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In the 1980s, when I started keeping house, it was the height of the Laura Ashley ruffles-and-chintz look. Colors were deep and intense, and when it came to accessorizing, more was never enough.

Windows were covered in yards of fabric, and wallpaper with big cabbage roses was all the rage.

In the past 20 years, interiors have scaled down. Today, neutral walls – think Pottery Barn taupe or chocolate brown – are popular, and clutter is out.

Windows are framed with simple panels or left bare.

Home décor, like the clothing we wear, is subject to the whims of fashion.

I was thinking about this the other evening as I stood in my living room. I’d been moving furniture and shifting things around. I looked at the pair of chairs flanking my fireplace. The chairs have been with me since my first apartment – through the chintz, the babies and teenagers and a number of moves.

They’ve been re-covered at least twice, and there have been at least a couple of times I wished I could have something a little more contemporary. But the chairs stay.

Like the old trench coat in my closet or the string of pearls in the jewelry box, they work with whatever is in style.

They wear well.

This week in Home

Chrissy Wortman is a tireless decorator. The petite home in Coeur d’Alene’s garden district that Wortman shares with her husband, Dave, shines with her effort.

The home, with its dramatic and eclectic interior, is our centerpiece this week.

Amy Klamper’s Urban Style page returns with the story of a woman who moved from a Spokane Valley home into a townhouse near downtown and discovered a love of city life.

Our Beautiful Home this week is an exquisite villa nestled into the South Hill. Inside and out, it’s a jewel box.

As always, we’re celebrating the unique style of homeowners across the area.

Like the pair of chairs in my home, homes and homeowners evolve and move with the fashion flow.

Fortunately, one thing is constant: Comfort, and the comfort of home, never go out of style.