What Makes Design Timeless?
One of the first projects I had as a project manager was the construction of a house in Balmoral with Ian Moore—at the time, England and Moore, which was a collaboration between Tina England and Ian Moore. It was an exceptional project. It was my first introduction to architectural homes, and it was a beautiful home perched above Balmoral Beach.
It had basalt on the exterior. It had bronze anodised windows, beautiful joinery throughout, and dark basalt in the bathrooms. Classic tapware. It was a beautiful house.
And the interesting thing about that house is, I pulled up in front of it almost 15 years later with my son—at the time, he must have been 12 — and I showed him the house from the outside, from the front. I said, “Look, that’s a house that I built a very long time ago.”
And his comment was, “That house looks new.”
He said something along the lines of, “Dad, you built a future house.”
And the design of that house was timeless—absolutely timeless. And I’ve wondered ever since: what is it that made it timeless? What is it that made it so special that 15 years later it still looked like it was built yesterday?
So I’ve explored what makes a building timeless, and I think—yeah—I’ve outlined what are the things that I think make things timeless.
1. Clarity of Intent
Timeless designs usually have a clear purpose behind every decision. There’s no guesswork—just strong, simple ideas carried all the way through. When something is designed around a clear “why,” it tends to hold up well over time.
🗣 Dieter Rams: “Good design is as little design as possible.”
2. Honesty in Materials
Timeless buildings don’t try to be something they’re not. If it’s brick, it looks like brick. If it’s timber, it’s not painted to look like something else. There's a kind of honesty in letting the materials speak for themselves, and that honesty tends to age well.
🗣 Louis Kahn: “You say to brick, ‘What do you want, brick?’ Brick says, ‘I like an arch.’”
3. Simplicity That Works
Simple doesn’t mean boring. It means clean, thoughtful, and well-resolved. Timeless design often strips away unnecessary fluff and gets to the core of what makes something good—without being sterile or cold.
🗣 Leonardo da Vinci: “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
4. Avoiding Fads
Designs based on what’s trendy often feel outdated pretty quickly. Timeless design might reflect the time it was created, but it doesn’t rely on fashion to feel good. It just works—because it’s built around good ideas, not hype.
Think of it like this: chasing trends, builds in a kind of expiry date. Avoiding them gives the design a longer life.
5. Great Floor Plans and Spaces That Feel Right
Timeless homes tend to feel good to be in. The rooms work. The layout flows. The spaces connect in a way that makes sense to the people using them. You don’t need to study architecture to know when a room feels too tight, too dark, or just awkward.
🗣 Frank Lloyd Wright: “Form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union.”
7. A Sense of Place
Timeless design fits where it is. It responds to the site, the climate, the culture. It doesn’t look like it was dropped in from somewhere else. Whether it’s using local materials or just making sense of the sun and the breeze, these homes belong to their setting.
🗣 Peter Zumthor: “Architecture isn’t about making perfect buildings. It’s about creating atmospheres that feel right.”
Final Thought
Timeless design isn’t one style. It’s not about white walls or flat roofs or timber battens. It’s about integrity — in purpose, in materials, and in how spaces are put together. It's about making choices that last, because they’re based on something solid.
And sometimes, it takes a twelve-year-old looking out the car window to remind you—you helped build a future house.
If timeless design speaks to you, reach out to learn how to create a home that lasts—not just in style, but in meaning.
