2021’s Top Interior Design Styles
Incorporating a theme into your interior designs helps create a cohesive environment.
But this isn’t as easy as it might seem.
Generally, interior designers choose one style and make it a theme that runs the aesthetic thread of an entire home. This is apparent in the choice of colors, materials, and furnishings.
There’s nothing wrong with this approach, though achieving that level of consistency means you know a specific style inside and out and understand how to incorporate it into space.
On the other hand, balancing the client’s wishes, current trends, and your approach to interior design is challenging. If for nothing else, there’s the fact that there are so many styles to choose from and the clients may want to merge certain elements that just don’t go together.
Surely, you don’t want to create an eclectic mishmash of an interior.
To help you avoid that, this article examines some of 2021’s most popular styles and tips on how to make them work within a space.
The Styles
#1 - Modern
Modern is often used as an umbrella term to define interior design that promotes technology, efficiency, materials, and authenticity.
Since it sprouted from the Modernist movement of more than a century ago, modern style redefines the relationship between homeowners and their space.
How, you may ask?
Proponents of this style perceive spaces as machines for living instead of inhabitable shells. Due to that, modern interiors are carefully designed to integrate functional elements with geometric shapes, articulated lines, and materials such as steel and concrete.
The vital part of modern interior language is simplicity, both functional and visual.
But how can you incorporate all of that into an interior space?
For the colors, it’s best to select shades of grey and white and consider accenting those with frameless modernist paintings and wall art.
Also, try to incorporate steel, concrete, or iron to pay homage to the core elements of the modernist style. For example, polished concrete walls are a great option to set the tone of such a home, particularly when it doesn’t require extensive construction work.
As for the furniture, it should be streamlined, where Miles van der Roche’s designs are some of the best examples. Since his chairs are expensive and hard to come by, you can focus on pieces that have straight lines and little to no decorations.
Note that your design shouldn’t include molding, even if it’s there to conceal lighting. To stay true to the modern style, it’s perfectly fine to leave the lighting exposed.
#2 - Minimalist
Minimalist interior style has been trendy in the last few years partly for the rising awareness. Minimalism takes cues from modernism and makes the critical design elements even simpler.
The rule is the absence of anything flamboyant, excessive, or too vibrant. The minimalist color palette is airy, neutral, and simple.
This doesn’t mean there’s no room for color. But you should limit your choice to a single accent wall, for example, and keep the color unsaturated.
The idea is to design a space that exudes functionality and cleanliness through the use of lines and functional furniture.
It may seem that the minimalist aesthetic is too constraining to create a genuinely compelling interior.
But of course, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
To satisfy your client’s desires and find a way to express yourself, it’s best to focus on high-end craftsmanship and construction.
This is the style that celebrates materials and their form without any unnecessary embellishments.
Let’s say you’re constructing a minimalist kitchen. The focus should be on storage space and positioning of the functional elements just to promote ease of use.
You can add open box shelving, but be careful about how the kitchen elements fit together. The idea is to create a seamless space with few joint lines.
#3 - Industrial
Distressed wood, exposed steel and piping, and brick walls are the most emblematic elements of industrial style.
Evocative of the industrial era, this style often has a mature and rustic feel. And it’s not uncommon to find copper accents in contemporary interpretations of this style.
You may find it most interesting that you can use a wide array of decor. Plus, there are hardly any limitations in terms of color, furniture, and accent pieces.
It’s okay to combine elaborate ornamentation with clean lines of modern furniture and introduce darker colors for a chic look.
That being said, the freedom that comes with the industrial style could be a trap that results in an eclectic mishmash.
To prevent that, it’s best to choose one metal with a brushed or polished finish and use that throughout the fixtures in a home. Allow that to spill over to the furniture, especially in the kitchen and dining room, where industrial pieces make the most sense.
As mentioned, exposed brick walls are industrial. But this design solution has been reinterpreted so much that it might have lost some of its original charms.
Therefore, you should only go for exposed brick in homes that indeed have old brick walls never overdo it. Avoid old brick wall covers or anything designed to mimic that look as it takes away from the style and may make the space appear cheap.
#4 - Vintage
A space filled with flea market finds alone isn’t vintage.
Vintage is a specific style that pays tribute to the period after WWII. Back then, people used whatever they could get their hands on to create inviting and warm spaces in times of scarcity.
Moving lines are the critical aspect of vintage aesthetics. And you can achieve that with strategic uses of contrasting patterns and unique motifs.
Vintage-style colors are usually neutral and light. But you can use vivid colors to add accents and elevate the elegance of an interior.
The goal is to create a space that looks classy but not worn out.
To pull that off, you need to be careful with the selection of antiques. The rule is that more weight signals an antique that is genuine and made of real materials. Also, if you’re buying antique furniture, make sure it’s sturdy and safe.
And yes, vintage style relies on antiques for its charm, but you shouldn’t go overboard. Focus on balancing functional antiques with decorations and accent pieces that could be more modern to create a cohesive space.
As indicated, judicious use of colors and patterns can bring a vintage interior to life. For example, polka dot is one of the patterns that have lots of 50s charm. And you can use rich red to evoke the Victorian era feelings.
The best thing about playing with color is that you get the desired effect with little effort. But pay attention to natural light and the space itself to ensure the color placement makes sense.
#5 - Bohemian
Bohemian interior style has been trending for quite some time and it’s safe to say that the style’s influence on fashion has something to do with it.
The philosophy behind the style is to follow one’s desires with minimal rules. Even so, the goal is to create a well-balanced space that reflects the homeowner’s lifestyle.
These interiors usually feature vintage furniture, rustic or foreign carpentry, and collections on display as accent pieces.
When designing bohemian spaces, it’s fine to source some of the items from flea markets.
But the same rules of sourcing antiques apply. Everything has to be genuine and all functional pieces should work properly.
Also, you can incorporate things that your client bought from their travels. And feel free to include comfortable lounge areas full of colorful pillows and ethnic motifs.
If you want to step things up a notch, combine a glamorous chandelier with a 50s chair and an old rug. This gives the space a touch of glamour and charm.
Bohemian style allows for layering, so you can combine different finishes, materials, and styles to highlight the aesthetics. For example, you can match a contemporary sofa with kilim pillows and vivid floral pattern wallpapers.
Finally, bohemian interiors are plants happy. You can add large potted plants and indoor trees, but probably not plant walls.
What’s Your Style?
The style of an interior should be apparent the moment someone walks into a space. It should marry the client’s wishes and your interpretation of the requested style.
Why?
Hardly anybody wants to live in a cookie-cutter copy of certain aesthetics. So, your task is to take the client’s desires and incorporate them into a space, with the touch to give everything a unique twist for that wow effect.
This article has given you a good blueprint for the dos and don’ts of a particular style. Take that and use your own creativity to provide a dazzling interior that elevates the client’s lifestyle.
And if you need more guidance on how to pull it off seamlessly, book a strategy call with Duke Renders at https://www.dukerenders.com/call
