5 Interior Design Styles and How to Pull Them off at Home

With many of us spending more and more time at home nowadays, it feels especially important to make your home a place that reflects your style and feels, well, homier! Defining your aesthetic in a way that looks and feels cohesive can be a great mood booster.

And if you’re not sure where to start, there are a few tried and true interior design styles that’ll offer just the inspiration you need.

Industrial

Industrial design draws inspiration from 19th and 20th-century factories and warehouses, with a characteristic unfinished and uncluttered quality. In this style, architectural elements and open spaces are just as much a focal point as furniture. When conceptualizing this look, keep these elements in mind:

Overall Look: Minimalistic, uncluttered, unfinished, clean-lined, and relaxed

Color Palette: Neutral with dark tones mixed in; bright colors should be minimized

Decorative Elements: Pendant lights or Edison bulbs, green plants, vintage photos, abstract wall art, open shelving, wire baskets, exposed pipes, beams, and ductwork

Materials: Iron, steel, copper, brass, glass, wood, distressed leather

Furniture: Straight-lined with subtle curves, simple, and understated with a focus on mixed materials (particularly metal and wood)

Neutral tones mixed with metal, wood, and subtle ornamentation create the quintessential industrial look. Our Suzanne Metal and Wood Platform Bed with Footboard has strong and pronounced lines that complement this aesthetic.

Large, untreated windows and exposed brick help accentuate a room’s architectural beauty, so understated accents like simple frames, plants, and a Deluxe Wood Platform Bed complete the look with ease.

Glam

Originally envisioned to emulate old Hollywood glamour, the glam design style is all about extravagance and decadence. With an emphasis on the dramatic, this aesthetic gets its signature look from lavish textures, bold colors, and glitzy accents. To achieve this luxurious look, pay attention to the following:

Overall Look: Expensive, sophisticated, over-the-top, and fashion-forward

Color Palette: Light neutral tones blended with pops of saturated color, pastels, or metallics

Decorative Elements: Crystal or metallic chandeliers, mirrors, statement wall art, fur or animal print rugs, colorful floral arrangements, floor length drapes in luxurious fabrics

Materials: Silver, gold, brass, crystals, glass, marble, velvet, fur, silk

Furniture: Tufted and nailhead detailed upholstery, metal, or glass, often with sculpted curves or strong geometry

Plush textiles (like the velvet upholstery of our Charlotte Platform Bed and glitzy metallics like gold and crystal are the hallmark of a glam aesthetic.

Glam should feel every bit as good as it looks. Textured accent pillows, a fur throw, metallic vase, and neutral tones can make a space feel both cozy and polished.

Contemporary

Perhaps the most versatile of all home styles, contemporary interior design highlights simplicity and openness, while leaving room to play and adapt as trends change. By keeping the overall atmosphere clean-lined and neutral, softer accent pieces and textural fabrics make the room look fresh and welcoming. Bear in mind these key design principles:

Overall Look: Uncluttered, minimalistic, functional, and light and airy with a focus on space rather than things

Color Palette: Pale and muted neutrals with the occasional hint of color

Decorative Elements: Geometric or colorful accent pillows, plants in plain pots or vases, woven area rugs, wool throws, contemporary artwork with simple frames

Materials: Textural fabrics like wool, linen, silk, and jute; wood in natural tones, tile, iron, and chrome

Furniture: Clean-lined, simple, and structured, often featuring exposed legs and natural wood tones

Outfitting a room with mostly muted tones and neutral furniture, like our soft grey Ricardo Sofa, lets statement pieces like a patterned area rug stand out.

Less is more when it comes to contemporary furniture and other staple pieces. Simple and streamlined elements like crisp white linens and a metal platform bed make it easy to switch out statement pieces as tastes and trends change.

Mid century modern

Mid century modern design is influenced by popular trends of the 1930’s - 1960’s. This aesthetic focuses largely on a connection to nature, but also embraces shapes and materials that are a little avant-garde. Natural light, earthy tones, greenery, and wooden elements are largely emphasized. When incorporating mid century modern design, consider these principles:

Overall Look: Organic, earthy, pure and simplistic, comfortable, and practical

Color Palette: Dark, warm neutrals accented with saturated earth tones, like rust, mustard, and avocado

Decorative Elements: Abstract art and prints, wood paneling, dramatic greenery, floor-to-ceiling windows, sheer window treatments, pendant lighting

Materials: Leather, wool, linen, cotton, mid-toned wood, plastic, glass, vinyl, and brass

Furniture: Organically curved or straight-lined with strong geometry, often with a mixture of different materials in one room

Green plants and natural light help bring the outdoors in. Rustic wood grain and earthy tones, along with the cleanliness of a neutral tone sofa, enhance the mid century modern feel even more.

Mid century modern doesn’t shy away from a deeper color palette, as long as it doesn’t feel unnatural. The Pascal Sofa in this living space is the perfect canvas for the muted greens, browns, and reds that add warmth to the room.

Traditional

If streamlined and angular isn’t really your style, traditional home design might be for you. Traditional decor is all about warmth, comfort, and familiarity. Although it features ornamental touches here and there, it should never feel overly fancy or pretentious. As the name implies, this aesthetic is about timelessness, not trends.

Overall Look: Classic, comfortable, homey, elegant, and ornamental

Color Palette: Warm toned neutrals with deep and saturated accent colors, like reds and blues

Decorative Elements: Antique vases and china, damask or floral patterned drapery and rugs, landscape artwork in embellished frames, crown molding and wainscotting, patterned wallpaper, colorful floral arrangements

Materials: Darker woods with exposed grain, silver, gold, silk, velvet, leather, and tufted upholstery

Furniture: Often wooden or upholstered, with curved lines and decorative details like button-tufting, wingbacks, and claw-feet

Traditional aesthetics aren’t afraid of a little color, like the distinct reds and blues in this cozy bedroom. Tufted furniture pieces like our upholstered platform beds make it feel sophisticated, yet comfortable.

Comfort is everything when it comes to traditional style. Matching upholstered furniture pieces with soft silhouettes (like our Sayan Sofas, pictured here) create a balanced look that’s warm and inviting.