When was the last time you updated your home decor? Does your home improvement plan regularly incorporate home decor ideas? If not, you’re not alone. Although most people are conscientious about keeping up with home repairs, they often neglect interior design. They may regularly shop at home improvement stores, but never set foot in home decor supply stores. As a result, walking into their homes is like a flash from the past – the equivalent of seeing someone wearing bell-bottom jeans or a polyester disco shirt.

Times change, and home decor interiors need to change as well. Let’s take country decor as an example. The blue walls, the rose carpeting, the dried flower arrangements, the wallpaper borders, and the cross-stitch wall hangings all had their place – a decade or two ago. Today, those stuffed bunnies, ceramic roosters, and hanging hearts are simply outdated.

If you’re stuck in the past when it comes to home decor, it’s time to start fresh. But rather than adopting the latest trendy home furnishings – which will look outdated in a few years – opt for a look that is timeless.

Achieving that kind of timelessness isn’t difficult; it’s simply a matter of bringing together wall treatments, window treatments, and furnishings that provide the backdrop for your tastes and preferences. The best way to describe this approach is “eclectic.”

An eclectic approach to home decor dictates that you mix and match furnishings to achieve the look you desire. The idea of matching a wallpaper border to curtains and upholstery gets thrown out, and is replaced with an overarching theme. For example, if you want to have a tropical feel to a room, you may want to incorporate colors reminiscent of sand and palm trees, while brining in touches of color in accent pillows and throw rugs. A rattan magazine table or coffee table can enhance the theme without being over the top. If you have photos from a vacation in the Bahamas or Hawaii, put them in individual frames around the room. A large vase with birds of paradise and greenery can serve to add vibrancy to the room. Because the thematic touches are relatively minor, it becomes easy to freshen up the room when you’re ready for a change.

Keep in mind that the overarching theme of your eclectic home decor can simply be a reflection of your life and interests. By keeping the colors neutral and selecting pieces that will withstand the test of time, you can concentrate on the personal items that hold the most meaning for you. For example, you can invest in a high quality sectional couch and a bookcase that will never go out of style, and then select the belongings you would like to showcase. The key to decorating is quality over quantity, so instead of displaying all of your treasured items, choose no more than a dozen. This enables you to avoid the “noise” that clutter generates and will allow each of the pieces to stand out. Keep other meaningful pieces in storage bins and rotate them into your home decor every few months.

Adopting an eclectic approach to home decor and incorporating interior design into your home improvement plan will ensure that your surroundings will stay fresh and up-to-date.