Old World-style homes are designed with a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere that resembles an old European estate or manor. The hallmark of this style is the comfort and broken-in look that shows the wear and tear of use. The use of natural materials, attention to detail, and a mix of cultural influences make it a timeless and beautiful design.
The hallmark of Old World design is the use of distressed finishes, deep and rich colors, luxurious fabrics, and earthy and organic materials. Textured walls, hand-trawled windows, and tumbled marble are examples of the style. Distressed, matte, and honed finishes are preferred over highly polished ones.
The Old World aesthetic is a beautiful and timeless style that celebrates the history and culture of bygone eras. Its attention to detail, use of natural materials, and eclectic mix of cultural influences make it a popular choice for modern interior design.
A client approached Decorilla seeking guidance on transforming a newly built Craftsman-style home. They wanted to create a timeless and inviting atmosphere while incorporating old-world charm. Julia offers unique, rental-friendly ways to incorporate personalization into the space.
Old World style is a beautiful mix of various design conventions from 16th- and 17th-century Europe, including Old World, Tuscan, Mediterranean, Spanish Colonial, French Country, Californian, Napa, Sonoma, Santa Barbara, rustic, country, desert, and lodge. Old World home decor brings a distinct charm to your abode, with tapestries, sculptures, area rugs, and artwork adding medieval flair.
📹 7 Things to Thrift to Get That Ralph Lauren Cottage Look
Today I’m sharing 7 things I look for when shopping secondhand to add some Ralph Lauren style to our home. Our home is ever …
How do I make my room old fashioned?
A vintage aesthetic bedroom is a combination of personal style and appreciation for the past. It involves choosing vintage-inspired or actual antique furniture, such as bed frames, vanity mirrors, and dressers, to add elegance and nostalgia. Soft and muted color palettes, such as pastel hues like blush pink, mint green, or light blue, and floral prints, damask patterns, or toile designs, can enhance the vintage feel. Incorporating vintage textiles like lace curtains, embroidered pillowcases, or crocheted bedspreads adds romance and vintage charm.
Vintage accessories, such as antique picture frames, lamps, alarm clocks, and art pieces, can also evoke nostalgia. Displaying vintage items like old books, cameras, or jewelry boxes can also add to the overall ambiance. Lighting fixtures with a vintage or retro look, such as chandeliers with crystal droplets, vintage-style table lamps with fabric shades, or wall sconces with an antique finish, can enhance the vintage atmosphere.
Additional decorative details, such as decorative ceiling medallions, crown molding, or vintage-inspired wallpaper, can elevate the vintage aesthetic. Wall art, such as botanical prints, antique maps, or posters, can add visual interest and a sense of history to the room.
Creating a vintage aesthetic bedroom involves combining vintage elements with modern conveniences to create a comfortable and inviting space that feels both nostalgic and timeless.
How do you make walls look old world?
Color washing is a simple technique that adds old-world charm to any room by applying a thin, translucent glaze over a contrasting base color. Feathery brush strokes create a soft texture, making it suitable for various rooms like kitchens, family rooms, dens, or master suites. To begin, prime the surface with True Value EasyCare Ultra Premium Interior Primer/Sealer and roller. After drying, apply a base color using True Value EasyCare Ultra Premium Interior Paint, then apply a glaze/paint mixture, like washing the wall. Allow the top coat to dry.
What is the difference between New and Old World?
Since the 16th century, the term “New World” has been used to refer to the American continents, which were previously unknown to Europeans, who were more familiar with Europe, Asia, and Africa.
How do you make an old fashioned house look modern?
Designing an old home can be a challenge due to its unique qualities and the need for customization. While some aspects of an old home can be challenging to update, there are smaller tweaks and redesigns that can be effective. Some ideas include setting the design style and color palette, replacing a major focal point, repainting just one wall, swapping out hardware, rethinking the fireplace, adding temporary wallpaper, switching out soft goods, and implementing peel-and-stick tiles.
Despite the difficulty of making serious changes, small tweaks and redesigns can be effective. Trusted Interior Decorators from Angi can help transform your space into the home of your dreams, ensuring that every home is a unique expression of its homeowners.
Is Tuscan style outdated?
The Tuscan Kitchen aesthetic is a home design style that is no longer considered contemporary. It is crucial to ensure that one’s design style does not inadvertently convey a sense of age or obsolescence. Although trends may impart a contemporary aesthetic, they are not static and evolve over time. An overreliance on a single trend may ultimately result in the style becoming dated, particularly if it is not flexible enough to accommodate changes in taste.
