Trendy vs Timeless: Your home is not Las Vegas

Last week, I was actually on holidays.  This past summer was full of renovations and a summer holiday was just not in the cards.  When thinking of where to go for a quick break in October, Las Vegas was on the top of my list.  Although Hawaii is my absolute favourite destination to holiday, Las Vegas is perfect for a smaller holiday.  It's just under a 3 hour flight, we can typically get a really good deal on flights and hotels, and when we go, we ensure the weather is hot enough to sit by the pool.  The hotter the weather the better (which is why we typically go in July)!One of the things my hubby and I love to do in Las Vegas is walk in the morning.  And by walk, I mean walk, and walk and walk.  We will get up, get dressed and start walking the strip.  This trip we walked roughly 15 km a day (thank you iWatch for keeping track).  Part of our morning walk is going through the various hotels.  As my husband is drawn to the casinos, I am drawn to the decor and interior design of each hotel. While some hotels still have themes, others are moving away from that.

Trendy vs Timeless

Las Vegas

Las Vegas seems to be moving towards 'Urban Chic' for their interior design style.  For me, I first started seeing this trend when City Center was built.  All of the following properties are part of 68 acres that MGM spent upwards of 9+ billion dollars to create.

•  Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
• Aria Resort and Casino 
• Mandarin Oriental Hotel/Residences
• The Harmon Hotel/Residences
• Vdara Condo/Hotel

This entire project all falls in the 'Urban Chic' style.  All have a ton of bling (like only Las Vegas can pull off), and all scream 'up-scale'.  Who wouldn't want to stay somewhere that looks like this?

Trendy vs Timeless: Las Vegas

With millions of people flocking to Las Vegas to holiday and vacation, of course this city needs to keep up with the trends.  Who wants to go on a holiday to Las Vegas and stay in a 1980's hotel room?  I know I wouldn't and I know that because we got stuck in one at Caesar's Palace one year.  The room was extremely 'tired' and it just wrecked my Las Vegas experience.  Don't get me wrong, I'm in no way a diva.  However, when I go to Las Vegas, I am expecting an experience.  And part of that experience is staying in a spectacular hotel.  Whether it be in an urban chic style or my favourite of all time,  The Bellagio.  All of the hotels on the strip keep up with trends and are forever upgrading and renovating.  Oh, to be a fly on the wall in one of those design meetings.  To pick out elements for one of their renovations - yes please!

Trendy vs Timeless: Your Home

While Las Vegas can pull of being trendy, most of us in our own homes don't have the budget to renovate and/or decorate every five to ten years to keep up with the trends.  What's important to know about trends is that they last roughly 10 years.  And depending on where you live, you may not see the current trend hit your city or town until it's in year 4 or 5!  Does this mean you have to have a boring, generic home?  No - absolutley not.  What it does mean is that you can make some smart choices in your home that will stand the test of time of trends coming and going.

Trendy vs Timeless: Kitchen

The heart of the home: your kitchen.  Although there are over 140 shades of white (blue-white, true-white, off-white and cream), white is still the most popular choice for kitchens to stand the test of time.  Why?  Most people consider a white kitchen timeless because you can work with any colour with white.  Look at this gorgeous kitchen designed by my friend Adrienne Gerein.  The first word that comes to my mind when I see this?  Fresh!

Trendy vs Timeless: Fixed Elements

Fixed elements are those items in your home that are not easy to change out (either due to the cost of changing them or due to the labour it would take to change it out, or both).  Things like flooring, counters, tile, fireplace surrounds, etc. all fall in this category.  While we are still in a grey trend in Calgary, that trend is not going to stay forever.  Just like the brown, Tuscan trend did not stay, neither will the grey.  When looking at fixed elements, some might say timeless elements are boring (white kitchen, medium brown hardwood, subway tile...).  My answer to that?  You're right.  When you think of them on their own.  But why not decorate with the trends around the timeless fixed elements?  Isn't it way cheaper to change a wall colour than to rip out your once trendy grey cabinets?  Isn't it cheaper to get toss cushions, an area rug and some art compared to changing out your trendy grey hardwood floor that is now out of style?  Of course it is.

If you're stuck trying to figure out what timeless elements you are hoping for in your home, contact me to see how we can work together. 

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