There are so many styles of interior design that it is often very difficult to settle on one specific one. How many people – so many opinions, of course, and how to choose an interior style in which you will be comfortable for many years? Let’s deal with this interesting topic.
Our website has many articles on interior styles. We wrote about Provence, and about “advanced” hi-tech, and about fashionable Scandinavian style. And even about interiors that are exotic for our realities, such as wabi-sabi and Swedish lagom.
Yes, there are styles between which it is easy to choose, because the difference is just obvious. Fans of the industrial loft will not choose a calm classic. The incredibly large difference between laconic minimalism and lush, whimsical baroque also makes the choice a simple task.
But there are styles that are generally similar to each other. In addition, very often the owners of a house or apartment go for a mix of design trends, creating their own, comfortable, modern interior.
To begin with, let’s determine that some interior styles are not suitable for rooms with specific characteristics. Here are the designers’ opinions:
- The palatial, lush style is definitely not suitable for a tight “Khrushchevka”.
- Ranch, country, rustic and other rural styles are better left for private houses, not apartments. Here, some designers include Provence together with the Mediterranean style, but this is debatable, such options can be implemented in the conditions of urban housing.
- In a new apartment, pseudo-loft or retro will look unconvincing.
- Neoclassicism and its simpler, modern version, minimalism, Scandinavian interior and contemporary can be called universal styles.
Of course, it will not be superfluous to decide on a favorite color scheme, preferences in textile elements or their absence, functional components of rooms. However, most of the time, all these points do not help the owners to choose their room decor option.
There is a very effective method that is recommended by almost all designers – photographs. Yes, yes, just photos of interiors that you liked. How to implement such a method of choosing an interior style, finish and decor elements, we will tell you step by step.
So, let’s start:
- To begin, collect your collection of interior photos. Just browse thematic sites, search engine images, buy glossy design publications. What you definitely like – in your collection, in bookmarks, in a folder with photos cut out of magazines. Collect enough images to compare, take your time.
- Go through everything collected once again and leave those illustrations that really “cling to life”, which you want to bring to life in your own apartment.
- Let’s go to the classification. Which interior style do you have the most images of? Is there a clear leader, for example, modern or bright boho? It seems that the choice is practically made. No clear advantage? Divide the photos into separate categories of rooms: kitchen, living room, bedroom. Perhaps you like classic living rooms, but in the kitchen you want to see a more laconic Scandinavian style. This is normal, because the functions of the rooms are also different.
- Let’s get down to the details. Decide what you like the most about the photo. Maybe you like a dark floor in the kitchen, a gray sofa and moldings in the living room, a concrete chandelier in the bedroom. We advise you to divide all images by categories: floor, lighting, wallpaper, wall color, ceiling. So it will be much easier to choose those elements that you like the most.
- As a result, you will get a classified gallery of images of interiors that exactly suit you or offer the desired decor details. There is something to stop at!
Do not worry if you have not chosen a clear stylistic direction! There are many examples of successful mixing of individual elements of interior styles in one house. The main thing is to feel the measure, do not forget about the functional load of each room and carefully select decorative items from the ones you like the most.