfort, and functionality.
What is modern classic interior design?
A modern classic interior is also called a modern traditional interior. In this design, the elegance of traditional ornate furniture and patterns is combined in a beautiful harmony with the sleek and simple elements of a modern design. When the “then” elements of a traditional design are paired with the “now” elements, the result is a beautiful, elegant, and timeless interior.
What colors are modern classic?
Modern classic look can be achieved by choosing colors like white, black, gray, silver, and brown with a touch of some bold colors here and there including teal, blue, and yellow. The idea is to use soft colors in the majority of the items and just add a pop of bright and bold color everywhere to uplift the room’s appearance and avoid it from becoming too dull and boring.
Final Thoughts
All in all, it’s safe to say that classic interior design is a challenge for true enthusiasts. Indeed, everybody can make their home look like it came out of an interior design magazine. But the real mastery lies in creating the ultimate timeless living space.
Now that you know, it’s clear that traditionalism is not all about staying in the past. The secret lies in building an eclectic mix of classic looks with some modern elements. Ultimately, you’ll create a captivating yet cosy interior that will stand the test of time.
Swiss Interior is one of the top interior designers in Singapore. If you are looking for similar ideas for your condo interior design, you can find out more about our work from our design portfolio. We provide renovation services, HDB interior design services and renovation packages as well. For more info, you can contact us to book a meeting.
About Swiss Interior
Swiss Interior is a leading interior design company in Singapore since 2012. Led by founders Jason and Ronnie, the Swiss team serves customers from all walks of life, delivering bespoke and dream interior design and renovation services to all homeowners in Singapore.
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- Singapore outstanding enterprise award (2013)
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- First ID firm to win 1 Week Kitchen Challenge by HomeRenoGuru (2019)
- Featured in NOC RenoKing (2020)
- HomeRenoGuru Top 10 ID Firm (2020, 2021)
- Featured in CNA Lifestyle Making Room (2021)
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- Featured in HomeStyle Magazine Year End Cover Page (2021)
- Featured in Sheikh Haikel & Anna Belle Francis DreamHome (2022)
- Sidac Accreditation (2022)