We know, it seems next to impossible to try and figure out what interior design style you are, what with they’re being so many in existence!

Don’t worry. We’ve sifted through the styles to include just the major ones in an effort to keep heads from spinning. The smaller, less popular styles are more trendy and don’t have the same stay-power. You’ll see them pop by and just as quickly disappear, so don’t invest in those.

Once you’ve narrowed your faves down to one or two, you’ll then be able to delve into their intricacies. From there, you’ll be designing and decorating in no time! Let’s dive in.

Transitional

Transitional style is the heart of our designs at Chic Decor. It’s a hybrid that pulls the elegance and sophistication from Traditional design and the ease of use and simplicity from Modern style. Though Transitional spaces can look quite different from one another, the common threads are timelessness, serenity, and warmth. They marry right angles and clean edges with curves and rounded profiles to create spaces that are interesting and keep the eye from settling in any one place. Transitional design is one that inherently looks current and up-to-date so if you love the idea of never having to redo your space due to its perennial chicness, this is likely your winner.

Mediterranean

Mediterranean style originates from, you guessed it, the countries that surround the Mediterranean sea. When we think of these countries (Spain, Greece, Italy…) we think of cobblestone walls, terracotta roofs, and exquisite tilework throughout the home. An easy way to accomplish this beautiful design style is to decorate in neutrals, and let the finishes be the stars of the show. The tiles are where you can bring a lot of the colour and punch to your rooms, and they’re typically laid in abundance - on floors, stair risers, walls, even ceilings. Now, as much fun as it is to design using jovial, intricately designed tiles, you need to temper them with a neutralizer. Enter wood furniture. It creates enough contrast to ground the designs and make the rooms look collected and feel authentic. One last thing, and potentially the most important in Mediterranean design, is bringing the outdoors in and the indoors out. Matching your exterior living areas with the interior ones and making it feel like you’re in a climate that allows for open-door living is key to achieving Mediterranian style, and you’ll no longer have to dream of traveling abroad!

Eclecticism

Eclectic style is one of many faces - no two rooms look alike. It’s a style that is uniquely your own and ultimately as abtract and wild as you prefer. HOWEVER, this style is a difficult one to achieve properly because it can very quickly move from a quirky collection to discombobulated destruction (we love an alliteration, hence the overdramatization). You’ll want to have a common thread throughout your Eclectic room be that a colour or a texture (both is best) which will aid in creating a space that feels designer instead of chaotic. A tried and true Eclectic design moment is the gallery wall. When implementing, make sure that it contains frames of differing materials, colours, and designs, and that the artwork and photography displayed are of differing sizes. Your space will be well on its way to Eclecticism!

Contemporary

Contemporary style melds global styles like Art Deco and Minimalism with the style trends of today. It’s fluid and constantly morphing which makes it difficult to define, but there do exist some distinguishing features that should help you identify it when you see it. Contemporary style has clean lines and is extremely simple and straightforward. It may be high contrast but always welcoming through incorporating warm neutrals, having a lack of clutter, and using organic lines and items to soften things up. Think of this as the happy medium between getting super niche in an of-the-moment style and going back in time to another era of design. It can be considered the neutral backdrop to an ever-changing room that merges with whatever style is à la mode and hot on the design scene.

Minimalism

Minimalist style is one that requires finesse, planning, and restraint to really capture its essence. If we had to use this saying for one style and one style only, it would be this one; less is more when it comes to Minimalist design. It’s a style that focuses on letting the architectural features and the views from a space be the focal point, instead of whatever’s used to fill it. It uses timeless design and, of course, an open floor plan to help bring the sightline up and out. The furnishings and finishes, however, are thoughtfully curated so as to avoid having the space feel cold and sparse. This means incorporating different textures to create a layered effect and steer clear of a two-dimensional-looking room. For those with stellar views and large windows, this might be the style to implement!

