8 Different Interior Design Styles To Learn About
What is Interior Design?
All of us have the ability to see and feel things around us. There is a natural aesthetic sense in each one of us, the only difference is that for some of us aesthetics matters a lot and for some they don’t.
We dwell in different homes and spaces and everything around us gets registered in our brains. How things look and make us feel, is what counts, when we talk about the interiors of a place. If a space makes you feel comfortable, warm and homely or not, is what interior design actually is. If it leaves a lasting impression on our mind, how it affects our mental and physical being and if we are able to function easily around that space, is what interior design contributes to.
It is all about the beauty, aesthetics and practicality of a space. The colour of wall paint, window treatments, floors, ceilings, cabinets, furniture and furnishings, decorations etc, all conclude to interior design.
History of Interior Design
There is a history to everything in this world; when a certain activity marked its onset and how it all began, tracing its steps to years and years back. Interior design too is a one of kind creative activity which has now turned into a profession and passion as well.
Before we start with the different interior design styles, let us first read about the when and how of interior design. It is always a good idea to know about a certain field from the very beginning.
If we go centuries and centuries back, we will come to know about the early man from the Stone Age. Now, learning about the early human beings is not something new, we all have studied about them. But what we haven’t found is that the human beings then too, were into decorating and designing their cave homes even though their priorities were mainly food, clothing and shelter.
The researchers tell us that the prehistoric man lived in caves and those caves were painted and decorated with drawings of animals, humans and plants. They used natural colours to draw them on the insides of the caves which remained there for a very long period of time. At times stories were told through their drawings and also their discoveries and inventions were painted on the walls.
Later in the 1700 BC evidence of interior design was found all over the world, in different countries and how man was growing fast and enhancing his creative side while living a simple life. In India, Egypt, China, Japan, Greece, Rome, Britain and America, people were getting involved in interior designing activities even though they did not know about it and the term ‘interior design’ too had not come into being.
People were decorating their homes with murals, vases, sculptures, handmade pottery items, rugs, mosaics, bespoke furniture and carpets etc. Towards the Gothic and Renaissance period, people got into extravagant designing where they made huge paintings using expensive paints, carpets were made with rarely found silk thread and fibre, and highly priced pottery and decorative ornaments were in trend.
7 Elements of Interior Design
Interior design might sound like an easy job for the ones who are not passionate about it, but frankly, that is not the case. You must have come across times when you plan to renovate your room or kitchen, sit down and start thinking about where to start, but end up all baffled and exhausted and plan to drop the idea. It happens to the best of us, but you don’t have to give up, we will make things easier for you. Interior design comes with a few main elements which indeed are the most essential and contribute to the entire interior designing process.
Interior design has seven essential elements, without which the whole designing process would be nil. Let us learn about these seven interesting elements.
Space
Space is the first and the foremost element to start with interior designing. You need to go through each and every bit of the space where you plan to execute the designing process. What are the dimensions of the room, how big or small it is, all has to be studied beforehand. A space has its own two-dimensional and three-dimensional aspects, and both are imperative to be considered when it comes to designing. How open a space is, where lies the narrower patches and how they can be minutely designed, all of it matters.
We can study a space in its length and width under two-dimensional aspect and the height of the same under three-dimensional. Both are an integral part of the designing and when you enter a room, your mind starts to register both the aspects immediately. You must have heard about the negative space in art, so it the same in interior design. Negative and positive space in a room creates wonders if focused on minutely.
What is negative space?
It is the space which we are left with after removing or shifting an object to another place. Our mind has different ways to feel comfortable and this is one of those. Living in a cluttered room leaves a negative impact on our brain and usually makes us irritable but if we know how to design our space wisely, changing the negative space and creating gaps and spaces for the members of the house to function easily, solves the problem.
What is positive space?
The space where we display things or decorate things, is the positive space as it helps the left-out space to compliment it. How and why, you add a lounge sofa or a wing chair next to a lamp or why not add three decor items more to it, is the question. Where you should stop, is the key to interior design. Never overdo designing or decorating in any part of the house.
Shape
Shape not only refers to the shape of a room, but also the furniture, decorative objects and other furnishing items. It has to be kept in mind that the size and shape not only decorates but also balances the entire room and the aesthetic of it. These days geometric shapes are trending a lot, so if you have a contemporary setting, you can opt for it.
Light
Light is one of the most important features of interior design as it plays an important role to add brightness to a given space. It can be both in natural and artificial form. If one can incorporate natural light in home, nothing like it, but we all know it is not possible to have natural light in every nook and corner of the house, so for that, artificial light settings can be opted, which too should be balanced according to the theme and mood of the room.