What is a traditional decorating style?
The traditional style of interior design, drawing inspiration from 18th and 19th-century designs, incorporates a variety of materials and patterns. These include silk, linen, and velvet upholstery; damask window coverings; floral motifs; stripes and plaids; and ornately detailed dark wood. These elements collectively evoke a sense of history and glamour in a space.
Why is it called Old World?
In the European perspective, the term “Old World” is used to refer to Europe, Asia, and Africa, as these were the areas with which Europeans were most familiar. Prior to the Age of Discovery, the Americas were largely unknown to Europeans.
What is the old world decorating style?
Old World design features a muted color palette with rich and deep shades like navy, forest green, cream, burgundy, almond, beige, and ocher. Dark finishes on wood and distressed gold or silver accents are common. Paint, glaze, and sandpaper are used to create a vintage look. Textures are a significant part of this style, found in furniture, walls, ceilings, and fabrics like brocades, damask, leather, silk, and velvet. Aubusson rugs and details like fringe, tassels, and beaded trim also contribute to textures.
Tapestry patterns, large scroll and floral patterns, animal prints, and map prints are also popular choices. Earthy materials like granite, limestone, and terra-cotta create primitive textures, while luxurious fabrics like velvet and brocade soften the look.
What does old world style mean?
Old World design is characterized by a comfortable, lived-in aesthetic, frequently incorporating textures, hand-trawled windows, and tumbled marble. In contrast to highly polished, reflective surfaces, there is a preference for distressed, matte, and honed finishes.
What are the 4 types of decorative design?
Decorative design can be categorized into naturalistic, conventional, stylized, abstract, and geometric designs. These designs should be used in moderation, strategically placed at structural points to strengthen an object’s shape, with enough background space for simplicity and dignity. Surface patterns should cover surfaces quietly, and background shapes should be carefully studied and beautiful.
The decoration should be suitable for the material and its service it provides. Examples include surface enrichment on pots and bowls, creative art at structural points, and application work on table cloths.
How do I update an old world style home?
To update an old-world home’s color palette, opt for neutral hues like soft grays, warm creams, and pale blues to create a modern aesthetic. Blend traditional elements with sleek, modern furnishings and accessories, such as antique furniture and minimalist coffee tables. Embrace minimalism by streamlining decor, prioritizing quality over quantity, and allowing architectural details to take center stage. Streamline furnishings and accessories, focusing on quality over quantity.
Integrate smart home technology to enhance convenience and efficiency while blending with the home’s aesthetics, concealing wiring and devices discreetly within walls or furniture. This will maintain the timeless elegance of your old-world decor.
📹 How to Add Old World Charm to Your Home – 5 Easy Ways! | OLD WORLD
… how to add old world charm to your home, how to make your home look old, how to tastefully use antiques, old world style, how …
Lovely home. I was wondering at what point as an adult did you realize this was the style you would follow? Sometimes it takes one a long time to settle on a decorating style to live with. I spent several years floundering until I found my way into a very traditional style…and it has been tweaked over time…I’m 75!
Good morning, Hilary! I’m not sure how many times I’ve watched this inspiring episode, but would love an even deeper dive into how you “research”, or find inspiration on this gorgeous look. Perhaps, the overall elements that constitute the style and whatever other specific items you look for second hand. Have a lovely day!
I agree. The horns are not my thing, but I agree with the others. My last home was decorated in very much this RL/old world style. My current home is the complete opposite. I started out with mid century modern with a lot of aqua, and over the past 2 years have moved into more traditional, with a lot of pinks, the furniture is a bit more art deco inspired, with my twist to keep it fresh. I do love my dark cherry wood furniture 🙂 My oldest brother loves Ralph Lauren. He has virtually every polo shirt ever made by that company.
I love your articles! I’ve gone through your older articles and seen how your style has changed and been refined. I feel like you have a very iconic style. Yet full of warmth and individuality. I would love to see more articles like this one. It could be an Ralph Lauren series. Thank you for all your hard work in creating these articles.
