Non-Trendy Decorating

If you’re like me, you like to read blogs about home decorating to get inspiration or see new ideas that spark creativity.  The downside to reading blogs about home decorating is that often times, whatever is currently ‘on trend’ is a lot of what you will see. 

But what if you’re not necessarily looking for whatever look is currently ‘on trend’?   What if you’re not really exactly sure of what your one particular ‘style’ is?  Or, you do know what your particular style is (and it’s not ‘on trend’), but you just need a few ideas that will help with making your home look put together, comfortable, welcoming. 

To that end, I wanted to offer some ideas about non-trendy decorating that you can use almost anywhere in your home, no matter what your style is. These ideas can be used on a coffee table, a dining table, a mantel, a book shelf or bakers rack. And many of these ideas incorporate 5 pieces may already be in your home.  

Here is a list of 5 non-trendy décor pieces:  

Runners

Trays

Books

Chicken Wire

Natural Elements:  Pine Cones, Pears, Wine Corks, Shells, Plants

These 5 non-trendy decor pieces have been used for years and years (decades even!), and will never be ‘off-trend’.  They are already in your home, at your fingertips, ready to be used at any time, in any season.  These are tools that are part of your decorating arsenal, helping to make your home uniquely yours.  (Just a quick note: I have selected photos to highlight the exact decor piece I am discussing.  But you will notice that many of these photos contain 2, 3 even 4 of the decor pieces I have listed.)

Enough jibber-jabber. Let’s get started. From the bottom up. Literally.

Runners: 

A runner acts as a frame, or as a foundation piece.  It defines the area that the composition will be built on it.  They are most often used on coffee tables and dining tables, but there are no rules.  If a runner fits on a mantle, or works on a book case, then of course it belongs there.  A runner is a natural companion to a tray.  Underneath a tray, a runner acts as a background piece, contributing to the overall look, feel and design you are creating.

A pretty uncomplicated grouping is this pillow-ticking runner, a pair of candle holders, a book with a plant, and a rooster. (Okay, the rooster is optional.)

This little grouping pulls together a runner, and a picture frame that surrounds a tray. The ‘kerchief’ vase holds berry stems. And the lantern sitting on top of the book holds berries and pine cones.

In this case, the bright red plaid runner takes center stage !

Trays:  

You would think that that a tray is … just a tray. Well, look again.  They come in so many sizes, shapes, colors, heights, depths, angled, round…whew!  I get breathless just thinking about it!  They come in wood, plastic, bamboo, wire, metal, cane. They come in a myriad of colors as well.

An old chest serves as the foundation for a burlap runner, metal tub ‘tray’, filled with old books and floral stems. Photo courtesy of Sara Joy Blog.

These gladiolus stems in a glass vase are sitting on a summery tray with scattered shells. The neutral runner (and candle holders) help with the summery feel.

The rich, dark colors in the runner and the stems work well with the combination of wood, metals and wine corks! I like this quiet salute to fall.

Here is an easy combination of a rattan tray and a chicken wire egg bucket filled with wine corks. A white pitcher, green stems, and a candle round out a very casual coffee table.

A tray serves to corral a grouping.   Their shape defines how you will arrange the various pieces in your grouping.  This can be both liberating and challenging.  Are 3 pieces not enough?  Are 5 pieces too many?  (I am referring to the rule of odd numbers when creating a vignette.)  The tray you use will determine those answers.  

Runners and trays are excellent examples of non-trendy decorating. They are classic, timeless, and will always be a necessary part of any display or arrangement in our home.  And, maybe I shouldn’t say this, but…you don’t always need to use a tray! And, you don’t always need to use a runner.  There is versatility and flexibility in this process.  The decisions are all up to you!

Books:  

I love how these images show how books fit in as part of non-trendy decorating.  There are some truly creative ways to use books.  Stack them this way and that, stair step them, spines facing out, pages facing out.  Older books especially add a warm, organic feel to a grouping or display.   Older, vintage books are definitely having a moment these days.  I see them for sale on-line at nearly laughable (or sometimes shocking) prices.  Often times they can be found (maybe not easily) at estate sales, and in antique malls or thrift shops in smaller, rural towns.

A stack of books arranged in front of an old frame and complemented with eucalyptus stems in a vintage pitcher. Photo courtesy of Southern Designs and Finds.

This mantel grouping of a mirror, a bust, books and a topiary shows how versatile books can be. Photo courtesy of Linens and Twigs.

These creatively displayed books support a plaid pumpkin, along with sprays of fall berries and pinecones. Photo courtesy of Shiplap and Shells.

Chicken Wire:

“Hold on a minute!” I can hear you saying.  “How is chicken wire NOT trendy?  It played a huge role in the whole ‘Farmhouse’ trend!”.  No argument here; it was and is a big part of farmhouse.  But did chicken wire just show up right around time ‘Farmhouse’ exploded?  Of course not.  Kind of like buffalo check fabric (which has also been around for decades!), chicken wire conveys a sort of sweet, simple, down-home comfort. Put chicken wire and buffalo check together and you have a one-two punch of cozy comfort.  And happily, chicken wire fits in with a more modern or contemporary vibe too.  See?  It’s part of non-trendy decorating, because it’s been around practically forever!

