Give Your Home A Touch Of Modern Tudor Style With These Tips From HGTV's Jenn Todryk
There's nothing quite like a Tudor-style house. From the signature "fudge stripe" beaming on the exterior to the quaint stonework and sharply peaked roof, a Tudor home is the perfect send-up to both the English Tudor era and the early twentieth-century tastes from which the American Tudor-style house originates. If you find yourself in possession of a Tudor house, consider yourself lucky. However, it does take some effort to decorate a Tudor home in a way that feels modern without overlooking the unique details that make it so special. If you need ideas on how to pull it off, check out how Jenn Todryk, host of HGTV's "No Demo Reno," takes on the Tudor challenge. In a season 3 episode of "No Demo Reno," Todryk flexes her design skills and shows how you can really make that Tudor house style shine by highlighting structural elements and infusing just the right amount of vintage-inspired decor.
Todryk's approach merges modern sensibilities with classic Tudor architectural motifs, producing a serene, comforting environment with an underlying elegance — it's far sleeker than cottagecore, but also warmer and more vintage than a mainstream modern style. Moreover, this modern Tudor aesthetic doesn't have to be exclusive to folks who own original Tudor houses, and you can pull ideas from this look to style practically any home. Whether you have a new-construction home or an authentic Tudor house, if you like modern twists on vintage styles, Todryk's modern Tudor renovation is sure to inspire you.
Structural details
To truly get that modern Tudor aesthetic, take advantage of the structural elements in your home. During her Tudor renovation, Jenn Todryk utilized several interior details, including ceiling beams and arches. Ceiling beams create a beautiful dimensionality in a space, and when left with a natural wood finish, it has an old-fashioned feel that perfectly matches a Tudor home — according to Todryk, "Nothing says Tudor like beams." Todryk made sure to highlight existing ceiling beams and even added new beams to the modern kitchen, giving it a nice blend of contemporary openness and old-world coziness. For colors, you can make a stunning statement ceiling with white paint and contrasting dark wood beams, as Todryk does in the kitchen, or keep things moodier with a darker paint color, like the green ceiling that Todryk keeps for the living room.
Todryk plays off of existing archways on the exterior of the home and creates an additional doorway arch in the kitchen. Arches have a great Tudor vibe, but Todryk's choice to engage with existing features in the home is really what makes this design work. As Todryk puts it during the episode, "I feel like I'm totally feeding off of what the house already is. I'm letting the house talk to me." With that in mind, pay attention to the particular details of your home — whether it's scalloped trim, curved edges, or angled beams, you can find ways to sprinkle those silhouettes throughout the interior of your house.
Tudor-inspired decor ideas
For the timeless Tudor look, you'll need the right furniture and decor. When decorating your living spaces, take a page from Jenn Todryk's book and draw on more traditional room functions. For instance, Todryk styles the living room as a library, adding a wall of shelves that overflows with books, achieving a cozy, cottagecore look that matches the Tudor aesthetic. Todryk also ensures the space stays modern by installing a contemporary-style light fixture on the ceiling and choosing mid-century modern armchairs for the sitting area.
To get a modern Tudor style that's similar to Todryk's "No Demo Reno" project, aim for furniture with structured frames but soft detailing. For example, this Mid-Century Show Wood Chair from West Elm would be great for a modern Tudor living room, especially with its slightly curved arms and luxe fabric. Decorative items should be more toned down than standard Tudor decor — it should still evoke some antique decadence, but it needs to be much more minimalist to have a modern energy. Try heading to your local thrift store and looking for vintage pieces that match this modern Tudor vibe, focusing on items that are made with quality materials and have organic silhouettes with sleek finishes. You could also splurge on some new decor to get that modern-meets-vintage style, like these Marizia candle holders from Anthropologie or this antique metal decorative tray from Pottery Barn. And with those finishing touches, you're ready to enjoy your relaxing, ultra-stylish modern Tudor home.