I love this style but I will add to please sometimes call it what it is, which is English Country. From a decor and design perspective it’s less confusing to say English Country since Ralph Lauren is a brand not necessarily a type of design style or decor. Ralph Lauren is very heavily influenced by English country style. Your home is beautiful. ❤️🇬🇧❤️🇬🇧
I love your style. I like to call mine country-rustic-modern-by the coast 😆 I spent a while obsessed with Pioneer Woman decor. I finally realized it was just too visually overwhelming for me. That’s when I realized I can love the look of something without loving it for my home. Sold my collections. Bought soothing tones (and whites dishes). My husband builds a lot of our furniture too!
Your home is so tasteful and functional at the same time. I have a lot of the same elements except for the artwork. I have picked up artwork of a lot of landscapes and things that I like. I need to edit that down and maybe add some newer touches, more classic. I think I’ll watch this article several times to help me transition a little bit more so that I don’t have such a hodgepodge look. Thanks for simplifying this Hillary!
Not sure if it fits the RL style but you didn’t mention the metals, candle sticks, bowls and vases. You have such a great collection of metals and have them displayed perfectly. I like that you actually use them as well. Maybe a article show casing all your metals, where you found them and of course your eye for bargains. TY
This is definitely my style. I love a good matted and framed art print and have them everywhere, even my kitchen I also love brass candlesticks and footed little pots for plants or small items And I also have a collection of walking sticks in a large glazed ceramic tall vessel. Very RL for sure . And any dishes or tureens or vases in blue and white are my obsession.
Your home is beautiful. It’s crazy how long it has taken me to figure out my style, and I still don’t really fall into a category. I do like a very traditional look but with a leather masculine library look coupled with a lodge look LOL! All in neutrals! I’ve watched your style change over the years…it really takes some time to know what style is “yours”!
I so love your ideas. I was going to ask you where did you get those awesome curtains? So glad you shared this. I have wanted to use them in my home but need black out since we face west and get the afternoon sun. I must find some and maybe I could back them with something to help with sun. Thank you so much for these great timeless ideas. I love the old world lived in look myself . It is so comfortable and homey.
Ralph Lauren is also one of my favorite brands to buy. I easily get hooked on something that’s tagged Ralph Lauren. Have found many comforters but had to recently turn them down because it’s too bulky to wash (no duvet inserts). Also love the warm tones and yes the classic style. After perusal this article, I’m going to the thrift store to check out what Ralph Lauren treasures or any other treasures I may find.
I like many aspects of RL but I also find it a bit cluttered as a whole. But, in any styles I usually can find ideas as to how to hang things or style items that wouldn’t have occurred to me, like the stag horns. I have a section of wall that I did baskets. I love it but one spot is missing something and didn’t want another basket. That would be perfect. Thanks.
Thank you for helping define the Ralph Lauren style for me. My husband likes this style so I want to incorporate some into our home. I think it is a timeless look, but I prefer the way you have styled your lovely home rather than some of the photos you showed. Your home is so put-together with such interesting pieces that all fit well together. My favorite element is the blue and white pottery and I am always looking for that. I would love the find some blue and white lamps.
Your home is lovely and I’ve followed you for some time, so it’s nice to see the evolution of your style. I live near the water in NJ, so I’m partial to lighthouses, walnut-type woods, sailing ships. My favorite colors are burgundy, all shades of green as well as neutrals. Even so, I’m highly allergic to kitsch! You seem to incorporate all colors beautifully so that all live together harmoniously. Great job! -Pat:shelterin::chillwcat:
Thank you for simple examples & inspiration! I had my “design style” all figured out until we moved into a 1901 four square that lends towards cape code style homes… Living in a community near the water changes your perspective! I’m quickly growing to appreciate the timeless style of Ralph Lauren/East coast preppy.
I have a houseful of solid maple furniture, interspersed with a few antique furniture pieces to keep it from being totally Colonial. I have teamed it with a rich dark brown leather couch and dining room chairs. Also, hard new dark hardwood floors, installed and it has grounded the maple furniture. I use accessories & pictures that pull out colours from rugs to keep it cohesive. Thankfully, lots of natural light. Finding your style takes time and supplementing what you have sometimes.
