As consumers & homeowners we are inundated with interior design styles, products & services daily- whether we are conscious of it or not.
We see different design styles in our friends' homes. We may notice that cafés & restaurants have different atmospheres, not only for the food & beverages they serve, but because of the design they have chosen for their business. We see different room & home designs on movie sets, television programmes & in interior design magazines.
Some people have very set ideas on what interior design style(s) they prefer. These are generally people who stop to think about their space & what finishes they feel would best represent them. They may read interiors magazines, follow interiors blogs, chat to their friends & families about designing their homes or carry out their own DIY projects.
However there are those who have no idea where to start when it comes to decorating or designing their home or personal space. If you think you may be one of these people who needs a little help identifying what design style speaks to you the most, I think you might enjoy this post. This should help those starting with a blank canvas- new homeowners; those applying for a mortgage; those redecorating their apartment or home or those just generally curious!
Of course, I have not included every design style out there - there are just too many!! I have included some of the most popular or most identifiable ones & my interpretation of what each style can offer. I have put together these boards using products from Ireland & UK based homewares & lifestyles retailers & suppliers. If you need help sourcing any of these products please let me know, I would be happy to help with any interior design queries you may have, none too small or complicated. Feel free to leave a comment below if you want to let me know which screams 'you', or which would be your dream style, I would love to know!
MODERN CLASSIC
Somewhere between formal & informal lies this style- modern classic. It is a popular aspiration for Irish interiors style today as it is relaxed yet elegant, simple & refined. Calm, neutral tones throughout with high quality finish & bespoke pieces. Personal touches are added in small, decorative pieces & unique art choices. Popular paint choices are Little Greene's "French Grey" range, Farrow & Ball's "Ammonite", & Colortrend's "Oyster Bed". Refine finishes with muted trims & braiding, piping detailing & the right balance of curves & straight lines.
CONTEMPORARY
A style for the less trend driven, the contemporary interiors fan looks for architecturally designed pieces & love impact lighting & art designed to still look ahead of its time in another 30 years. Lines are unbroken & the shape of each element mirrors, joins or relates to another. Furniture balance is low. Much of the seating & units appear to 'float' on slim legs (i.e. no heavy/ornate legs). Simple, honest material composition, often in neutral greys, whites or block colours. Walls are often white. Check out Saatchi Art for statement contemporary or abstract art.
COUNTRY COTTAGE
Forget everything you think you know about a "country kitchen"! Anyone who has been to an original Irish country kitchen will know that it consists of solely a sink, a wooden kitchen table & a stove. Today's country cottage style takes these basic elements & expands from this idea, bringing focus to the main reception area & family zone- the country kitchen. The country cottage would have low height ceilings, some with beams, plenty of influence from nature- i.e. wooden flooring or furniture, flagstone entryways, fabrics depicting nature or animals & warm creams, greens, raspberry tones, etc. Try Colortrend's "Dormouse" on your WC walls to show off your hound/hunting prints to your guests or "Silver Birch" on your pine kitchen table legs.
ART DECO
Art Deco, a design period between 1920 & 1930, a period heavily influenced by Paris, Hollywood & cinema. If this is for you then you'll love gold, black, white or chrome finishes, mirrored tiles, symmetric detailing & bold geometric shapes such as fans, diamonds (& most angled shapes to be honest)! Furniture is chunky & deep. Pick up a Farrow & Ball colour card- You'll like "India Yellow", "Drawing Room Blue" & "Eating Room Red" (& I might be so bold as to say you might even like the colour titled; "Arsenic"). Velvet upholstery & patterned cushions all the way.
ROMANTIC
This isn't a look just for women. This design scheme is soft, unimposing & welcoming- almost to a point of being nurturing. Use plush velvets (flat, no shine), soft linens & delicate patterns. Art focuses on beauty; in human, animal, architectural or landscape form. Keep lighting soft & furniture pale. This look can be accomplished using either of the neutral bases- grey or cream. Copper, brass & gold are beautiful with these blush tones. Colortrend's "Abyssinian" & "Subtle" are perfect paint colours. Choose from my range of simple linens for curtains, blinds & upholstery.
