7 Most Popular Interior Design Styles

Are you bored of the same look and feel of your home? Do you want to revamp your home by infusing refreshing colors and styles? If yes, have you thought of refurbishing your home with an innovative theme? Well, you have a plethora of interior design options to choose from, and you can select themes and styles that match your interests and preferences.

Designing the interiors of your home can also be a fulfilling experience. Moreover, by adding your individualistic touch to your home interiors, you look forward to coming home after a hard day’s work.

Now, when it comes to interior design styles, they come with varying finishes, characteristics, and flavors. You can learn more about mixing and matching different colors and styles for refurbishing homes or offices when you enroll for a course at Raffles International, a well-established name in design schools in India and one of the best interior designing colleges in Mumbai. With our well-structured courses in interior design, we ensure you embark on a successful path of being a top-notch interior designer.

Although interior designing as a profession has gained popularity only during the past 100 years, the concept of interior design has been prevailing for centuries. Yes, humans have been known to decorate their homes based on their requirements and availability of materials since time immemorial.

Through the years, with the evolution of civilization, materials and tastes in interior décor have changed too. This has led to a range of interior styles being introduced and gives customers a wider choice in interior design themes. Some interior design styles have stood the test of time and continue to be widely used among people.

So today, in this article below, let us have a look at seven such interior design styles that have been popular over the years.

  • Modern Interior Design Theme

Many people think modern and contemporary are synonymous terms; however, this is not true. In fact, they refer to two different interior décor styles.

As far as contemporary interior design styles go, they emerge after combining varied design styles from the bygone eras.

On the other hand, modern design style hails from a particular period – the initial years of the 20th century. More so, modern designs find their origins in German and Scandinavian architectural designs. Designers use logic and practicality when choosing paintings and sculptures for renovating spaces as per the modern design theme. This style focuses more on functionality and less on aesthetic appeal.

As part of modern interior design, other aspects include cleanliness, use of basic colors, and individual elements. Even the use of glass fittings, steel accents, and siding replacements are seen in modern décor designs. Without a doubt, black and white are the mainstays of modern designs. However, adding dashes of light shades of red, blue, and other prime colors are ways of livening up the indoors when choosing this theme.

Living spaces designed in a minimalistic manner and open floors are other aspects that define this style. Other than that, block colors, primary hues, and modern art in contrasting colors have a role to play. Functionality, clean lines, and simplicity are some aspects of furniture items of this décor style, as well. Natural and accent lights for highlighting sculptures, architectural features, and specific elements are other noteworthy features of modern décor themes.

To sum up, modern interior design emphasizes on simplicity, functionality, practicality, and clutter-free designs.

  • Contemporary Interior Design Style

Under contemporary interior décor styles, you can have your home outfitted with the trends that are ruling presently. We have already seen earlier that modern décor and contemporary styles are not the same. To learn more about modern and contemporary interior designs, you can opt for an Interior Design course at Raffles International, one of the best interior designing colleges in Mumbai, where you learn how contemporary designs are more fluid and about modern designs, which do not change over time.

You can choose contemporary designs for all your home rooms – including the kitchen, bedrooms, and living rooms. When designing a contemporary kitchen, you can even have a mix of new and old to make it comfortable for all members of the family to spend time in. Other aspects of a contemporary kitchen are assembled kitchen cabinets, which enrich the beauty of this room.

Clean lines and smooth surfaces that give a sense of orderliness are other features of contemporary interior design styles. Albeit, the natural light and open floor plans of contemporary designs are similar to modern décor styles.

Besides, this décor style focuses on energy conversation. Thus, your designer will recommend using recycled and eco-friendly materials for your contemporary home.

Among colors in contemporary homes, opting for neutral colors with a splash of vibrancy is considered a good option. Another feature of contemporary-styled homes is installing furniture from present times and light fixtures from various eras.

Summing up, contemporary designs are a blend of different styles without emphasizing any one particular style.

  • Scandinavian Interior Design Style

Scandinavian interior design style combines those styles that are rooted in the 20th century from the five Nordic countries – Iceland, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.

