Timeless Design

​One of my most controversial design opinions is that timeless design... just doesn't exist.  This is especially evident in kitchens and bathrooms.  The desire to achieve timeless, sedate design has become a trend the last few years.  But what does that really mean? And is it even attainable?

When people talk about timeless design, they are rarely doing so within design context.  Not only have our needs changed in homes over the last century, but how we achieve our goals within our homes has as well.  A century ago, many homes didn't have what we do in our kitchens.  Even in my turn-of-the-century neighborhood, there are plenty of homes with kitchen and bathroom additions, as these weren't originally in the house.  Outdoor privies and well pumps were the "timeless" kitchens and bathrooms, because the only thing that really exists across time is function.

​​Kitchens

​We have come a long way in cooking technology and in design.  Built in cabinets, gas- and magnetic-fired stoves, and refrigerators are all expected in kitchens now, not to mention dishwashers and microwaves.  These spaces are deeply grounded in time and in the needs of families who have lived in them. 

That's a good thing.

Bathrooms

​The needs and desires in our bathrooms have also changed since the advent of indoor plumbing -more its municipal and rural implementation- but those desires are subjectively quite nebulous.  Bathroom deisgn now ranges from tiny efficient spaces to expansive private spas.  

I personally love an efficient space, so my small bathrooms make sense for how I live and within the context of our bungalow.

Context

​The context of our spaces: the year it was built, when major modifications happened, and the needs of the people living in it, are what determine what works in a home.  The quest for timelessness neuters out the context of a home: timelessness can remove character-defining features or even treat them like a detriment instead of part of the historical context of the home.  The hated term is "dated."  But dated spaces aren't bad... They just exist in a context that isn't brand new.  At some point, the "dated millwork" between my living and dining rooms was removed, and made way for a 1940's style archway between the spaces.  Over time, trends change, and what we define as timeless changes along with it.  Would I love my dated millwork?  Of course!  It would be a character-defining feature!  But the archway is character-defining in a different way: the context changed, and our house changed along with it.

So, I don't think about the "timeless" trend.  I think about cohesion and period, character-defining details.  New spaces can fall into a few familiar categories: restoration, renovation, and rehabilitation.

​Restoration

​Restoration would be me tearing out the back half of my kitchen, converting it back to a porch and vestibule.  I would get rid of my refrigerator, my large sink for single-basin drainboard, and my range would be replaced with a freestanding stove: likely a wood burning potbelly stove.  Since I have a dining room buffet, I may not have cabinets at all, but a small cupboard would be fitting in my kitchen.

For my bathroom, not much of the layout would be wholly different from how it is now: it'd have a toilet, wall mounted or pedestal sink, and a tub without a shower.  Both the kitchen and bathroom had stamped plaster terminating at 42". 

Renovation

Renovated homes are altered without the connection to the rest of the structure.  Like a modern kitchen in a historic home, these don't connect with the period of the home.  What we consider "timeless" right now is often a trendy renovation.  Since a timeless, traditional design sense has been in style in recent years, we've lost the sense that even if it feels timeless now, it's going to feel very attuned to the 2020s in another decade.  

Things like monochromatic kitchens and bathrooms filled with stainless appliances (a trend that is shifting already), freestanding tubs, light tile or slab backsplashes... These will be as ubiquitous with current style as honey oak and beige tiles are with the late 90's/early 2000s.

That's not a bad thing.

Still, how do we create something that fits within an ever-evolving structure? First, Forget "Timeless."

​Rehabilitation

​I've stopped thinking about anything in design as timeless, and reframed how I approach historic homes as being contextual: design is a conversation between what a homeowner needs and what the building is.  This reframing turns me to period-imspired rehabilitation.

My design process always starts with three things: What do I have?  What do I need? How big is the space?

Bedrooms need charging spaces, storage, and more wall space that any other room.  Dining areas need the least wall space, but they need good lighting.  Living spaces need to be adaptable; they need to function for entertainment and for conversation.  Kitchens need a stove, sink, and fridge. Plus storage for the necessities.  We have a lot more gadgets than generations before us, and they all need to live somewhere. Bathrooms need a toilet and sink, plus a tub and shower.

What is the age of the house?  What details from that time period speak to how you love now?  The sanitary kitchens of the early 20s mean that white subway tile and my salvaged enamel sink from the 40s fits my house completely, even if it's not trendy.  The fir cabinets are stained to match the original basement door and window casings, even though a painted kitchen would be just as fitting.  And in the bathroom the fixtures from the 50s fit the shapes of the what would have been in it in the 20s, while helping us have our needs met in the small space.  

I don't design for "timeless." Mostly, "timeless" design is useful for people preparing to sell their homes.  If you plan to stay, design for you!  Let your personality drive how you live in your own home, and let the style of your home speak to you.  Period-inspired spaces are really what make a home feel like it exists out of the constraints of time.