Traditional

Where it comes from

Eighteenth and nineteenth century European rooms, formalised into a house style.

Traditional is built out of profiles: skirting, architrave, panelling, cornice. A remodel reaches it by putting the mouldings back — usually the exact elements a previous renovation stripped out — and arranging the room symmetrically around a focal point.

Lighting

Table lamps and wall lights doing most of the work, a central fixture doing almost none. Warm throughout.

What breaks it

• Asymmetric layouts
• Industrial or raw materials
• Cool white light
• Furniture that floats without a rug beneath it

Where to spend

Trim height and profile. Traditional depends on the depth of the mouldings, which is why flat modern skirting undoes it instantly.