I’ve had this navy blue RL jacket and the shoulders and elbow patches are a dark brown Corduroy. I later splurged on some RL dark brown boots. Its the only RL I own that I paid full price for 10 + years ago. I look forward to wearing it every fall. I painted my guest bedroom top half tan and bottom half in navy blue. I put in all new trim between the two colors and at the base of the wall that I painted in a cream color and did the door. I then did crown molding base color in cream let it dry and slightly watered down the navy and dripped it down along the top edges, with a blow dryer on low setting and made so cool effects. Then for the raised details I added small hints of gold. This room make over took me 10 days and that was also removing the popcorn ceiling, texturing, priming & paint. I am almost done I plan to do a compass decal around the boob light …which I did in my old place and everybody liked it, and I’ve always got friends and family asking me for help decorating that I don’t get my own projects finished. So I was redoing my friends bathroom and I couldn’t reach an area from the Ladder, so I stepped on the toilet seat and it flew out from underneath me like a flying saucer and I twisted and fell, my head and shoulder hit the back of their laundry machine which is also located in the bathroom. I broke my shoulders and sprained my ankle. My husband said no more helping others…cause the hospital bills were outrageous. So when I’m healed I hope to finish my guest room.
LOVE the old vintage Ralph Lauren look! Back in the 80’s there was an outlet that the RL seconds went too and my mom, sis and I had almost every pattern then! Almost all the sheets and pillows shams etc we used for YEARS and YEARS and wore out! As we got married and established our own homes, we traded around the different RL bedding etc that we had- now most all of it is gone and I have been thrifting for it! I have found quite a bit at thrift stores and I am loving doing the layered bed look again with the vintage 80’s RL linens! My best score was 2 gorgeous wool plaid RL pillows this past year for $5 each!!! The plaid that you showed on the chair in your latest article and said the tassels were messed up. I almost did a happy dance in the thrift store!!!! So glad someone shared your website with me today! Blessings on you!
I love blue and white pieces, and I’m always on the lookout for blue and white plates to hang on the wall that do not have an Asian motif to them. I find them to be very hard to find! I really like all of your tips and I will be incorporating them more into my traditional home. I do still like to add unexpected colors like hot pink every now and then (I know it sounds weird haha). Great article!
Oh my! This was great and much appreciated! I have watched two such articles today that really helped me zero in on my style as I spruce up here shortly for the fall months! I had forgotten that I had stag horns stashed away that I always meant to add some moss to the mount where the leather covers where it’s mounted. ( a loss for the correct terms😂) I noticed that there was a bit of gold/brass in some of these pictures and I think that works great as added charm as long as it doesn’t go from Ralph Lauren to Laura Ashley. I am definitely incorporating brass into my autumn decor. It just adds a touch of class. Love your home!❤️
This article is right in my wheel house. My husband and I are redoing our family room in this exact style – simple elegant but very inviting and cozy. Warmth is a great sensation when you walk into a home and it says hello and welcome- that is what we strife for. Be well, God bless and thank you for sharing this and your home with us.
NEED MORE DESIGN HELP? One month FREE! YouTube viewers can join my OLD WORLD DESIGN SOCIETY free! Click here: old-world-design-society.circle.so/checkout/youtube-special-offer Today I’ll get you up to date on the kitchen floor project. We’ve begun to tear out the kitchen floors and I’ve started hanging my Monet tile above the range! We’re diving into this podcast-style talk about your home and exactly how to source and incorporate these ideas. You’re going to LOVE it. READ TODAY’S BLOG: parisiennefarmgirl.com/5-ways-to-add-old-world-charm-to-your-home and for the blogs delivered right to you, make sure you’re on my list, darling! parisienne-farmgirl.ck.page/profile
I am subscribed to Cabana magazine and World of Interiors and I often compare their articles to American interiors that are too new and perfect. My sofa is over 100 years old, I had it redone and am making a slip cover but friends suggest a ‘new’ sofa, no way! Drapes are important, generous ones with trim. Old worn rugs are great and I have a lot of those ! Old lamps and handmade shades using old Indian saris make a great statement. My china is all mismatched and my saucepans old copper that I had retinned. Pillows made from scraps of old embroidery or offcuts of gorgeous fabric. Odd chairs around an old table with seat pads in scrap fabric. I used old tiles patchworked behind my copper pans and sink. I am moving again into a much smaller house so I drew up a grid and cut out grid shapes of my essentiel furniture to ‘fit’ them into the rooms before moving. I buy old frames and do my own framing, sometimes painting them like old ebony. I recently took to painting and patinating furniture in an antique Italian style, great fun. I worked in couture in Paris for many years but it’s interior design that really is my passion.
