Find Your Style

I will not be concerned with a specific design style, because I believe that every interior design should grow naturally from the specific emotional needs of the owner of the house. More important is to exalt your taste and the simple laws of common sense. Nevertheless, the understanding of popular styles can give you some inspiration and help in determining the way you want to change your house.

The interior design meaning of style is the identifying characteristics of a particular country, region, or era. You may already have a decorating style you love or your house may have a distinctive style of its own. This doesn't mean that you have to follow a strict style in decoration or that you can't mix in things from other styles. But you need to be aware that, say, minimalism wouldn't exactly suit a Victorian style house, and old farm house would look silly done up like Versailles.

The following pictures and texts describe the basic interior styles. Your goal is to determine what styles and shapes appeal to your personal taste. Find the style which suits you best and with which you are most comfortable. Take a note of what pleases you - old houses or clean modern lines; quirky, idiosyncratic design or traditional? Think about why a particular design gives you a pleasure.

Traditional style

Traditional style interiors are comforting and classic. It is calm, orderly, and can be somewhat predictable. Symmetry is extremely important. Furniture is often arranged on a straight axis and centered within the room. In addition, furnishings and accessories are often seen in pairs and straight lines are contrasted with curved details. Formal style is rather similar to traditional style. Formal style is more glamorous, often using expensive period furnishings and fine antiques. Traditional rooms are less grand and a bit more casual, often using less expensive reproductions and accessories and fewer fussy details. Traditional and formal styles lean to decorating classics that evoke the past and stand the test of time. Design influences include 18th and 19th century English and American styles, including Queen Anne, Chippendale, and Victorian or European favorites like Louis XIV-XVI.

Country style

Country style is relatively inexpensive and appeals to many people. It has the allure of the handcrafted and unpretentious. None of this furniture is at all grand, nor is it meant to be. The shapes and materials are usually simple enough that they mix well with other styles, adding charm and a sense of the past. Casual style is comfortable, warm, inviting, and homey Decorating styles with a country feel can include rustic, American country, French country, ethnic, cottage, Shabby Chic, and more. Quilts, needlework and medi accessories are all part of country homey and creative look.

Contemporary style

Contemporary interiors spell : clean lines, sculptural furnishings, art, neutral elements and bold color. For some people contemporary style looks stark and cold, but others find it exciting, urban, and fresh. Contemporary style represents simplicity of line, shape, and form. Lighting is exceptionally important in a contemporary interior. Typical of the style are unusual fixtures with sculptural interest, clean lines, and perhaps accents of bold color or metallic. Contemporary style may take a lighter, Retro approach û black-and-white Hollywood , Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles.

More about styles:

• Classical
• Tudor Style
• Georgian Style
• Baroque
• Traditional Victorian
• Country Victorian
• French Country
• Shabby Chic
• Arts and Crafts:
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• Colonial Style
• Japanese:
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• Japanese-style Gardens
• Mediterranean style
• Spanish colonial, Spanish revival, Mediterranean and mission-style California homes, estates, villas and haciendas
• Mexican style
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• Desert gardens
• Tropical style
• Medieval Style
• Contemporary Style
• Minimalism
• Modern Style
• Art Deco Style



• These tests can help you to find your style:
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