The Definitive Guide to Interior Design Styles by Dean Signori

It would be easy to take a picture found online, a theme from a TV show or movie, or something you’ve seen in a magazine and decide, “I want my house to look like that!” However, an Interior Design theme needs to fit your lifestyle and personality as well as look good in your home. Certain designs just don’t mix well together. You aren’t going to put a white floor rug in the living room of your farmhouse, it would just get filthy and muddy.

This article is here to help you determine which design fits your desires and lifestyle. While it isn’t supposed to shoe box you into choosing a single style, it should help clarify which styles are acceptable together. We will go over the four most popular Interior Design styles and help you choose which of these are most in line with your lifestyle and desires.

Rustic and Farmhouse Interior Style

Rustic and Farmhouse design as this "Interior Design Styles" post by Decorami pointed out contains multiple design theories all wrapped up into one central theme. The main idea here is that it is a practically comfortable living space that combines both heirloom furniture and modern upgrades. Comfort is the number one priority of a Rustic/Farmhouse style. It should bring out an inner connection to nature but also to a homeliness that is enforced by the idea that it can be clean and cosy.

Organic materials are a very important aspect of the Rustic Farmhouse style. Using stone or natural wood in as many pieces of furniture as possible to give it that old-time style look is central to the visual theme. Most farmhouses utilise as many whites and light colours for walls to keep the impression of spaciousness.

It’s not just the stone or natural wood that make a home rustic. It also takes into account the level of comfort that a wool rug or a leather sofa can add to the overall aesthetic of the room in question. A classic example of storage in a rustic designed home might include wicker baskets or wooden barrels to not only serve a function but also to serve as a design element.

Shabby Chic Interior Style

The idea of a Shabby Chic or Urban Chic layout is the desire to have open spaces but also to decorate in a hip yet retro style. While incorporating styles from modern design, it also allows for a unique approach to chaos. It is a classic mix or antiques and Ikea, of thrift shops and designer pieces. This is very much the idea of a big city apartment or house using some recycled furniture alongside some suave new additions.

Pillows and Blankets are some of the most important pieces to a collection in the chic style. Pastels and whites are generally the colours most connected with this theme. Bright colours are generally not found. One of the best things about the style is the ability to mix different eras of furniture and decor and not have them be out of place.

This is the perfect style for someone who wants to enjoy the new era of design but also keep some favourites from the past. The collaboration between antique and modern are supposed to connect the eras by utilising a central focus piece such as a table or chair. Chic style is mostly concerned with being utilitarian and comfortable at the same time. A random art showpiece might be shown proudly on the wall alongside a bright yellow couch. This design style in a quote by Dean Signori can be summed up like this, “Messy yet clean”.

Grey Shabby Chic Wall Cabinet

https://www.homesdirect365.co.uk/grey-shabby-chic-wall-cabinet-p42797

Estelle Four Poster Antique French Style Bed

https://www.homesdirect365.co.uk/estelle-four-poster-antique-french-style-bed-p40334

Barley Twist Four Poster Antique French Style Bed

https://www.homesdirect365.co.uk/barley-twist-four-poster-antique-french-style-bed-p38343

Bordeaux Ivory Shabby Chic Wardrobe

https://www.homesdirect365.co.uk/bordeaux-ivory-shabby-chic-wardrobe-p13167

Shabby Chic Chest Of Drawers

https://www.homesdirect365.co.uk/shabby-chic-chest-of-drawers-p34650

French Style Interior Design

The main design aspiration for a French Styled house is to be timelessly elegant. French designers envision placing a modern chair beside a dresser from the 18th Century or having ultra-modern lighting against an ornate background. It’s all about the dynamic tension that exists between different periods and styles.

Large ornate mirrors or fancy kitchen sets connect with the possibility of a crystal chandelier and make everything flow together nicely. The style works well with sleek modern pieces such as chairs or tables, alongside the artsy and grandiose style of the French.

A person would choose the French Style because it is historic, elegant and timeless. It brings someone back to a time where craftsmanship was more important than the price. The designs are more luxurious and the items included in these designs are often pieces of history themselves. Whereas Rustic uses natural looking antique pieces to connect to a modern era, the French Style uses their elegant antique pieces to connect to a time before today.

Bergere Antique French Style TV Cabinet

https://www.homesdirect365.co.uk/bergere-antique-french-style-tv-cabinet-p7476

Antique French Style Vanity Unit

https://www.homesdirect365.co.uk/antique-french-style-vanity-unit-p168

La Rochelle Antique French Style Cheval Mirror

https://www.homesdirect365.co.uk/la-rochelle-antique-french-style-cheval-mirror-p16634

Coastal Interior Design

The Coastal style is an easy-breezy design philosophy that connects the light of the outside with the light on the inside. It often includes rustic look in many whites, greens, and blues in order to mimic the ocean and to make you feel like you’re always on vacation. Coastal designs often include a super comfy couch and a beach style side chair.

Open design and large windows set this style out from the others in the fact that it is more welcoming and comforting in a more accepting way. It is less about the items in the room and more about the feel of the room as a whole. Light rays and natural light are key factors in making a coastal design feel like a vacation. This post "48 Living Rooms with Coastal Style" by Coastal Living has some beautiful coastal themes.

The connection with the sea and the connection with the beach can be seen in the use of sandy coloured furniture and the coloured glass that is often included in a Coastal Style House. Pops of blues and greens represent the ocean and allow for a more comfortable style of home living.

Bombe Antique French Style Chest

https://www.homesdirect365.co.uk/bombe-antique-french-style-chest-p13771

Green Rococo Antique French Style Mirror

https://www.homesdirect365.co.uk/green-rococo-antique-french-style-mirror-p41364

Bombay Shabby Chic Chest Of Drawers

https://www.homesdirect365.co.uk/bombay-shabby-chic-chest-of-drawers-p38228

Conclusion

A lot of design features overlap in regards to specific aesthetic features. Finding the right collaboration of these unique yet in many ways very similar styles can lead to a personal take on any of these main themes. Having aspects of a shabby chic setup along with a coastal design can make for a hip new coastal theme that maybe takes you from sitting on a beach to sitting in a surf shop in the 80’s. The Rustic Farmhouse appeal has many similar features of the French style. They both want to use old well built antique furnishings to keep an authentic perspective.

It is easy to be overwhelmed with options and opinions, but remember to choose something that represents you. When considering a design option make sure that it runs in line with your lifestyle and what the design will say about you. Whether you decide to go with an antique style or a modern style, you now have a little bit more information to take with you on your journey to deciding which design style is right for you.