Maximalism

The antithesis of Minimalism. This design style leaves viewers wanting for nothing in the way of colour, pattern, and personality. Maximalist style is very difficult to accomplish properly - without clash or overwhelm, but oh so much fun when it is. The purpose of this style is to showcase one’s personality and uniqueness, so as you can imagine, those who adopt Maximalism are likely not timid or introverted. (If you aren’t and this is your jam, we’d LOVE to hear from you all about your design journey with this style!) In any Maximalist room, you will see multiple patterns, saturated colours in many hues, highly architectural furniture pieces, and unique and visually stimulating accessories presented in a surplus. If even a small portion of these aspects are off, the entire room will look like a colossal mess. Proceed with caution when opting for Maximalism!

Farmhouse

Farmhouse style is used to display rusticity in the most charming way. Exposed wooden beams, a long, solid wood dining table (commonly known as the farmhouse table), and a large apron sink are some of the must-haves. This design style is in large part about practicality. How often are the builder-grade sinks simply too small or shallow to clean the vast majority of our cookware and baking essentials? Switching to that large, deep apron sink means life becomes a whole lot easier. Want even more life hacks made doable by this endearing design style? Change those counters into butcher’s block and do away with the numerous cutting boards and lack of storage space! Vintage dinnerware and subtle knobs and hooks for hanging aprons and hats as well as linens and lace add the pretty and dainty to this otherwise fairly masculine design style. Finally, the pièce de résistance, drumroll please…. none other than the barn door, of course! Make sure you have enough room for it to slide open and closed, but once that bad boy is in, there will be no denying that your space is none other than the rustic, practical, and delightful Farmhouse style.

Traditional

Arguably, the most universally recognized. Traditional style is one of regality, and typically one that is preferred by those who like to keep their home on the more formal side of things. You’ll often see walls with big personalities in the way of a mural or a large tapestry hung. Furniture is never static - it boasts loads of curves and swirls, and feet in many cases have quite literally been designed as animal feet (claws and so on). More often than not, the metals used won’t look shiny and brand-new. They’ll have an aged look with a gorgeous patina on them. Further, Traditional style is perfect for displaying that collection of fine china you inherited from grandma last year, and an easy way to integrate it into the room is to display it symmetrically. Traditional design loves order and symmetry, as well as depth of colour and pattern. Colour palettes in jewel tones and woods in dark browns are both cornerstones of this style. Finally, when it comes to pattern, we’re talking florals, toile, damask, stripes, and more. Traditional style leaves little to be desired in the way of personality and pizazz!

Industrial

Have you ever seen a space where brick was used on the interior wall, instead of the commonly painted drywall most of us are accustomed to? That’s Industrial style - born of Mid-Century Modern style and taken a few steps further in its exposition of raw materials and elements typically used for building. If you love the idea of urban living where old commercial buildings have been repurposed into residences, then you’ll love this style. Sprawling floor plans and lofty ceiling heights are the foundation, while uncovered ductwork and dark metaals paired with wooden finishes are the accents. Windows are typically metal paned and colour palettes tend to be dark as many of these raw materials naturally lack lightness. Think of Industrial style as stripping an interior down to its bones.

Coastal

Coastal style is laid back and feel-good. It incorporates woods in golden tones (think of sand) and plenty of elements found in or reminiscent of nature like linen, bamboo, and sisal, with its focus being comfort and relaxation. A great way to acquire that by-the-beach feeling is to incorporate outdoor fabrics inside. This will instantly transport you ocean-side with a pina colada in your hand and a colourfully striped umbrella overhead. Bear in mind that finishes that look weathered are the cherry on top of your Coastal room, as it’s how things naturally wear around sand and salt. Now, there are typically two colours that Coastal design lends itself to, can you guess what they are?
We knew you’d get that one… Blues and greens are the hues that keep us blissful as we drift away in thought of being by the water and hearing the waves crash. You can obtain this dreamy style without getting literal, but if sea shells and driftwood are your heart’s longing, then incorporate them unapologetically! We can already smell the salt in the air.

