HGTV's Leanne Ford Shares Helpful Kitchen Design Advice For A Timeless Space

Are you looking for some kitchen style and décor tips from a successful interior designer? HGTV star Leanne Ford's home design advice is super helpful — but her suggestions for creating a timeless-looking kitchen might be a hard pill to swallow for avid trend-followers. Still, you'll want to hear her out, as timelessness beats trendiness when designing an elegant space. "When I'm doing a kitchen or a space, I tend to look to the past for inspiration because I feel like if I still like this style in 2024, then I'm going to like it in 2026... I tend to keep it really classic and choose things that are already interesting to me, even though I've stared at them for 100 years or 40 in my case," Ford told Homes & Gardens.

In other words, the interior design expert advises incorporating old-school touches you've always liked rather than jumping on all the hot new trends. So it's no surprise that Ford sometimes implements vintage furniture — such as traditional, lived-in-looking tables and chairs — into kitchens instead of sleek, shiny pieces. But if vintage isn't your vibe, don't worry — you can still keep it classic and take inspiration from Ford when creating your own timeless kitchen with the help of classy neutrals and understated cabinets.

While it can be tempting to incorporate the trendiest bright and bold colors of the year into your kitchen to make a statement, doing so may lead to regret later down the line. One of Leanne Ford's best tips for a timeless home is to embrace classic neutrals rather than loud hues. "There's always exceptions to all of our rules, but I keep pretty neutral, which makes it feel minimalist on its own, but really easy and warm and welcoming," Ford told Coveteur. After all, when you look at some of your perennially favorite kitchen designs from old movies or magazines that still hold up today, do they feature tons of previously trendy colors or more understated neutrals?

You can always count on Ford to use neutrals in a timeless kitchen, so don't be afraid to follow her lead. For example, a classic white kitchen will never fail to create an open, forever-clean-looking setting. Remember, you can always introduce pops of color through small kitchen items that are easy to swap out. Or, do you prefer more contrasting effects in the kitchen but want something different from basic black and white? If so, you can add dark brown tones to make a kitchen look bolder but still not trendy. And color scheme isn't the only kitchen aspect Ford recommends keeping traditionally timeless.

Considering how Leanne Ford suggests sticking with neutrals in kitchens, no one should be surprised that Ford's tips for long-lasting kitchen cabinets also involve keeping it classic. "I really like to keep simple, clean lines on cabinetry, and that goes back to long-lasting. Kitchen renos is such a massive to do, so I feel like clean, simple lines, you'll love it longer, which is the goal," Ford told Apartment Therapy. So, rather than searching for all the hottest cabinet style trends featuring involved details and funky features, the HGTV star would rather embrace timeless lines.

If you look at Ford's Instagram page, you'll see that the HGTV host has worked with Semihandmade to create understated white oak cabinet fronts. The cabinets appear very crisp and minimalistic — with no fancy embellishment or dramatic curves — but in a warm, traditional way. Of course, you don't need those exact cabinets to achieve the timeless Ford kitchen aesthetic, but going for something similarly understated will get you the right traditional effect to stand the test of time.