Colour
Colours are a huge part of human lives. Think for a moment, a life without colours around us. It will be all vanilla right? When we know their importance in our lives, we also should be knowing how they affect our brains and the right choice of colours used in the interiors of our house, makes a huge difference. Mixing and matching and contrasting pastels, brights and darks is all up to you and the theme or the mood of your house. One inappropriate choice of the wall paint, and there goes all the efforts of making your house beautiful, down the drain.
Line
A good interior design depends on the use of lines in the interiors for example, a fireplace cut out in a living room, having a tall shiplap cladding ejected from the wall behind. Now the height of the shiplap cladding can start from the very bottom all the way up to the ceiling. And if you paint it in matte black with a popping ivory fireplace, who says it won’t be the centre of attraction? Same way the height of chandeliers, paintings, doors and windows, all count for an aesthetically pleasing interior design.
Pattern
Varied patterns throughout your home don’t always go with the vibe. If we talk about the interior design of a room, one or two patterns can be followed to give it a balanced and a continuous harmony. Floral, geometric, abstract, lined or natural pattern can be your choice and then go play with it, popping it here and there but in a controlled way. Adding too many patterns can be a big turn off and will never make it all look cohesive.
Texture
Having different textures throughout the house in a well-balanced way is the best thing one can do to improve the interiors of the house. Layering textures, not more than two to three in a room will definitely make things look better. Textures are not only for the eyes but also for the hands to feel, so always go for the best textures for your home, be it for the carpets or rugs, cushions of sofas, curtains or comforters, it all does make a difference.
Eight Interior Design Styles That Fit Your Home
French Interior Design
Starting with French interior design, it always has tall windows draped with beautiful curtains, flower arrangements in classic white vases, fancy furniture and huge paintings on the wall. This interior design is rich as the French culture can be witnessed clearly in its design, sophistication and etiquette. The use of antique furniture or decor items are also used which are preserved very well and look timeless. Light coloured expensive carpets and lamp shades are incorporated to let each item complement its space.
Rustic Interior Design
As the name suggests, rustic interior design includes all that is rough and natural looking. Here, use of stone and wood in the furniture and interior walls is commonly seen and checkered print fabric with animal skin or cowhide is wisely used for the interiors. Fireplace is a must in this design and leather cushions, seats and chairs are usually placed in living areas. Ivory, tan and camel brown tones are chosen so that the rustic feel of the interiors don’t die out.
Boho Interior Design
Boho or Bohemian Interior Design style is a famous free-spirited lifestyle. It is a carefree design where a person does not have too many aesthetics to keep up with rather it is all natural and an open way of living your life. It is a combination of natural elements taken from the surroundings blended with huge cushions, bold vibrant colours and plants. Free use of macrame, cane and bamboo decor items all over the place and a feeling cosiness, is what boho interior design is all about.
Scandinavian Interior Design
Scandinavian Interior Design is a worldly known Nordic style which has evolved from countries like Iceland, Norway, Denmark and Sweden. Simple and minimalist way of living is this interior design style. Nothing too fancy or bold but simple, practical and aesthetic, with neutral and dark colour combinations giving it a bit of a modern touch. The decor items too are not too detailed but different shapes and sizes and minimal design carved, if any.
Contemporary Interior Design
Contemporary interior design should not be confused with modern interior design as the two are not the same design style. Modern interior design is where new designs were created as compared to the vintage designs. What was modern few years back will be modern now too but contemporary is the trending design style. What currently is in vogue, is contemporary. It included all the trends in furnishings and furniture along with the colours of the interiors which are all over the internet and people are incorporating them in their lifestyle, just to have something updated and new to their otherwise old ways to living.
Mid-Century Modern Interior Design
This interior design style mainly focuses on clean and clear geometric shapes incorporated in furniture, ceilings and flooring. It is a blend of modern and natural elements which of course are functional and practical at the same time. You will have 50s and 60s feel to it but will not feel completely vintage or outdated. It is modern and will give hints of Scandinavian interior design style too.
Industrial Interior Design
Industrial interior design is very clean and an industry, warehouse or factory inspired design. You will see metallic, masculine, solid and heavy elements throughout, which come with practicality as well. Industrial house design will give hints of a work place but with comfort and ease for daily functionalities. Metal racks, straight lined furniture, bold pillars and beams, tones of grey, black and metal, minimal creative design and mostly solid colour decor items is what this design is all about.
Modern Farmhouse Interior Design
Rustic, natural and warm, as we already know what farmhouse interior design is, modern farmhouse is all about the same with a hint of modern elements added to the design like, a pair of pendant lights hanging over the kitchen island, metal look dinning or breakfast chair and stools, modern geometric shaped sofas etc. Add this to a wooden lantern on the mantel, cross legged coffee or dining table in black and brown, sleek tan coloured console table, real animal busts on the wall and many more rustic elements.