Modern

Modern style is likely the most misused when people discuss interior design. “I love modern spaces!'“ they’ll say, and when we show them a modern space, they realize how mistaken they’ve been all this time. This is because it’s time and time again confused with Contemporary design. We’re here to help fix this. Modern rooms host a plethora of straight lines, an abundance of glass, and cool, sleek finishes. It’s stark and achromatic (another term often forgotten and mistakenly replaced by monochromatic) where function is Queen and form follows. Concrete flooring, stone walls, and metal ceilings can be expected, all in an effort to minimize fuss and maximize space in Modern interiors.
One last thing: when you’re adding metal, always chrome or stainless, never gold.

Art Deco

The design style has been around for a century and has had a strong resurgence thanks to those who love depth and drama in their spaces. Art Deco adds glamour to any room through its use of bold, rich colours, beautiful eye-catching patterns, statement lighting and metallics, and sumptuous fabrics. You’ll often see furnishings with pointed edges or arches and patterns much the same. I.e. the starburst pattern - an easy marker to denote Art Deco style. Geometric shapes are a cornerstone used to layer on the aforementioned drama. The metallics, including mirrors and mirrored items, are a large part of the glamour aspect, but don’t go crazy with them! That’s a quick way to go from chic to cheap. Art Deco is synonymous with luxury, so if you’re ready to take your home to the next level, you’ve found your new goal.

Scandinavian

Born from the Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, Scandinavian design is Minimalist at its core. The adopters of this style love the light and bright aesthetic it has to offer through light wood tones and live plants that bring nature inside. Scandinavian style (commonly known as Scandi) is rooted in functionality and a lack of tchotchkes laying about, but without sacrificing beauty as one can see in these predominantly white spaces. If colour is incorporated, though, it is something muted like a sage green or a blush pink (ditch the jarring neons and think serene and cozy) to add personality to the pops of black, natural woods, and plenitude of white. There’s nothing like coming home after a long day’s work to an uncluttered, pretty, and happy home.

Mid-Century Modern

We’re going to get a little deeper with the history lesson for this one. Mid-Century Modern style is aptly named for having been conceived in the middle of the 20th century. Due to World War 2, many were having to flee Europe which meant stripping their belongings down to the bare essentials. This was, in essence, the basis for what would later be known as Mid-Century Modern design. Function began to precede form and created this no-frills, clean-lines design style. Furniture pieces often boast tapered legs and case goods wear plain fronts. Layering and collections are kept to a minimum as this utilitarian style wouldn’t have it any other way. Durability, comfort, and timelessness reign supreme when designing using the streamlined, down-to-earth style.

Bohemian

Bohemian (or Boho) style is free-spirited and carefree. It’s easy, comfortable, textured, and ultra-layered. Think of it as the design style that lets you display the collected items from your travels around the world without worrying about having to edit things out or match things up. Whether you’re a more is more kind of person or less is best is your motto, Bohemian style is forgiving and inclusive. The notable difference between Boho design and it’s mother Eclecticism, however, is nature is top of mind. Plants and fibers and the beauty of the outdoors are all brought in to alter the interiors for the better. Layering a wool rug on top of reclaimed wood floors, with an organic sofa and multiple patterned cushions and throws on top of it, all sitting beneath a beautifully beaded chandelier starts to paint the picture of what this style is all about. If you’re inspired by multiple cultures, include those influences in your design and you’ll have the layered, natural, cozy space that is Bohemian.

And there you have it. 15 interior design styles in one list to help you figure out what YOUR interior design style is. Whether you love order and sophistication, or easy-going and laissez-faire, there is a style for everyone. Once you get comfortable enough with the different styles, you can even mix them! Create a hybrid of your own if you feel so bold and let us know how your design journey is going! We’d love to hear from you <3

Margarite & Alexandra