January brings the spirit of transformation — whether that means new career goals, a fitness routine, or making some changes in your interior décor. And every year, you’ll see a number of posts declaring what’s officially dead and predicting the design trends for the upcoming year.

Rather than following what’s trending, I’m a big believer in designing a home you’ll always love. A home that will feel timeless because it’s so uniquely you. So with that in mind, I wanted to bring you a slightly different post on how to design a home that won’t feel outdated next year, or even in five to ten years. Here are five things that will never go out of style.

1. Your Unique Taste and Style

I think this is perhaps the most overlooked and one of the most important. The things that bring you joy should always have a place in your home, whether they are trending or not. If you go gaga for terrazzo, then go for it. If you want an all-white kitchen or brass fixtures, don’t worry about whether or not they’ll be in style in a few years. If there’s a color you love, layer it in.

And if you do love something, but you’re not ready to commit to it as a permanent change, that’s okay too. For example, you don’t need to retile your entire bathroom in a graphic print because it’s in this year. Try it out on a smaller scale first, say, in a piece of artwork or a throw pillow.

2. Timeless Natural Materials

I don’t think you can go wrong with choosing natural materials wherever possible. Color palettes and textures will fall in and out of favor, but natural materials such as wood, stone, and natural fibers will always be classic. For example, if you’re looking for tile for a bathroom or a kitchen, don’t choose something based purely on what’s trending. I recommend looking at your budget and what you like to make your selections.

If you want to invest in the cost and maintenance of marble, go for it! Or if you want something more low maintenance like porcelain, then stick with a solid color or a handpainted tile. Personally, I haven’t ended up happy when we’ve installed replicas of a different material, like the trendy concrete-look porcelain tile we put in a bathroom we did. Since it’s not the actual material, it already feels dated. (Definitely learned our lesson on that one!)

3. Bringing the Outdoors In

Speaking of natural materials, another timeless classic is to bring the outdoors in. It can be as big a project as installing windows overlooking a favorite spot in the yard or creating a good flow between your indoor and outdoor living spaces. Or do this on a smaller scale by investing in houseplants or picking up some flowers for your dining room table. Natural, living things will inherently breathe more life into your space. And a good view will never go out of style.

4. Heirlooms and Handmade Pieces

Do you have a beloved antique piece of artwork that’s been passed down for generations? Or maybe it’s an old armchair, a worn bench, or even a wacky ceramic sculpture you picked up at the flea market. My advice is to embrace it.

If you love it, don’t hide it away somewhere just because it’s not in style at the moment. Those heirlooms and handmade pieces have history and patina — and that’s not something you can get at Target. Or, if you almost love it, then don’t be afraid to be update it. A fresh coat of paint or a new frame can do wonders.

5. Mixing it Up

In my experience, spaces that feel out of style are all done in a single trend. Someone went wild on the mid-century modern train and matched every item of furniture or hopped into the rich browns and tumbled tiles of the Tuscan trend without having that style of house. I believe spaces that feel classic develop over time. There’s a natural layering of different styles, materials, finishes, and textures that happens.

You might truly love the color gray and paint a piece of furniture in a moody charcoal, but if it’s paired with rich colors and textures like a leather sofa or a beautiful saturated rug (rather than against a light gray wall with gray stained floors) it will feel right at home in years to come.

At the end of the day, creating a home that you genuinely love is going to take time. And it will take some trial and error. I don’t believe in going into a store and buying exactly what’s on the pages of the latest catalog. Trends will fade and you’ll be left with something impersonal. So let it evolve, spend time, sit with things, be intentional about it, and if it’s not working anymore, don’t hesitate to change it.

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Natalie Whearley is a stylist & shopkeeper curating homes for intentional and inspired lifestyles in California. For more design thoughts and resources let’s hang out on Instagram.

Photos by Natalie Whearley & Anna Peters.