Your Cart is Empty
2023 CLEARANCE SALE | 60% OFF + FREE SHIPPING
There are many different types of homes in the real estate market today. There is a home décor style for everyone, from a mid-century modern or contemporary home to a more traditional colonial house; there is a home décor style for everyone!
So if you are thinking about your home décor style, we've got you covered!
This article will go over how to choose the best interior design elements for your home based on the type of house you have. We'll cover factors like location, architecture, lifestyle, and upkeep cost. Throughout, we'll cover popular interior design trends so that you can get ideas about which one might work best with your home's style.
One of the first steps in creating an interior design theme for your place is figuring out what type of home structure you're working with. There are various housing types, some of which limit your ability to make significant modifications.
So, let's briefly go over the types of housing you might choose to live in before discussing how to implement interior design themes within yours.
Your home is like a fingerprint, and the architecture defines it. It is essential to work with your home's architecture to not end up with a clashed design. Let's discover the most common single-family home types so you can pinpoint your home's particular style and reference it for your own project.
Cape Cod | Colonial | Contemporary | Cottage | Craftsman | Greek Revival | Farmhouse | French Country | Mediterranean | Mid-Century Modern | Ranch Style | Split-Level | Tudor | Victorian
This house style is also known as a "Salt Box," which comes from the shape they resemble. This home style has been around for centuries in Massachusetts, where it originated on Cape Cod Bay – hence its name.
People love them because, unlike many homes with their straight lines and symmetry, these have character. You can see how much work went into building them by looking at all those lovely windows framing your view!
You'll find these types of residences all over America today.
Still, they will often have more space and a more significant number of windows than their east-coast counterparts.
Tap into the traditional architecture of your home by bringing in the coastal spirit to your living room.
Capture that nautical beach vibe by incorporating wicker furniture and a blue-and-white color scheme into your interior design style.
Colonial homes are an excellent choice for families who want the charm of historical living but don't want to compromise modern features. These houses originate in the 1600s and focus heavily on symmetry.
The simple, rectangular structure is a testament to its age and influences from different countries.
Colonials have always incorporated grand entryways for "noble" living and natural elements like central stairs so everyone can feel luxurious!
When picking colors for your colonial-inspired home, it's best to stick with soft and muted tones.
Try to paint in more delicate yellows, greens, or blues. Stick to non-saturated hues that will not overpower the room.
If you choose plain white walls, a great way of adding extra flair is to choose patterned furniture with funky pillows!
While modern refers to a period that has already passed, contemporary references the present. Contemporary elements fit into today's homes via eco-friendly materials and are full of clean lines and textured finishes.
The style strikes the perfect balance between elegant minimalist chic and dramatic flair. Modern design can feel cold, limiting, or overtly minimal because of its few decorative elements.
However, contemporary furnishings create a space that feels effortless and calming.
In a contemporary home, it's essential to consider the soothing feeling of texture.
Wood, stone, and opaque glass are popular materials for designing this type of room.
Consider muted and single-color furniture over wild designs.
Allow your artwork to convey your personality and deliver deliberate pops of color.
Cottage-style houses are a throwback to the 1800s. They were initially homes for working-class farmers and, more recently as vacation spots. However, many people use them year-round as their residence because of how spacious they are despite appearing small on paper.
Standard features include wood siding or shingles made of brick or stone, porches, and spacious fireplaces. With neutral wall colors like oatmeal or off-white, you can add a light unifying palette to give your interiors an airy feel.
Add one or two darker furniture pieces for balance and contrast it all with your flooring.
Country-style homes like the cottage convey a rustic design and charming way to live.
They are a perfect place to experiment with different textiles, such as florals and stripes.
The shabby chic vintage items in these houses make them attractive because they tell the story of someone's life lived.
A cottage home is perfect for anyone who loves the idea of using reclaimed wood or classic white shiplap paneling.
The Craftsman style has its focus on the value of handmade, well-constructed architecture. They go against mass-produced or cookie-cutter home developments - typically focusing on the importance of sturdy handmade foundations.
They feature beautiful hand-worked materials like exposed beams, low pitched gable roofs that taper for columns on their porches.
You might also find custom elements in these homes, such as built-in bookshelves and fireplaces.
Many of these older houses use simple color palettes consisting mainly of grays, whites, or earthy tones for colors, with beige and green often favored.
Craftsman interior design style often opens up space with the help of natural light, so take advantage of it where you can.
Like cottage homes, craftsman-style homes focus on natural elements, allowing furniture pieces to accent their architecture.
