A Guide to Identifying Your Interior Design Style

Working out which interior design style suits you and your likes and dislikes can certainly be confusing. But knowing your rustic from your farmhouse, as well as the key elements on the Scandinavian look can help you create the look in your home that you crave.

Bohemian Style

Also known as Bo-Ho, this is the style for those who have a deep sense of the individual. It is a case, in some ways, of anything goes and so if you love colourful collections and unconventional displays, take a look at what Bo-Ho offers.

Coastal Style

A tough style to pull off, but perfect if you love the beach. Pantone colour schemes for 2018 has a whole scheme dedicated to seaside colours and so along with plenty of natural materials, the coastal style is restful and calm.

Contemporary

Not to be confused with minimalism, this about not have piles of clutter and stuff everywhere. In some ways, this is a common default setting for many people because it ‘just is’. Marry plenty of glass with small, uncontentious details such as minimal handrail brackets and you have it.

Cottage Style

If you like cosy and charming, then this is the style. Choose two or three treasured pieces in a room and build around it. A deceptively simple style, it speaks volumes about your personality too.

Eclectic

Up until now, most of the styles mentioned have followed the rules. If you like bending or even breaking the rules, pushing boundaries and trying something completely off the wall, the eclectic style is clearly yours. An individual style, this is all about you!

French country style

It is an effortless blend of elegance and simplicity. Calm in a maddening world, this style is beautiful, pretty and with many refined details. A bit like your wardrobe…

Industrial style

Gaining in popularity, this is the combination of raw materials with warmth and modern life. It is all about texture and not over refining the elements of the industrial appeal. Think loft living and you are halfway there.

Mid-century modern

Thought modern styles were all the same? Think again. This style is all about geometric shapes with a splice of contemporary accents with some unique accents that make people take a breath in. Uncomplicated and simple, it is a beautiful design that is easy to live with.

Minimalist

Think uber-modern Think crisp, sharp white. Think simple but with one – or two, at the most – key elements to lift the space from clinical to minimal. Like a well-edited piece or writing or prose, everything is there for a reason.

Moroccan

If you like dark, rich, earthy colours then this is the style for you. A heady combination of gold and brassy metallic, mixed with darker shades of greens, browns, purples and red, the Moroccan style is as much about texture as it is colour.

Rustic

Another popular choice and not dissimilar to the farmhouse appeal but it is less refined, less flouncy and fussy. Quite often, this is the style that people who enjoy repurposing materials and equipment enjoy, mainly because this style has age and pedigree at its hearts.

Scandinavian style

More than the famous high street brand, this style is about using natural material side by side and keeping it simple. Don’t overly adorn everyone with clutter, consider the pieces that include and think wood, wood, wood… and wool.

Traditional style

With its roots in the colonial era, a traditionally styled home oozes structure. The rulebook creates an orderly interior, loved by some but loathed by others. It is a style that is all about family and tradition, as well as warmth and familiarity.

Vintage

If you want a broad style into the confines of which most things go, then this is it. As the name suggests, however, this is not about the new and modern, but the old and ‘vintage’. We think of vintage as meaning very old and although antiques would fit into the scheme, it is also about introducing the quirky as well as the forgotten. For example, a gramophone looks great as a sculpture of times past, but it is not used ‘for real’.

Other styles

There is the tropical style as well as adopting the traditional styles of countries throughout the world. Interior design is about function, comfort and creating the peaceful haven or vibrant backdrop to your home that you want. Which do you think describes your style?

Balustrade Components understand how all the small things add detail but they also understand that the wrong detail can be distracting, derailing a whole interior design scheme.

Disclosure: this is a collaborative post.

Share:

11 Comments

  1. January 1, 2018 / 11:37 pm

    I love the look of so many of these styles but I find my Pinterest boards are filled with minimalist styles. Totally not what my house currently looks like with kids haha

  2. January 11, 2018 / 9:25 am

    I like the minimalist style of designs. I have always worked with the colors black and white, but I think its time for me to work with some more colors! Thanks for sharing this! Now I have an idea of what style I could possibly work on for this year.

  3. April 28, 2018 / 10:08 am

    Great breakdown of the different decor styles you can use in different homes. The minimalist style seems to be more en vogue for decorating apartments, but even at that more and more people now seem to want a home or apartment that’s warm and “cozy” instead of being beautifully austere.

    Vintage is different a big deal for now, as is mid-century furniture, but we can be certain that will change in the not too distant future 🙂

  4. wajaahaat smith
    November 6, 2018 / 6:42 pm

    Love your suggestions!!!! I’d have you come and do my house!!! You are awesome!!!!

  5. February 6, 2019 / 5:39 am

    Wow it’s really helpful article. amazing

  6. April 2, 2019 / 6:56 am

    One of the most attractive and popular interior design styles is the Victorian style. This style, which has its roots in the Victorian Era, can be easily created in a home, without the need to hire an interior designer.

  7. May 14, 2019 / 6:20 am

    Hi,
    It was a very nicely written article. I like to read it. It was totally informative and topic you covered here, I must say that I have learnt so many things from it.
    please keep shearing!
    Thank you.

  8. February 2, 2020 / 2:30 pm

    Hey Jo, great ideas in this post. It can be tough to idnetify your stylle when you like to combine many different styles togeher. Our contemporary culture has never been more free in terms of style, but also poses it’s own challenges!

  9. March 27, 2020 / 10:05 am

    Great guide! Glad I popped by your blog to check it out!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badge