Designing a home that ages well

Interiors that hold up are rarely the most photographed ones. They tend to share four properties, none of which are styling decisions.

The four

• Light from two directions in every room you use daily.
• Enough storage that surfaces can stay clear without effort.
• Materials that improve with wear — stone, timber, lime plaster, unlacquered brass.
• A circulation route that does not pass through a room you want to be quiet.

Spend on the permanent

Floors, windows, doors and joinery are the elements you will not replace again. They are also the elements that quietly determine whether a room feels solid.

Everything else — colour, textiles, fittings — is reversible, so treat its cost accordingly.