With its impressive columns that emulate those found on the Parthenon and other famous Greek buildings, it's easy to spot a home with this style. Inspired by ancient Greece democracy, philosophy, or culture, the Greek revival emerged in America during the 1830s renaissance of classical styles.
When decorating the interior of a Greek Revival home, geometric designs, classical motifs, trellis or stripe patterns with flowers, and Asian patterns make up the most common design styles.
Another common feature is trim that creates "panels" on walls where frames can come from around windows and moldings all around the perimeter of ceilings too!
The interior design style for this type of home is all about natural colors.
It would be best if you stuck to light and neutral tones, allowing for impactful accent pieces with stronger colors.
Farmhouse-style homes pull inspiration from their namesake buildings for both interior design styles as well as exterior features. This inspiration includes tall ceilings, exposed beams, and large front porches.
The farmhouse style has a specific interior design that can create either a relaxed vibe or be cohesive and curated. Rugged shabby chic materials are preferred with cozy accessories to achieve a rustic look.
From weathered wood to exposed brickwork, distressed finishes will add character to every surface found in your house.
It would help complete the look if you also mixed brushed metals into these spaces. They have a laid-back rustic design that works well!
Sticking to an overall neutral palette is ideal for a design that you will not get tired of in the long run.
Create your color scheme by first mixing different shades of brown or grey.
You can always spice things up with colorful accents like deep blue, burgundy red, burnt orange, and mustard yellow with a neutral background.
Inspired by rural France, these dwellings typically share some similar features with farmhouse-style houses. They feature pointed roofs, shutters, and exteriors made of stone. On the inside, one may find an old-fashioned fireplace, distressed wood floors, and other features that give off a sense of antiquity.
French country interior design is warm and welcoming, filled with plenty of beautiful colors. Opting for pastel colors in the low-intensity range will help ground your home's space while still maintaining an airy feeling.
French Country also features graceful lines from furniture or wall decor, such as wrought iron accents. Fabrics should feature pretty toile patterns if they want to maintain this shabby chic look but partner them up with stripes, plaids, or solids, so there isn't too much going on at once!
Their rooms come filled with lace and pillows for a cozy, inviting atmosphere. Add some wrought-iron garden furniture by the window to create a great reading space that's both stylish and functional!
French Country also features graceful lines from furniture or wall décor, such as wrought iron accents.
Fabrics should feature pretty toile patterns if they want to maintain this shabby chic look but partner them up with stripes, plaids, or solids, so there isn't too much going on at once!
Their rooms come filled with lace and pillows for a cozy, inviting atmosphere.
Add some wrought-iron garden furniture by the window to create a great reading space that's both stylish and functional!
Mediterranean-style homes are famous for the beautiful Spanish and Italian influences they feature. They often have tiled roofs, white stucco walls, warm stone or wood features. You'll find metalwork on balconies and windows with a splash of colorful tiles accenting it all.
The Mediterranean style is an aesthetic that brings the old natural world inside your home. There are many organic fabrics, earthy colors, and carefully chosen shabby chic elements that blend the interior with exterior spaces in a clever way.
A few key pieces to add to this design include some colorful accessories like lavender pillows or lime green decor. Bring its authenticity to your home with bronze accents. Plant flowers, use organic fabric and hang colorful art on white walls for a fresh beach feel.
Tiles are perfect for every room and every item; they look amazing on mirrors, pool decks, tabletops, or door frames. Choose light oversized curtains that are rich with colors and patterns.
Be sure to let a lot of sun in a while blending the interior to your home's exterior as much as possible, the most crucial aspect when you're nailing a Mediterranean motif!
Bring its authenticity to your home with bronze accents.
Plant flowers, use organic fabric and hang colorful art on white walls for a fresh beach feel.
Tiles are perfect for every room and every item; they look amazing on mirrors, pool decks, tabletops, or door frames.
Choose light oversized curtains that are rich with colors and patterns.
Be sure to let a lot of sun in a while blending the interior to your home's exterior as much as possible, the most crucial aspect when you're nailing a Mediterranean motif!
The mid-century modern design style emerged from the Bauhaus movement after WWII. They are characterized by sleek, uncluttered designs that nature inspires. These homes combine natural pieces with artificial materials for a well-thought-out style.
Mid-century modern interiors are a refreshing break from the heavy, industrial styles of classic design. Accents have an airy feel and use as little space as possible. The retro colors used range from neutral to bright and bold but even feature stark contrasts of black and white!
Furniture often features vivid colors like pink or lime green accented by natural materials such as wood for seating that feels both warm and sleek!
As form follows function, shapes should fit with your style and aesthetic!
Keep in mind that surfaces should also be free of clutter – always.
