A Guide to 20 Design Styles for 2021

Sunshine Drapery sliding glass doors window treatment

Many people spot an interior design style and have no idea what it's called. Maybe you want to update one room of your home like the one you see or carry the style throughout your home for a big change. This guide will help you to know what style you want.

A Guide to 20 Design Styles for 2021

The top 20 current design styles will live on forever. They aren't just trends that come and go. When you learn what the design style is called and some examples of it, then you can have your home decorated in any style that fits your personality and your space.

Minimalist

This is a very modern style that is often misunderstood. When people hear the word minimalist, they envision rooms with a stark coldness and an uncomfortable severity--this is not the case at all. It's a warmer take on the minimal design that is full of no fuss and clean elegance. It engulfs sumptuous comfort and functionality. It keeps room sparse with solid color fabrics and some decor extras that serve a purpose at the same time. Think of the minimalist style in a modern art gallery or a museum in where items are pulled together to fill a space with the barest of essentials but also feature organic or abstracts.

Contemporary

Many people confuse modern interior design styles with contemporary style. There is a difference between the two making them unique from each other though. Contemporary is completely of the moment while modern design styles can be anything forward thinking from the 50's to the early 2000's. Contemporary design has more freedom as modern is usually more fixed around square and graphic lines in modern furniture.

Traditional

Traditional interior design incorporates pieces that speak to your lifestyle and personality but functions dually to make a statement. Most traditional rooms include depth and layering especially in the window treatments. Traditional style can also incorporate traditional furniture, a Louis VI chair and contemporary light fixtures for a conversation piece.

Transitional

Transitional style contains the tried and true elements of traditional style in combination with modern elements in a room. This makes the room look like more than one style. It's helpful when you are trying to blend your interior design styles with a newly married couple or if you move into a larger home. The best transitional style boasts balance in the mix of two separate styles while feeling warm and relaxed.

Rustic

Rustic interior design takes its inspiration from the great outdoors in a combination of industrial interior and farmhouse styles. The rustic decor emphasizes natural and weathered finishes, such as raw wood, leather and stone with an overall sophistication. Great industrial accents include pendants and unique leather chairs in a more modern design. Rustic design is a mixture of styles that can create a one of a kind room.

French Country

This interior design style is similar to transitional styles. It is a hybrid mix of antique French, farmhouse and shabby chic all in one room with the addition of cool and grown up allure. This style may have an era-less soft, Louis VI chairs upholstered in a modern geometric print, eclectic mixes of artwork and a minimal coffee table for a great French Country style.

Shabby Chic

Shabby chic interior design style evokes the laid-back California cool elements but it isn't the misnomer of granny decor that some think defines shabby chic. Its roots are in antique and vintage French designs with comfortable furniture and it boasts a lived-in and timeless appeal just like vintage does. It is soft and feminine with a marriage of traditional style and vague farmhouse touches. Examples are a white overstuffed couch with distressed painted wooden walls and touches of ornate guilt on a French mirror.

Coastal

This design style features light, bright and airy items that are often in vibrant neutrals to soak up the sunrays on a beach. Common coastal colors include shades of light greens and light blues inspired by the ocean with a combination of neutrals and creams to round out the relaxed but elegant finish.

Hollywood Regency

This is one of the most timeless design styles and very fun as it blends Art-Deco touches with a grown up sense of high polished glamour. This is achieved by mixing period French furnishings with clean lines, hints of bright and vibrant color and ultra-glamorous notes in a crystal atmosphere or a mirror with high shine finishes and surfaces.

Scandinavian

Scandinavian design emphasizes a clean and serene feeling that's simple and universal in its appeal. It is fully functional and slightly minimal. This design enlists organic shapes with a lot of interest, plays on tones and textures and a relaxed appeal mostly in all white spaces with gray undertones in it. Some hints of colors exist in a small rug or throw or by art.

Urban Modern

This design style is perfect for elevated city life like in New York. It marries the best of the deluxe modern, contemporary and industrial pieces for a timeless and inspiring area. It's a mix of chic highlights from many different eras all brought together to make a statements.

Bohemian

This is a timeless and popular style that represents a carefree and fuss free look that's heady and intoxicating. It boasts exotic finds from around the globe combined with vintage and antique furnishings that are usually found during flea market trips. It also touches on everyday glamour through crystal extras, jewel tones, beaded fabrications on drapes and creates an overall relaxed mood.

Mid-Century Modern

This style of decor borrows from the best of the items from the 50's and 60's with a clean retro inspired feel. It includes simple silhouettes, quiet fabrications in draperies and furniture as well as organic shapes all of which are functional. It translates to an updated traditional style very easily.

Industrial

This style is named for its comparison to warehouse and factory elements. It includes clean lines that are both masculine and minimal. Some examples are reclaimed machinery made into light fixtures, raw woods, unfinished metals and a steam punk vibe all together in harmony.

Eclectic

This style is similar to bohemian but with a more grown up allure. It's about finding high energy and spell binding furnishings that are very unique. It's seen in bold textures, patterns and palettes that combine together to create a rich mix with focal points in mind.

Modern Farmhouse

If you are seeking a style that is practical, warm, comfortable and exudes a relaxed approach, then modern farmhouse is your style. It is warm and inviting with the ultimate mix of both low and high contrasts that work well for a growing family. It includes rustic country elements that have been updated and it includes architectural elements whether they have flaws or not.

Modern Country

Modern country design has dynamic layers of both organic and rugged elements that form a warm and comforting environment. Elements included are exposed wooden beams with cherished industrial finds in metal.

Art Deco

Art deco design screams ornate and jewel like. It evokes opulence, glamorous, elegant and sleek all in one style. Features are bright and bold with a lot of shine in tasteful pieces.

Asian Zen

This interior design style is a rich take on paired down design. It is minimal but includes many layers in the window treatments, furniture and all the decor in the room.

Feng Shui

This is mistakenly labeled as the manner in which your arrange your furnishings in a room. It's more of a philosophy to create a great balance in your home for harmony in each room. This is the most tranquil decor type. This guide should answer your questions of what type of design style will be suited to your personality and your space. With the knowledge of the types of interior design styles, you can decorate in the style you like best and make certain you are sticking to the ultimate in style.