I think your fantastic and I come to watch your content becomes you add value to my life. You inspire me to do better at adding beauty to myself and my family. I know it takes effort and I want to make that effort after perusal and listening to you. Please don’t listen to anyone who is not giving you that same treatment. You are a treasure and that’s what you should be holding onto after reading your comment section ❤
I really like perusal your articles. They’re very inspiring. I’ve been on a mission of acquiring antique furniture. I have a French chair that was my aunt’s. It’s been slow, but extremely rewarding. Everything has either been off of Marketplace or an antique store. My next mission is to acquire some copper pots & pans. I’m not really sure how to go about that right now. Would you know where I would need to look?
I used joint compound skip trowel it but super thin in multi directions it made the walls gave the texture of Venetian plaster. Then used a semi gloss paint so the texture a showed better. I actually wish I had done it with bothe semi gloss and mat . But when tge light hits it its soooo great looking. Also I made t g e corners imperfect so hey look hand plastered.
I’ve got 12-over-8 hand blown wavy/bubbly original colonial windows that make me so happy. But, on the flip side, upstairs is a full-on 1940 art deco hexagonal chrome-palooza, floor-to-ceiling white 4″x4″ tile, pistachio suite bathroom. That whiplash juxtaposition is truly the nature of old homes. These are great design ideas to help create a bridge between design eras!! We can’t afford to do a full reno on anything right now; and it can be overwhelming to have 7′ ceilings with horsehair plaster walls- it can feel limiting. This talk really expands affordable design concept insight for my old house!! Thank you Angela!!❤
Thanks Angela for an informative article. I love French country and focus my dining room in that design. To make one wall look like plaster I took crumpled tissue paper and then applied it with the paint on the wall . It WAS easily overlapped to meld into the crinkles that made the plaster appearance. I m tempted to do whole room but at 74my little ailments hold me back. Thank you for sharing your home and ideas.
I love a home that looks lived in, not one that is staged. decorating articles and tik tok all look alike cause they get all their stuff from pottery barn or magnolia etc. even if they thrift they still try to mimic the look. i don’t like a carbon copy of my things. one reason i like to buy art from garage sales and thrift stores, you know not everyone else is going to have the same thing.
Your website was recommended to me today and you gave a lot of really great suggestions. Prior to 2020 my husband and I travelled to Europe regularly, to this day…. if it wasn’t for our family… I would move there in a heartbeat. I’m fortunate to have a weekend country home a few hours north of Manhattan that is older, and has many of the things you are suggesting. I have one big pet peeve and that is non functioning outdoor shutters. I have been looking high, and low, and scouring every Architectural salvage place to find the shutters used in Italy/France/England. I have seen them all over Europe at markets, salvage, and antique shops, but can’t find anything in the US. I guess when I make it to Europe again I’ll have to buy them there, and ship them home😂. I look forward to perusal more of your articles 😊.
I love perusal you and I think your home is beautiful but I’ve had old world design my whole life. My background and then living in a 100 year old house for close to 30 years I love my small new house for retirement. I feel like it’s not cookie cutter but I like having everything new for cleaning etc. I guess I’ll get out some of my old hand me downs linens,quilts etc and drape them around.
Love this! Listening brought to mind a fabulous salvage store in Ft Worth we used to visit. I love stainglass over newer windows. My 1960 home has horizontal bedroom windows. I hung an old hand embroidered linen piece over a window using clip on rings. . I think the piece was originally made for a fireplasce mantel but it’s living it’s best life now as a widow covering. Vintage linens grace my utility room door as well. Shelves around kitchen display vintage finds.
We bought a 1990s house it looks cottagey it has a few lovely gables and metal roof. It needed renovating as it had been stripped of anything metal,wiring and even doors ..We used to have an antique shop and had a salvage pile .We used a lot of stuff from the pile .cast iron triple bowl sink and a metal sink unit,doors,pieces of granite my husband made counter tops from,we also sold concrete statuary so we used a lot of odds and ends in the garden .We havnt Bought anything new except for bedding .
Gosh I live in a very old home. Originally this home didn’t have a indoor kitchen or bathroom. When additions were built on the water pipes are on the inside of the walls. There are pros and cons to it, heating being one of them. Angelia is right, doors and windows can make a room, after all a room is a ceiling, floor and four walls. I love the old doors in England with the ornate black iron straps on them. My husband is going to build the doors for our home. FYI; Wave glass can be purchased for windows that make them look old.