Your personal style is more than throw pillows and wallpaper choices. Those pretty details are more than what makes a place pleasing to the eye. The choices you make about furniture, colors, lighting, wallpaper, and artwork have a strong influence on how a place feels to a person spending time inside of it.
Understanding why you gravitate toward certain colors, furniture pieces, or decor means you will understand how you want your space to feel.
So, where do you start?
One good place is to search around the internet and visualize what appeals to you. Researching different styles not only gives you inspiration for your own apartment, but helps you understand how different styles can influence different emotions.
Today, we want to make the process a little easier for you by talking about some of our favorite decor styles.
Modern vs. Traditional
The first thing to remember is that there are two main categories that almost all decor styles can fit into: modern vs. traditional.
Modern styles can be defined by clean lines and sleek surfaces. It’s a style that is more about negative space than it is about clutter.
Traditional styles are more about the drama. We’re talking details, heavy furniture, and rich textures.
Although the two categories are very different from each other, they don’t have to be exclusive. You might find that you like elements from different styles, and it’s perfectly fine to mix things up. Many people don’t just fit into one box, but it’s helpful to know what style you primarily lean toward.
Modern
Minimalism
Most of the time, when people hear the word “minimalism,” they picture plain visuals. Dullness. Boring white walls and rooms void of personality. However, this is not the case.
The first point to be made is that minimalism can be inviting and warm. The premise behind the style is to focus on things that bring you joy. It is a rejection of material excess. A preference for simplicity and quality over quantity.
Every part of the interior design choice is decided with careful consideration of each and every other part. It’s about creating a balance with color, light, and shape to create the desired effect of the room, whether it be for comfort or for elegance.
Art Deco
A more glamorous style, Art Deco is distinguished by geometric shapes, heavy use of shiny or reflective surfaces, and rich colors. The emphasis of the Art Deco style is contrast, texture, and symmetry. These elements, when put together, create a feeling of luxury and luminosity in a living space.
What makes this style fit into a modern category rather than a traditional one is the cleanliness of the style and the focus on how lines and textures work together.
Although metallic materials, textures, and bold colors are key features, the style lets the features speak for themselves rather than adding in additional details or designs. Furniture and walls remain simple even with the boldness of the style choices.
Mid-Century Modern
If you’re looking for a style that combines simplicity and functionality with natural elements, Mid-Century Modern might just be the style for you.
The style emphasizes clean lines, organic shapes, natural features such as natural lighting, and environmentally conscious materials. Its versatility allows it to be incorporated into diverse settings that combine classic designs with contemporary designs, such as open floor plans or incorporating innovative furniture designs into classic pieces.
Although the style incorporates bold colors and unique designs, simplicity is key. The style choice avoids unnecessary details and ornate features.
The look implies a focus on sleek lines and open spaces. The bolder details are meant to serve as pops of something eye-catching or interesting amongst the elegant simplicity of the rest of the room.
Traditional
Victorian
This style is all about ornate details, heavy features, and grand design. Emphasis on grand.
The timelessness of Victorian styles is another part of the appeal to many people. The deep colors, elegant features, and rich textures evoke a feeling of elegance and sophistication that many feel modern homes lack.
There is a natural warmth found within the deep wooden textures and decadent elements of the style.
The key to creating a well-designed Victorian room is to make sure that the various features are not just slapped together, but come together in a cohesive design.
Although the style is about boldness, patterns, and high amounts of detail, you still want the room to come together in a way that makes sense. There are a number of ways to do this, such as choosing a color scheme or focusing on making sure that patterns complement one another.
Modern Farmhouse
Don’t be fooled by its name. Although Modern Farmhouse has the word “modern” in it, the style has more of a traditional feel because of its bold blending of current design trends with more classic, bold styles.
Modern farmhouses are all about nature and bold choices today. Before, the style could be defined with cleaner lines, neutral tones, and industrial features.
In contemporary times, you will see more rustic qualities to the style. Think wooden features, metal details, earth tones, and detail. Like a versatile ranch house with more refined decor styles.
So what exactly makes Modern Farmhouse unique? It’s the texture, the detail, and the warmth.
The warmth of the design is the most important factor. The final product is supposed to feel cozy and refreshing.
Besides the earthy color palette and wooden features, the detail is what really ties together this warm feeling. Lots of natural light, mixed materials from brick to stone, pretty trims, accent colors, outdoor spaces, and indoor plants.
Imagine yourself creating a farmhouse in a city residence, making it sleek and practical, making it contemporary, but still keeping that rural charm.
Shabby Chic
Looking for something softer? Something that feels more vintage, but still has some modern elegance? Shabby Chic might be the way to go!
Shabby Chic is where thrift store vintage meets elegance. It’s all about soft colors and textures, cozy clean details, slightly distressed vintage furniture pieces, and romantic patterns.
The goal really is to look like you gathered unique pieces from garage sales and thrift stores to create a visually pleasing, homey space.
Like our other traditional styles, detail is key. As you build those featured pieces, accent colors, and defining elements, keep in mind the cozy thrifted look you’re aiming for and make sure it all ties in together at the end.
Cohesion is key even amongst a vintage-styled home!
Final Remarks
These are just a few popular styles you can model your home after! You don’t have to stick to one either.
A blend of Modern Farmhouse, Shabby Chic, and Art Deco creates a creative, inviting space. A blend of Mid-Century Modern and Victorian can create a dramatic, refined look.
It’s all about what you want the space to feel like at the end.
Remember that it is the biggest key to all this. How the space feels. How you want it to feel.
Hopefully, we gave you some options here that inspire you, or maybe give you ideas of which direction you want to start leaning toward if none of these styles are your jam.
We wish you the best of luck in your renovation journey!