When it comes to home styling, there isn’t just one look that fits the bill for everyone. There are numerous interior design styles that appeal to different tastes! Just as we all like different ice cream flavours (shout out to the chocolate cookie dough fudge lovers like me!), the way we style and decorate our homes appeals to us personally. Are you looking to decorate your home to appeal to a certain home buyer (staging)? Or are you hoping to create your dream home that matches your ‘flava-flaves’? Here are some of the popular design styles to consider inspiring you for your own space!
*Note – these are only the standard categories. There are 1000 possibilities in mixing these together or coming up with something totally new.
For example: My style is ‘Eclectic Transitional’, and sometimes ‘Eclectic Transitional Boho’.
Traditional
When you think of traditional, do you picture nostalgic home pieces? If you have a ‘modern’ taste you may picture a stuffy, heavy, and dark living room. The stone fireplace, the classic centerpieces, the dark wood millwork. But ‘traditional’ doesn’t have to mean ‘old’.
Traditional Style Characteristics:
- Comfortable, neutral furniture that matches.
- Symmetry
- Rich woods
Modern
Clean, simple, and oh-so-sophisticated! Modern interior design is currently one of the most popular styles. This uncluttered style features open floor plans, and every item has a purpose and a place (whether it is to draw the eye, or store your tea bags). Expect to see black and whites as well as eye-catching patterns!
Modern Style Characteristics:
- Monochromatic design
- Sharp angles
- Exposed structural elements
- Minimalism
Transitional
For those who find themselves firmly in the middle of modern and traditional, the transitional style is for you. This clean and beautiful approach to decorating and designing incorporates traditional styles and blends it with modern applications. The transitional style is the go-to style for staging, as it has the least polarization and has something that appeals to a broader market!
Transitional Style Characteristics:
- Neutral colours
- Balance of feminine and masculine
- Textural and natural
Eclectic
If traditional was the opposite of modern, Eclectic would be on it’s own scale. The Eclectic design may appear as a maximalist style that mixes every colour, pattern, and style under the rainbow. But in reality, anything is considered ‘eclectic’ if it mixes 2 or more design styles.
Eclectic Style Characteristics:
- Bright bold patterns
- A mix of new and ‘thrifted’
- Matching without actually matching
- Furniture with ‘soul’ that brings you joy
Boho
An abundance of plants, macramé, Aztec art, and neutral colours – everything essential for the laid-back bohemian style. Boho interior styling introduces Zen, culture, art, and nature into a space to create feelings of peace and calm!
Boho Style Characteristics
- Mixing patterns
- Artistic inspiration
- Low-profile furniture (floor seating anyone?)
- Botanicals, botanicals, and more botanicals
French Provincial
If French Provincial styling could be described in two words, I would probably pick ‘casual elegance.’ Homes that feature this style are clean, elegant, simple, bright, and feature French classic pieces resembling those from the 18th and 19th century. Can you say, trés chic?
French Provincial Style Characteristics:
- Unfinished natural elements
- Light neutrals and pastels
- Subtle floral motifs
Rustic
Calling all woodsy lovers! Rustic interior design is a popular choice of styling that includes those warm and dark hues from natural woods. Consisting of mainly browns, greens, tans, and deep reds and oranges, rustic interior styling uses décor and furniture that focus on wood or farmhouse-related accents.
Rustic Style Characteristics
- Raw natural elements
- Barn doors, exposed beams, wide-plank wood flooring
- Wood paneling (but not like your grandma’s basement)
- Emphasis on ‘natural’ and ‘handmade’
Country Chic
Not to be confused with rustic, country chic styling uses brighter colours, such as oak and white washed woods. This style places emphasis on clean and elegant flairs that create a smooth appearance. Combine this with white décor, walls, and countertops, and you have a country chic home!
Country Chic Style Characteristics
- Shabby chic furniture (distressed painted wood)
- Casual and comfortable
- Mix and match muted colours
Looking for interior decorating assistance to match your style preference? With a primarily eclectic transitional style, Unshelf blends the clean and neutral with unique and cozy (with an extra burst of surprise) throughout the home! Send us a note and let’s breathe some personality and soul into your home through interior decorating!