VICTORIAN
The Victorian period (1837-1901) in Ireland saw ornate, decoratively finished furnishings & heavy but strikingly beautiful wardrobes & armoires. If this era is for you then you'll love huge glass chandeliers (I always think of that Only Fools & Horses episode!), large, decorative overmantel mirrors & damask patterns. Use wallpapers in the main reception areas & bedrooms- You might like the Cole & Son Albemarle collection.
VINTAGE BOHEMIAN
You like feminine touches & collect special pieces everywhere you travel. You're nostalgic & a little bit quirky. If you're into the Vintage Boho design style then you probably mix heirlooms with fantastic antique store finds & can't resist a Sunday morning trip to Avoca! My guess is you dabble a lot in DIY & you are your own interior designer! In fact, your design identity is so strong & well established, you don't even need to read this post! :)
MINIMAL
For the person who takes a no - nonsense approach & demands a clutter-free lifestyle. You'll either have to be ruthless about what comes in & what goes out of your house or you're going to need superb hidden storage! Not a million miles from the contemporary design style but with less block colours & more monochromes. Underfloor heating means no unsightly radiators & you'll need floor to ceiling windows, probably with minimal dressing. You'll need task & accent lighting. Generally only one statement piece per room/zone. Check out the Jan Kath rug designs which can be used between your polished concrete flooring & your feet, or your hung on the wall as art.
ECLECTIC
You write your own design rules! You're brave with colour & like to take risks with arrangements, finishes & textures. Some say your style is even "quirky" (...which is a good thing!). Someone who is drawn to an eclectic style is most likely nostalgic & tries to represent their personality as best as possible, using playful, adventurous touches, displaying their interests. Some might have this person's personality sewn up when they walk through their door. Try Farrow & Ball's new "Vardo" on your walls; or for dark & mysterious, try "Brinjal". You won't be disappointed.
HAMPTONS CHIC
Someone who is drawn to the Hampton's look imagines they live by the beach, probably on the set of "Something's Gotta Give". Use fresh, cool colours like pale blues & off-whites & mix them with preppy reds & soft ivories. You'll appreciate linen fabrics, sisal rugs underfoot & oversized ottomans to display your yachting magazines & pop your feet up. Rattan furniture & lanterns on the porch & you're set. Mix Zoffany's "La Seine" or "Quartz Grey" paint palettes with "Quarter Linen". Peaceful & serene.
INDUSTRIAL
If the industrial design style is for you, you'll love pared back or unfinished (make sure the nails are down!) timber flooring, whitewashed floors & white walls. Filament lamps & caged pendants are your friend & you're drawn to Irish cailín Vanessa Mac Innes' products. You love an upcycle project. You love to see the materials that many try to conceal & display your books on raw blocks of timber supported by metal brackets contrasted against a bare white wall. Exposed pipes complete the look for you. Sliding metal or timber doors open your already lofty space & you love raw cotton fabrics & concrete, tile or wood flooring.
MID CENTURY MODERN
This style has had a moment recently & continues to do so for 2016. Some with whom I have met that lived through this era tend to decorate as far from it as possible but for younger generations today, this look is super cool. If you like this style then you appreciate 50's & 60's design. It plays its part in today's Scandinavian design trend, & Eames & Jacobsen replicas are easy to find on the high street or online. You might like Ikea's sheepskin rugs too. You appreciate a tangerine sofa or a teal print & know what the colour chartreuse looks like. Like the contemporary design style, you need low balance furniture with slim legs. Choose teak or walnut when selecting furniture. Pop on my favourite vinyl record & shake that Martini because I'm on my way over...
I hope you enjoyed this week's post! Leave a short comment below, let me know what your interior design style is. If it's not on this post, fill me in! If you have any comments or questions please feel free to post or send an email. Happy Easter everybody, enjoy your weekend.
'Til next Friday,
Ciara Eloise.