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Once you start looking into interior design, you’ll see just how many distinct styles there are. It can be overwhelming to find one that gives your home a cohesive feel and one that you’ll want to live with for years to come. To help you discover your interior design style, we’ve made a short guide that distinguishes the seven most varied styles.
If you like warmth, comfort, familiarity, and an abundance of accessories and antiques, traditional style is for you.
Claw-footed tables, curved furniture pieces, and wingback chairs dominate this style. Detailed woodwork, carved moldings, and typically neutral wall colours add to traditional design. For accent walls and furniture, you’ll often see floral, paisley, and plaid patterns. Drapes and throw pillows are made with fabrics like velvet, brocade, and silk.
Modern interior design is the antithesis of traditional style’s heavy textures, intricate carvings, and earthy wood tones. If you feel more at peace in a place that would be described as crisp and simple, modern is your style of choice.
Modern homes have very little clutter. And their clean, visual lines give off an airy feel of openness. The colour palette is typically whites and greys, with a pop of colour in a simple throw pillow or an abstract piece of art. The style utilizes sleek materials like glass, stainless steel, and chrome for a clean, “less-is-more” atmosphere.
Transitional style is where traditional and modern design meet to make one cohesive style. It mixes the extravagant comfort found in a traditional home with modern sleek style to make a space feel serene and calm. It’s a very popular design style because there’s a balance of current trends with a more timeless feel.
Typically, you’ll find colours palettes are warmer and more muted (think “greige” - a mix of grey and beige - instead of deep browns or a striking white). Transitional style employs more colour than what is found in a modern home, but these colours are usually soft blues or greens as these have a more calming effect.
While the furniture in a transitional home may look modern, accent pieces (like throw pillows and additional decor) show off a bit of opulence by making use of materials like soft cottons and rattan, without overwhelming the space.
Industrial style is all about exposed, raw materials as seen in late 19th century workshops and warehouses. Think concrete flooring, exposed bricks, ducts, and pipes. If you love the idea of bringing a Brooklyn loft look to your home, you have an industrial sense of style.
Pieces like end tables and coffee tables are often made of metal or concrete, and rougher textures like leather and wood are utilized in decor. The colour palette is usually guided by the raw materials. For example, a space that features wood flooring and walls will likely have metallic surfaces and cool, light colours to create a perfect contrast.
Hollywood glam is borrowed from the heyday of the 1920s and is a dramatic interior design style that makes a statement. There are plenty of plush textures, furniture accented by jewels, and cloth finishings that often feature tufting. You’ll likely find crystal-adorned chandeliers and lamps, punctuated by glittery finishes. The colour palette is classic neutral like whites and blacks, but also features jewel toned accents in reds, purples, and greens. If you like making a bold statement, you’re glam!
No longer defined by kitchy nautical motifs or seashells collected from the beach, coastal design is a more subtle nod to seaside living with light wood furniture (think driftwood), colourful glassware, and breezy white drapery.
Coastal colour palettes are often neutral - think sandy beach and off-white clouds - complimented by colours found on the beach like coral and light blue. You’ll find crisp, yet inviting linens on beds and sofas, contrasted with natural fibers to liven up the space. The coastal style is right for you if your mind is always on your next beach vacation or you simply love the beachy vibe.
If elements from more than one interior design style appeal you, you may feel right at home with eclectic design! It’s a mix of textures and styles that span across different eras. The key to an eclectic style is sticking to a colour palette so the room looks cohesive even when there’s elements that would be considered ‘conflicting’ in other interior design styles.
