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Getting Familiar With Interior Design Styles

Getting familiar with interior design styles is more than just a handy party trick— it’s an essential tool for discovering your own design preferences and creating spaces that feel like you. Whether you’re starting your design process from scratch or tweaking an existing space, knowing the defining features of each style helps you identify what pieces and colorways speak to you.

Traditional
Rich, intricate details and classic furniture are key components of this enduring style. With an emphasis on scale, detail, and color, elements of traditional design often incorporate detailed millwork like crown molding and wainscoting. Creams and warm browns are favored, along with jewel tones like jades and mauves.

Transitional
As the name suggests, this design style is a meeting point between tradition and modern. Typically, transitional homes feature more traditional elements like wood paneling or wall molding paired with contemporary art or lighting to create an elegant, timeless feel.

Minimalist
Minimalism is a clean, sleek, and minimalist design style that emphasizes simple lines and open space. Often, this style uses neutral colors and natural materials like wood to create a calming atmosphere. The use of straight lines, geometric patterns, and textured fabrics are typical of minimalism.

Maximalist
If you’re looking to up the ante on pattern, texture, and color in your space, maximalism is a bold and beautiful option. This highly-contagious and expressive design style often combines multiple patterns, textures, and colors in a technicolor whirlwind that’s sure to turn heads. interior design styles