The Top 15 Interior Design Styles, Explained
What’s your favorite design style? Farmhouse? Scandinavian? Traditional? Do you know?
Determining your style is as easy as paying attention to your likes and dislikes. Everywhere you go, whether it’s to a favorite book store or restaurant, there are elements at work drawing you to the location. Sure, the food might be fabulous or the staff especially friendly, but you may also be drawn to the style of the interior. When a space is designed in a way that is pleasing to the eye and makes you feel comfortable, the look of the space and the ambiance it creates will resonate with you. Once you know how to spot the specific styles that capture your attention, you can incorporate those style elements into your home. Let’s look at 15 interior design styles.
1. Traditional Interior Design
Traditional style is simple and elegant. It’s all about comfort without fuss. The furniture is classic with shapely legs, sofas are skirted and chairs are typically leather club or wingback. Traditional furniture usually coordinates and is free of vibrant color or bold pattern. Floral prints are subtle and understated. The style is clean and comfortable with nothing out of the ordinary. Wall colors are light tones and trim work is almost always a high gloss white paint, which offers a clean and elegant appearance. This design style favors symmetry; two table lamps, two wall sconces flanking a mirror, etc. Pretty glass and crystal accessories such as our Elegant Cut Glass Crystal Vases are common in Traditional settings.
2. Shabby Chic Decor
Shabby chic design celebrates vintage style. A shabby chic space features antique treasures and flea market finds (or pieces that are made to look that way.) Fabrics and textiles are faded, furniture is whitewashed to look older. Many design styles have similar elements and Shabby Chic is a bit English Country with floral fabrics, a bit Bohemian with a carefree and casual look and feel, and slightly Coastal with slipcovered, overstuffed sofas. Wood is almost always whitewashed, painted with pastel chalk paints, crackled or sanded to look distressed. Everything in a shabby chic room feels lived in and loved. Decorative accessories include chandeliers and mirrors, with loads of character. Check out the perfect shabby chic cake stand to bring charm to a kitchen island.
3. Transitional Interior Design
Transitional spaces mix elements of Traditional design with modern flair. A Transitional room can feature trendy modern materials such as steel or iron with more elegant and traditional pieces. The look is sophisticated yet comfortable and welcoming. Neutral color palettes are common and contrast plays a role through textures such as suede, leather and chenille, as well as colorful accessories. Transitional rooms will usually have a key focal point like a fireplace or oversized artwork. While Transitional is not a minimalist style, it is clean and simple. Shelves are not cluttered with knick knacks or book collections. However, the typical transitional sofa will have plenty of cushions. Elegant mirrors, glass accessories and metal hardware help to keep the look fresh. Transitional rooms can combine modern and antique pieces, as long as the furniture always looks stylish and sophisticated. Raw materials and natural wood are not typical of this style, as finishes are generally elegant and upscale. Transitional design is more comfortable and less formal than Traditional. Here are a few good examples of transitional design.
4. Coastal/Hamptons Decor
Coastal style, often referred to as Hamptons style, is a relaxed and comfy style with a casual, beach-inspired look and feel. Coastal colors are cool and inviting, offering a look that is light and airy. Think neutral sand and mixed ocean colors in blues and aquas with white or beige wall paint. Slipcovered, overstuffed sofas in white or a blue ticking pattern are common. Accessories are sea-inspired; coral, seashells, driftwood and wicker. Nautical prints on pillows, whitewashed or pale wood furniture, sisal and jute rugs and plenty of wicker baskets are typical of Coastal design. Add a coastal touch to your home with our spun wicker wall mirror.
5. Urban Modern Design
6. Modern Farmhouse Decor
Love the look of wide plank flooring, oversized dining tables and shiplap walls? Do wooden benches and shaker style chairs appeal to you? How about porch swings and wrought iron chandeliers? Modern Farmhouse style has all the laid-back charm of a country cottage with a modern industrial twist. Antiques, oversized armoires and rustic barn doors on metal hinges come together to create a warm and cozy farmhouse feel that easily combines traditions of the past with the industrial metals and weathered materials of today. Black pendant lights with edison bulbs, open shelving and textured pillow covers, linen table runners and white enamelware are all Modern Farmhouse favorites. When you think of Modern Farmhouse, think of family dinners around the table with these gorgeous ceramic serving bowls bringing generations together.
7. Bohemian Decor Style
The best way to describe this look is carefree. The Bohemian design style is lived-in, colorful and comfortable. Think eclectic, wanderlust and quirky. Global travel has a great influence on this style. Anything with a fringe, macrame wall hangings, colorful flower pots, textured pillows, cozy throws, handmade crafts such as ceramics, wall tapestries and fun treasures are typical of the boho style. Bohemian design brings cultures together for a unique and warm look that’s artsy and feminine. Vintage furniture, floor pillows, lush plants, hand knotted area rugs, funky coffee tables and flea market finds are easy ways to decorate in a Bohemian style. Rattan baskets, pom pom edged window treatments and beaded door curtains all share a cool Bohemian feel. When searching for Bohemian-style furniture, browse thrift stores and antique shops. Then look to accessorize at Letifly with chunky throws, wall hangings and fringed pillows. We’ve got everything you need to give your space a cool Boho vibe.
