WHAT’S YOUR STYLE? - 6 KEY INTERIOR DESIGN STYLES EXPLAINED

​Just like the clothes you wear, the decor in your home can be an expression of your personality. But with overwhelming choice in stores and the media, it’s difficult to decipher what interior design style suits you best. To help you define your style, I’ve compiled a rundown of the most influential decor styles and how to create them in your own home. Enjoy!

 
​Modern​​​
 

​This style is minimalist with an emphasis on clean, straight lines. The modern style celebrates space, rather than trying to fill it - so a modern interior has few accessories to let you focus on the elegance of the room as a whole. Modern rooms can draw impact from an abstract painting or a sculptured light fixture. Seating is simple and open, and furniture is raised from the ground to promote the airy feel.

This look accentuates an open-plan interior, but it’s effective for making a small room appear bigger, too.

Could this style be for you?

Do you love space and dislike clutter? Do you crave a bright, clean environment that’s understated and chic? If so, the modern style could work well in your home.

How to get the look:

Go for a neutral colour scheme with light walls, and opt for a bold accent colour instead of busy patterns. Choose raised furniture with sleek, clean lines and arrange it carefully to create negative space (the empty space between items). This promotes a sense of calm in your room.
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Think ‘less is more’ when it comes to accessories - make a statement with an arched floor lamp or a geometric pendant light. This style needn’t be severe – you can soften the look by adding a range of textures, and natural accents like wood or marble.
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​Art Deco
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The iconic style from the 1920s and ‘30’s has seen a big revival in recent years. Striking and glamorous, it reflects the period’s taste for luxury and travel with exotic materials and an Egyptian influence. The décor features distinctive geometric patterns and angular shapes like chevrons, sunbursts and steps.

Art deco interiors create impact with symmetry, and by contrasting colours and textures – dark, lacquered wood meets chrome and glass, fur meets satin. Plenty of ambient lighting accentuates the polished surfaces.

Could this be the style for you?

If you love elegance, glamour and want to make a statement with a retro look, art deco could be just the style for you.

How to get the look:

Choose a paired-down colour scheme of bold contrasts. Go for light walls and create a striking silhouette with dark, streamlined furniture (or vice-versa). While the look is luxurious, you don’t have to spend a fortune on antiques! There are quality reproduction items available.

Opt for reflective surfaces: polished wood, chrome or gold accents. Show these off with lamps and mirrors. For extra impact, add animal print to soft furnishings or choose wallpaper with a signature art deco pattern.
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Scandinavian
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This style is pure, functional and effortlessly chic. It’s become very popular as more people are discovering the appeal of hygge, the Danish concept of finding comfort in basic, practical living.

Colours are pale to keep things bright during dark winters. Natural elements run throughout. Furniture is simple but comfy, and made from light wood like ash or beech. Pale wooden floors are dressed with thick, cosy rugs. Soft furnishings are made from natural materials, too - like linen, sheepskin or cotton.

Could this style be for you?

If you value comfort, enjoy nature and prefer an uncluttered, practical room this is the style for you! It’s also a great choice if you want to create a space that’s light but also cosy and inviting.
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How to get the look:

Paint walls white or light grey. Look for innovative storage to minimise clutter. This style can be easy to achieve if you’re on a budget; Ikea may be an obvious choice for furniture, but you can buy basic, functional pieces online or from any home décor store.

Keep colours muted, but focus on a variety of textures and choose furnishings that appeal to the touch, like soft cotton and fluffy sheepskin. Add plants and simple candleholders to complete the look.
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Industrial
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Industrial decor began when closed-down factories and mills were converted to living spaces. The residents hadn’t the income to change original features, so lived alongside them. The look has since developed into a celebration of a building’s origins by deliberately exposing areas that are normally concealed – bare beams, pipes and metalwork, exposed brick or concrete walls.

The industrial style suits modern buildings and interiors with high ceilings, as pipes and girders draw the eye upwards.

Could this style be for you?

This is great choice if you’re proud of your urban roots and want this reflected in your home. A look that’s both sophisticated and unusual, decorating in the industrial style is a way to express your creativity.

How to get the look:

Industrial needn’t be drab! Keep windows exposed with few dressings, and paint brickwork white if your room doesn’t get much natural light. Contrast pale walls with pipework for interesting geometric shapes that frame the room.

If you’re on a budget, repurpose materials to create unique furniture. Convert a ladder into shelving, for example. Or use a vintage crate as a table. If you want a splash of vibrant colour, pop art or a painted mural has real impact against bare brick.  
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​Eclectic
  

This style is achieved by mixing of 2 or more decor styles to create something unique and exciting. Metal could be teamed with wood, antique pieces can go next to new ones to create a dynamic contrast.

It’s not about throwing anything together, though! The look involves careful planning and coordination.  Common elements like colour, scale, shape or texture unify the space to achieve a pleasing balance, while the contrasts accentuate the unique features of each piece.

Could this style be for you?

Do you like to be daring? Find it hard to settle on one style, or get bored by pieces that match perfectly? Then eclectic is the style for you!

How to get the look:

When trying the eclectic look for the first time, opt for a limited colour scheme. The key to success is a using a common feature that will connect your pieces – this could be a colour or theme. For example, vintage upholstery could share a colour with a modern art print.

Take some time to consider the placement of pieces in your room, too. If can be helpful to create a focal point and arrange other pieces around it, so the space doesn’t look chaotic.
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​Bohemian
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Originally a French term for Gypsies and later describing artistic types, this style has been popular for decades. Carefree and relaxed with a vibrant mix of patterns, the look is a fusion of global influences from Asia to South America. Furniture is vintage and unconventional - think floor cushions and low tables. Walls are decorated, textures layered, and accents are metallic.

Could this style be for you?

If you’re artistic or love to travel, you’ve a lifestyle that would suit the Bohemian look. And you might have already collected some much-loved pieces you can use in your home.

How to get the look:

Choose a warm colour scheme of earthy browns to fiery reds and jewel tones. Or go for a softer, feminine look with pastels. Use pieces with a story to tell, like something inherited or found on your travels. Or visit second-hand shops for pieces with character. A distressed finish is to be admired – it means the item has a history!

It’s easy to get carried away with so much texture and pattern, so if your room begins to look too busy, take some pieces out and reserve them for somewhere else in your home.

Now you’re familiar with the influential design styles, which one is your favourite?

There are no hard and fast rules in interior design - with a sound understanding of these key styles, you can get creative and experiment with your space. Want to give your vintage room a funky, modern twist with vibrant colours? Make it happen! Feel like adding a pop of floral print to an industrial setting? Give it a try! The choice is yours.

Are you inspired to create a new style in your home? Let me know in the comments below – I’d love to hear your thoughts.