12 Timeless Design Ideas from the VERANDA Archives 2022
Over-the-top ball gown curtains. Fierce animal prints. Breezy outdoor follies we can duck into and hide out for days. Like threads of an exquisitely woven fabric, the trends that have held steady for more than three decades of VERANDA’s history are as strong today as ever, proving once again good decorating has no shelf life. Here, a look at the top 12 ideas designers return to again and again, each as resilient as it is beautiful.
An Edouard Vermeulen design on the January/February 2007 cover of VERANDA.
Cover-Worthy Green
“The most successful covers have a minimum of color,” says VERANDA founder Lisa Newsom. “Green is my favorite—it’s so adaptable, just like nature, and it’s also friendly and welcoming. VERANDA covers have always been so powerful because they say, ‘Come on in.’”
Design by Dan Carithers.
Design by James Carter.
Couture Classic Stripes
“These are the quiet unifiers of a room, tying varied elements together….I think interiors would be boring without them as part of our repertoire.” —James Carter
Design by Furlow Gatewood.
Design by Mark D. Sikes.
Painted Wicker for Informal Elegance
“I always say a room doesn’t need to match but it should blend, and Furlow Gatewood is a genius at putting together spaces with the most decorated-undecorated, magical atmosphere,” says designer Bunny Williams, noting his acclaimed Americus, Georgia, folly. “He never makes his rooms look like a scheme. The antique wicker chairs maintain the relaxed feeling of a porch while also being lightweight enough that they can be used around the table or pulled into the seating group.”
Fancy, Festive Curtains
“These My Fair Lady–inspired green and white stripe polished curtains with pagoda valances still dazzle in this Houston living room today.” —Miles Redd
Design by Markham Roberts.
A Grand Entry Stairwell
“It’s a visual greeting, setting the tone for what’s to come in a beautiful home,” says decorator Markham Roberts, who likes to temper the formality with simple yet captivating elements like landscape murals, richly woven rush matting, and patterned runners. “These can enhance the curve of the stair, add texture, or take away any austerity in the architecture to make the entry more welcoming.”
Design by Jan Showers.
An Arthur Smith design featured in the summer 1994 issue of VERANDA.
The Modern Conservatory
In our summer 1994 issue, accomplished decorator Arthur Smith, former design partner to Billy Baldwin, ushered us into a more relaxed indoor/outdoor sensibility—one that reflected the porches and gardens of his adopted hometown of Charleston, South Carolina. He lived for the city’s “profusion of white flowers….The entire historic district smells of tea olives at certain times of the year,” and his solarium-style carriage house shone with garden gestures pulled inside. Painted ceiling planks and brickwork, wicker furnishings, and a stone garden bench as a coffee table welcomed a new era of stylish conservatories.
Design by Richard Hallberg.
Design by Mary Douglas Drysdale.
Intimate Conversation Seating
“I have always loved using a four-chair grid. For good conversation, you need comfort, quality of materials, and a sense of intimacy, especially in large living rooms.” —Richard Hallberg
Design by Cathy Kincaid.
Transportive Dining Room Walls
“Murals and scenic wallpapers can make a room feel boundless—they tell a story,” notes designer Cathy Kincaid, who often relies on the “wizardry” of these artistic scenes to add dimension and perspective. She embraces the handcraftsmanship of classic patterns but gives them a “modern dash with custom colorings.” Kincaid adds, “For instance, a monochromatic colorway helps the storyline take precedence.”
A Daniel C. Cuevas and Carole Katleman design featured in the January/February 2007 issue of VERANDA.
Design by Bobby McAlpine & Ray Booth.
High-Drama Neutrals
Neutral rooms notoriously soothe, but the most enduring ones dare to bare. “I’m not trying to disguise anything in my interiors,” says noted neutralist designer Daniel C. Cuevas. “Against a pure background, the form and the quality of the art and furnishings stand out.” Ray Booth, another designer who leans toward calm room compositions, notes, “There’s power in the serenity of a neutral space.” Adds Cuevas: “The people become the most important thing in the room.” Design as it should be.
Design by Charles Spada.
Refined Animal Prints
“Animal prints take a back seat to nothing, so use them sparingly and in high-quality fabrics—this makes them all the more special and unexpected.” —Charles Spada
Design by Jean Keller Huff.
Design by Carolyne Roehm.
Collections in Residence
One of the most classic tastemakers to grace the pages of VERANDA, Carolyne Roehm tells a common story line through all her projects: collections. Whether it’s delicate Canton Blue porcelain in her Charleston home’s chinoiserie room—“This was the first [city] in the colonies to import the china pattern. Talk about full circle,” she says—or pewter in Colorado. “The enduring simple style of pewter seems to fit the less formal spirit of Aspen.” Talk about power of place.
Design by Richard Keith Langham.
Design by Thomas O’Brien & Donna Stockton-Hicks.
Escapist Garden Follies
“I think of these as places of enchantment,” says decorator Richard Keith Langham, whose design of a Pennsylvania retreat with architect John Mayfield “sits happily in the garden because the rough-hewn orchard stone and milk-painted timbers are natural elements just like the lush greenery around it.” And Langham selects furnishings akin to the scale and heft of what he uses inside for “supreme comfort.” Case in point: the mirror over this fireplace so “Mother Nature can see herself in all her glory.”
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Featured in the May/June 2022 issue of VERANDA. Written by Zoë Gowen.
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