While solid colors, patterns, or florals can add visual intrigue, the real secret comes from balancing textiles of different textures such as velvet, silk twill, and wool with hardline furniture.
Consider Scandinavian furniture and accessories to achieve this look on a budget better.
Ranch-style homes first appeared in the 1930s, but their popularity boomed from 1950 to 1970. These homes are typically one story and have low-pitched roofs with large windows that slide open.
Ranch homes are all about open space. You could choose from different flooring, including ceramic tiles in the kitchen to wall-to-wall carpeting in the living room or a bedroom. For that classic ranch home look, homeowners should go for continuous natural wood flooring throughout. Continuity will make the place appear more cohesive.
If you want to add some variety to your décor, try doing so through cabinet faces and artwork instead of painting the walls. However, tomato or avocado green are excellent choices for accent walls if you desire a bit more flair.
But don't forget about neutral colors like black and tan furnishings against off-white walls.
Some find muted tones less overwhelming in a Ranch home.
The colors that you choose in the kitchen and dining room, for example, should be cohesive.
Open floor plans can benefit significantly from this color consistency.
It helps convey a sense of flow between different rooms without disruptions.
Split-level homes emerged in the 1950s and '60s, evolving from the traditional ranch style. The distinguishing feature of a split-level home is how living areas are divided. These residences have multiple floors connected with short flights of stairs (unlike regular two or three-story houses).
The great thing about this type is how easy it is to distinguish one area from another. Every room has its purpose as defined by the architecture - although some Split-levels lack windows which can make them feel dark or heavy.
This type of architecture lends itself well when choosing bright colors as accent pieces.
For example, painting trim around doors and window frames, along with using lighter, more neutral colors for your walls, allows accents to stand out against them more easily.
Contemporary modern design aesthetic works well here because the interior can easily take on the look of a high-end loft in the city or high mountains.
European-trained architects in the late 1800s birthed the Tudor home style. Yet, it would not be until 1920 that this architectural aesthetic would become popular. It takes inspiration from Late Medieval and Early Renaissance architecture with its stone masonry, timber framing, steep gable roofs, and classic leaded windows. The asymmetrical appearance gives off a fairytale vibe.
You'll recognize Tudor architecture by its use of dark wood accenting stucco and a cathedral-like ceiling. Dark vertical paneling made from oaks lines the interior walls.
Tudor's design style is dark, mainly consisting of drab colors. Try using warm paint colors like yellow or amber as an offset.
Those who love the old-style Tudor aesthetic may opt for contrasting accent colors such as blue or green on light-colored walls.
Use textiles with ornate designs to draw the eye away from the walls. You don't have to limit yourself to the more traditional elements.
You can genuinely embody a bohemian style in this cozy home too.
Victorian homes, popularized in the early 1800s through 1900s, are characterized by ornate elements like bay windows, porches with steep gable roofs.
Victorian homes come from an era when people wanted to go back to traditional styles that were more elegant rather than industrial or farm-like vernacular designs. This sentiment is why they have such colorful facades, often with gingerbread trimming on the top of pretty pastels like lavender or powder blue paints.
As factories gained more power to create furniture, art, and fabric more easily, typical decoration became more accessible. This innovation led to a characteristic "busy" look in Victorian Design aesthetics.
The advent of aniline dyes enabled intense colors like deep purples and glowing yellows to be more commonplace.
Thanks to new printing and weaving techniques, artisans could use these colors to craft stunning plaids, stripes, & florals.
In earlier parts of the era, dark jewel tones such as burgundy emerald, green navy & deep brown became standard.
Towards later periods, brighter pastel shades emerged, which allowed people more access to beautiful color combinations.
Some modern styles cost more to maintain than shabby chic or vintage looks. Keep in mind that maintaining a specific interior design image may become costly, especially when you factor in furniture costs.
These hidden costs are why we generally recommend choosing rustic interiors with vintage accessories you can easily find at a thrift store.
Your home is a representation of who you are, so it's essential to make sure that your living areas reflect the way you want others to see and think about you.
Choosing an interior design style that suits your lifestyle and personality will make the home feel more like a sanctuary than just another place to eat, sleep, or work.
The location of your home is also critical for deciding on its theme. It will determine what colors, textures, and patterns work best to reflect its exterior. For example, suppose you live in a desert area with sand and cacti all-around. In that case, the best color palette includes warm colors like reds or oranges.
It's essential to choose an interior design that reflects your lifestyle and personality, so the home feels like a sanctuary. After reviewing these common architecture types, I hope you have a greater understanding of maximizing the design efforts on yours.
