I Talk to Interior Designers for a Living—And This One Tip Changed the Way I Decorate Forever

As someone who interviews interior designers regularly as a part of my job, I’ve heard every piece of design advice you could imagine over the years. From secret formulas for the perfect minimalist bedroom to the best ways to make a small kitchen look bigger—I’ve heard it all.

But among every piece of advice I’ve learned over the years, one tip has permanently changed how I decorate my own space: embrace the blend of old and new.

Adding “Something Old, Something New” to Every Space

One designer summed it up perfectly: “Every good design story is inspired by history.” It’s been nearly two years since that interview, and I haven’t been able to shake it.

Interviewing Kara Thomas of Studio KT was altering, to say the least. Thomas’ philosophy of blending something old and something new creates a space that feels lived-in, where “the harmony between old and new reflects a balance between tradition and modernity.”

Her advice made me realize just how often I’d leaned into trends over the years. I was buying everything new that I saw on Pinterest or TikTok and aiming for this super specific look that wasn’t really mine, but someone else’s.

When I decorated with the most recent trend in mind, it felt like my space always had to look this exact way. The nature of trends meant that the desired look changed a lot, ranging from grunge gray walls and band bedspreads to fairy lights and book pages on the wall). It didn’t leave any space for incorporating pieces of another style. I realized my space lacked me in it—it just felt like everyone else that I wanted to be.

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Design That Feels More Lived-In

When a room is layered with your personal history—whether it be with a gallery wall of family photos or a random assortment of souvenirs from your travels—a space starts to feel much more lived-in and deeply personal. It’s no longer just about the curation of style, but the reflection of who you are as well.

And this doesn’t speak to personal accents. Layering your home with history, like an heirloom mirror or vintage console table, brings an authentic feel to any contemporary space.

This approach has taught me to slow down with my decorating rather than buy everything at once and to be way more intentional with my choices. I’ll now look for family hand-me-downs and a painting from a local artist on my latest vacation, just as much as I’ll scroll through Pinterest and buy a print. I’ve learned that scratches and other “imperfections” aren’t flaws—they’re history.

How to Layer Old and New Pieces

If you’re looking to embrace a little something old and a little something new in your space, it’s not nearly as hard as you’d think. Here are three tips that have helped me keep my place as trend-free as possible.

• Start with secondhand shopping first: You can find something that fits your needs online in a matter of seconds. I avoid having too many “new” pieces in my home by coming up with a loose list of needs and going to a secondhand shop first. It will take longer to find what you’re looking for, but this way you’ll know what you absolutely could not find in person and need to buy online instead.
• Think outside the box: When it comes to shopping secondhand or incorporating family hand-me-downs in your space, think outside the box. An old footstool can now be the perfect place to perch your houseplants out of pets’ reach.
• Keep your space in mind, wherever you go: You never know when you’ll stumble upon a flea market, thrift store, or even a stoop sale—keep your space’s needs in mind wherever you go, and the “something old” will find you when you least expect it.