8. Mid Century Modern Design
Mid Century Modern is a retro style that uses minimal accessories. Perhaps one of the most recognizable styles, the Mid-Century design movement began in the 1940s with iconic furniture such as the Eames Lounge Chair, Jacobsen Egg Chair and Tulip Table. Other indicators of Mid-Century Modern design include hairpin furniture legs, cocoon seating, gold or brass bar carts and teak credenzas. Lighting and accessories include mushroom lamps, vibrant “pop art” prints and kitschy colors such as earthy brown, avocado green and orange. Lines are clean and simple while graphics are playful, abstract or geometric. To add vintage Mid-Century Modern style to a bedroom, living room or office, get your hands on our Retro Mushroom Table Lamp in Metal.
9. English Country Home Decor
10. French Country Interior Design
Picture the countryside of southern France. The villages have rustic character, historic beauty, stunning architecture and old-world charm. The colors are soft and comforting, reflecting the landscape of the region. French Country style is graceful and elegant. It combines soft curves with free flowing lines. It’s where soft and sophisticated meet. Fabrics are typically traditional toile with plaids and stripes in chic neutral tones. Wall sconces have mini lamp shades and chandeliers reign in French Country interiors. Wildflowers, botanical prints and bird motifs are popular on fabrics and wallcoverings. Whitewashed and distressed furniture is present in French Country design, along with iron and rusted metal. Furniture legs are cabriole or fluted, adding an opulence to the look. Plastered walls and wooden beams are key to the overall French Country appeal. Rattan chairs, stone floors, wool area rugs and opulent throws and pillows are popular, as are copper pots, hanging herbs and wicker baskets. Add a French Country touch to your home with our Bibi Wicker Tote and fill it with dried flowers.
11. Scandinavian Design Style
Simplicity is key in Scandinavian design. The color palette is light and neutral with a minimalist look and feel. Furniture has clean lines and smooth, uncomplicated curves. Furniture is typically kept light in color and raw wood is almost always present on table legs and chair arms. Wood accents are also common on light fixtures. Color is often incorporated in a Scandinavian decor via colored plastic and enamel furniture pieces or accents. Accessories include natural textures such as rattan baskets, jute rugs, white cotton window treatments and faux fur throws. Plants are common in Scandinavian design, as are botanical prints. Although accessories are kept to a minimum, Scandinavian spaces are comfortable and inviting. Add a Scandinavian touch to your home with our Elias Spotlight and the Natura Pendant Light.
12. Industrial Interior Design
13. Hollywood Regency Decor
This iconic style combines all the glamour and opulence of Hollywood with Art Deco touches and hotel-like luxuries. Fabrics are soft and extravagant in velvet, cashmere and velour. Tufted furniture in feminine colors features shiny metallic finishes in brass or shimmering silver to reflect grand sophistication. Glass knobs adorn mirrored dressers, show-stopping gilded mirrors are hung above vanities, while textured fabrics captivate the the the form of wall tapestries and flowing draperies. Crystal chandeliers dazzle overhead while plush zebra print rugs offer show-stopping style underfoot. Hollywood Regency is for those who appreciate life’s finest luxuries. Want an easy way to bring Hollywood glam to your bedroom? Hang our gorgeous gilded mirror above a vanity and use the crayon pouf ottoman as a seat.
14. Eclectic Interior Design
Eclectic design offers a surprise at every turn. It’s a stunning mix of the odd and the extraordinary. Colors you would not expect to see together, fabrics that are vibrant and multi-textured, artwork that causes you to do a double take--that’s eclectic design in a nutshell. Done correctly, a room designed in eclectic style can combine wild prints with bold colors, unique fabrics and head-turning art work in a harmonious way. You have to be drawn to unusual items to fully appreciate eclectic design. The key to pulling a room together in this specific style is to have one common denominator (such as a color or pattern) throughout the space. Eclectic is a mix of various styles, incorporating pillows, window treatments, furniture, art work and flooring that shares a common motif, color or texture. When a common color or motif is repeated through the various tones and textures in a space, you’ve created an eclectic interior. Pop these famous heads on your living room wall and watch as they turn the heads of your guests.
15. Art Deco Design Style
Art Deco is an iconic design style from the early 1920s that is still relevant today. It has always been a source of inspiration in fashion and architecture. With distinct lines and strong curves, Art Deco style combines expensive materials such as ebony, marble, chrome, stainless steel and exotic animal skins. Furniture pieces include leather club chairs, mirrored vanities and desks, consoles and tables lacquered with inlays of pearl, gold, silver and ivory. Finishes are dramatic metallics, Aztec motifs, zebra stripes and Greek key patterns. This statement-making style showcases feathers, branches, nudes, sunbursts and chevrons. Travel posters, Picasso and Matisse inspired artwork are popular Art Deco pieces.
Want to know more about the hottest trends this year? Check out Elle Decor design trends and the latest designs featured in Homes and Gardens.