The Most Popular Interior Design Styles and Their Characteristics

980

If you’re going through the process of decorating or re-decorating your new home, you came to the right place. Having millions of ideas on how to turn your home into a classy, modern or minimalist oasis can be confusing. Browsing the internet can help, but you can easily get lost in the sea of creative pictures. What looks amazing on social media, may not work well in your home. Modern décor is not always one clear style, but rather several ones blended together. The most important thing is to know well the different aspects and learn how they can be ideally mixed so that everything looks well put together.

What Are the Main Characteristics of a Modern Space?

Decorating your home in a modern style requires you to allow the place to breathe. If you love simple lines, spaces that breathe without being crowded with too many things, then modern decor is just the right choice for you. When designing your place the modern way, stick to low and horizontal furnishings with clean lines. The simpler the lines, the less crowded your space will look. Horizontal furnishings are excellent if you want to achieve a minimal look (fewer shelves, means fewer things on them).

Lighting is everything and it can change the entire look of the room. If your home has plenty of windows you’re a lucky person. Let the windows “breathe” and keep them free from curtains and blinds (if possible). Stick to natural materials such as leather, wood, natural fibres and metals. Even if you aren’t sure which colour to pick, natural materials will pretty much present you the colour palette. Sticking to natural colours (not more than three) will make the place look “clean” and elegant.

Modern Design Style

Urban interior design first originated in designer lofts in big cities. The fusion of different and opposing traits led to the creation of the modern style; minimalism mixed with chic and edgy or industrial designs is what twenty-first-century style is all about. You can use sofas and beds with simple lines that are low profile (modern design doesn’t entail too many details that steal the spotlight). You can put accent with decorative mirrors, wall art and pillows. Again, all of these modern contemporary decor pieces should blend into your space. Pick simple colour palettes and geometric designs.

Contemporary Style

Everything modern and current is considered to be contemporary. If you want your home to follow the trends of today you need to stick to a few basic rules. Let’s start with the colours first. A contemporary styled home won’t have crazy colours like hot pink for example. The neutrals and basics such as black, white, or grey should be the first ones to focus on. Black is ideal for flooring, as a definition of the contemporary style of the room. You can add some brighter colours (even bold colours, if you are brave) so they can make a great contrast with the basics.

Let’s say you painted the walls in white; you now have the freedom to add any colour you want in the form of a bold piece of furniture or other modern homewares. On the other hand, if your walls are painted in a bold colour, then everything else should be in natural colour. When it comes to furniture, the rule less is more is the golden rule. Pieces with the simples lines and colours can still make a statement in your room; stick to natural materials, stripes, and geometric prints.

Industrial

The turn of the century brought the industrial style era. The accent here is the free use of exposed steel mixed with wooden elements and brick walls. If this whole thing looks appealing to you, but you want to warm things up, you can use copper-tone details. You don’t have to have a loft to decorate it in industrial style. You can add a few industrial elements in your home (brick wall, e.g.) and a large rustic door to achieve the effect.

Scandinavian

People’s favourite, or the style that dates from the mid-century, the Scandinavian design is one of the most easily achievable styles. You don’t have to have a high budget to get a few pieces of white furniture and pastel décor. If you have furniture stores like IKEA in your area, you are halfway done.
The playful colours and gentle contours, combined with organic materials, make the Scandinavian furniture. It is simple, contemporary, and functional and can fit in absolutely any home (large or small). Most of the Scandinavian interiors use white and grey tones as the basic colours (white radiates light easily and will make even the darkest room light and pleasant).

Boho

The Bohemian decor is a synonym of the carefree and adventurous people with avant-garde style. It has a creative application of rich patterns and bright colours, such as red or purple. If you want to add some more colours and décor in your room and create a more “messy” look, this style would work excellent for you. The key is to be careful when you decorate your home in the boho style. You are free to add layers and colours to achieve a warm ambience so don’t be afraid to add a few rugs, throws, pillows and, tapestry. The furniture can vary from Moroccan to tribal-inspired designs. You can add vintage vases, lots of flowers and plenty of natural materials.

Mid-Century Modern

Mid-century modern style entails many iconic pieces that can fit in modern design. It features minimalist, refined and natural shapes. Everything from plywood, moulded plastic and aluminium can be used. Mid-century style pieces can easily mix with any style you pick without disrupting the concept.