Years…YEARS ago, I picked up this trio of glass mason jars in a chicken wire carrier from Michaels. I still use it over and over and over again. Even right now, it’s sitting on the hearth of our fireplace, filled with green stems.

This fall wreath sits in a window frame I found on the curb. Sailor helped with painting and adding the chicken wire.

This easy fall arrangement is made up of a runner (2 actually!), a tray, and chicken wire cloche filled with wine corks and pine cones. A tight color grouping also helps make it feel cohesive.

My personal list of chicken wire includes:  Tea light candle holders, a chicken wire cloche, a set of 3 nesting baskets, a window frame with chicken wire backing, a set of 3 mason jars that sit in a chicken wire holder, and a chicken wire ‘egg bucket’ from an estate sale.  But I wouldn’t necessarily describe my home as farmhouse!

Natural Elements: 

What’s nice about this list of shells, pears, wine corks, plants and pinecones is that you can use them nearly all year.  Pears look especially fitting during fall and Christmas, but easily work year-round. Shells are of course, a go-to during the summer season, but I have also used them for Early Winter decorating. Many people incorporate shells in their Christmas decorating. Wine corks can be purchased if they are not readily available to you. They add texture, neutral color, and can also serve as fillers in a bowl or dish that needs it.   And pine cones?  Literally…anytime of the year, period.  Their rich, dark brown colors, different sizes, different, shapes, and all different kinds of textures are always a good addition. And just like wine corks, they are highly utilitarian.  Group them in a bowl, sprinkle them about, or use them in a container to act as filler. 

Fall decorating lends itself to using this group of non-trendy decor items. A neutral runner, woven tray, chicken wire basket, and pears and pinecones. The only real “fall” items here are the ceramic pumpkin, and a few pumpkins in the basket.

It really can be as simple as a footed bowl holding a grouping of pears. Photo courtesy of Dreamy Whites.

Or as simple as a weathered bowl full of beautiful, white shells. Photo courtesy of Maison de Cinq.

A runner, books, chicken wire mason jar carrier and baskets, and plants and shells. A quick and easy combination of every day decor items.

A runner, tray, shell and bowl of pears bring a sense of easy comfort to the living room.

There is always more to add to this conversation.  A few years ago, I wrote a post titled: How to Decorate Using 5 Classic Design Elements.   In that post, the 5 Classic Design Elements I listed were: Greenery, Buffalo Check, Botanical Prints, Candleholders and Lanterns, and White Ceramic. It’s actually a nice companion piece to this post. 

And now, of course, I am going to leap up on my soap box and encourage you to be creative and a little adventurous in how you approach accessorizing your home.  As you may (or may not) know, I am a huge fan of thrift shopping, garage sales, rummage sales, estate sales. These are all great resources for finding unique pieces, or for finding exactly what you had in your head (or your Pinterest board). 

And I am not just talking about tchotkes. The Dupont house is filled with thrifted art, furniture, lamps, pitchers, dishes and tureens. Plus a few tchotkes.  Along with my entire collection of blue & white chinoiserie which is thrifted.  (Excuse me while I break my arm trying to pat my back!)

I am writing this post about non-trendy decorating in late summer.  Summer can be viewed as a bit of a lull before Fall and Christmas (which are both big decorating seasons). At this time of the year, there are no rules about accessorizing your home. Take advantage of this ‘lull’ to play around, test the waters. Gather together a runner or two, a tray, some books, a few chicken wire pieces, some pears/pine cones/shells, and experiment a little.

As I mentioned above, we read blogs for ideas on arranging a coffee table tray just so, stacking books in creative ways, or adding a little flair to your mantel.  You don’t need to match anyone else’s style (unless it just feels “right”!), but reading these blogs can be inspirational, and great resources for testing and playing around with a different approach. It’s like learning how to paint, how to play a new card game, or how to play a musical instrument. Lots of practice and learning, not a few fails, but in the end, success! Along with, no doubt, a feeling of accomplishment. And your reward? A home that feels comfortable, inviting and unique, in an effortless, non-trendy sort of way!

Here are a few blog posts that talk about timeless and classic style decorating. (Which is all just code for ‘non-trendy decorating’!)

Bless’er House.com:  Classic Interior Design Trends That Never Go Out Of Style

Southern Hospitality Blog.com:  10 Tips for Classic Style Decorating

In addition, I really enjoy Cindy over at County Road 407.  This post she wrote about trends inspires me every time I read it!

County Road 407:  The New Year is a Time to Say Stuff It to the 2024 Trends

She also champions Farmhouse, not as a trend, but as a ongoing, thriving way of cozy living in your home. 

5 Reasons to Still Love Farmhouse Style, No Matter What the Trends Say

And finally…I can’t end this without leaving you a list of blogs that have my complete and total respect and regard for how strongly they stay true to their own style and taste.   Belle Bleu Interiors; Exquisitely Unremarkable; Miss Mustard Seed.

If you have any additional decor items you think of as non-trendy, please share them in the comments!

From our home to yours!
Kristine