By choosing the Scandinavian style, you sign up for a blend of simplicity, utility, functionality, and minimalistic designs in your home. Warmth and spaciousness are other aspects of this design style. Scandinavian décor differs from minimalistic décor because it focuses on both affordability and necessity.

Moreover, aesthetics and the clutter-free look are given preference under this décor theme. In your Scandinavian home, everything has its place too, which means there is no room for superfluous items.

Scandinavians also love spending time outdoors and amid nature’s settings – and these aspects are reflected in this décor style. Live-in plants are a way of bringing in the outdoors under Scandinavian designs.

In Scandinavian homes, although neutral shades such as black and white are the dominating colors, other colors like grey and blue are mixed in for more brightness. Lighter wooden tones and uncovered wood floors are among other Scandinavian style features.

Rounded furniture, cleanliness, bare layouts, and organic details define Scandinavian designs further. A perfect blend of minimalism and mid-century styles is another way of how we, at Raffles International, recognized among the top-ranking design schools in India, sum up what Scandinavian styles are all about.

In all, Scandinavian designs are basically about embracing minimalism with a dose of vibrancy pushed in.

  • Bohemian Interior Design Style

As a free-spirited person, the Bo-Ho interior design style is suitable for your home. This style includes the use of bold patterns, natural settings, and vibrant colors for your cabinets and accents.

Rather than structured designs, this style embodies an interesting mix of layers and patterns that you can choose as per your tastes. In addition, the Bo-Ho décor style is marked by beast hides, metallic decorative accents, and luxe wood. For fixture finishes, Bo-Ho designs incorporate metallics like chrome, iron, brass, silver, and gold. And, among colors, you can include white, tan, and some vibrant tones. Travel souvenirs, flea market buys, and handmade artifacts are other aspects to include for completing the BoHo look.

Bo-Ho designs are also less about clean lines and more about creating a fun atmosphere. Additionally, the bohemian style does not have any standard colors or accents, and this allows for a bold style, a clean look, or a mix of both.

For a cleaner look, go with a mix of neutral shades (such as white and tan) and intense colors for your layers and textiles. Making a bold statement entails the use of striking colors such as avocado green, amethyst purple, vivid pink, and clementine green.

  • French Country Interior Design Style

French country styles take inspiration from the French countryside to embody a mix of rustic and refined décor patterns. Warm and subtle colors are perfect for your French-style-inspired home. Along with that, furniture with flowing lines sums up other aspects of this interior décor style.

Because French-country style reflects tradition, design elements that give an impression that they’ve witnessed history should be your choice when opting for this style.

In your furniture, flooring, and architectural elements, distressed finishes or imperfections around the edges are a good choice to further conform to this theme. No doubt, bringing in real antiques is the best way to impart an antique, distrait feel to your French design theme home. By shopping at second-hand stores or purchasing vintage stuff, you can create that sense of history.

At Raffles Design International Mumbai, a reputed design school in Mumbai, India, we reckon that accessories add to the fun element. And, by opting for a course in Interior Design at our prestigious institute, you learn how to include French patterns (such as Toile, which is a conventional floral pattern and the cornerstone of French country style) in upholstery fabrics, pillows, and blankets. You get a lot of room to play around with an assortment of colors and other household accents under this décor style.

Pairing French patterns with solids or using a combination of stripes, florals, and gingham enhances the appeal of your French-style home. Large wall clocks, iron décor accents, curvaceous mirrors, and ornamental chandeliers are other distinctive features of the French design style.

  • Mediterranean Interior Design Style

The Mediterranean Interior Design Style has colors inspired by the sun. Shades of pink, red, olive, terracotta, and yellow should be your picks for your Mediterranean home.

Mediterranean décor also makes use of natural and reliable materials. For this, opt for stone, wood, glass, wrought iron, and glass. Even to dilute the natural and cold tones, use bright textiles for your rugs, cushions, and bedding.

Softs mats to warm your ceramic floors are some more defining features of the Mediterranean theme. High ceiling in colors such as milky shades, beige, and matte sand is another aspect of Mediterranean décor.

Remember that luxury and pretentiousness are alien to this design style. Instead, the emphasis is on conciseness, beauty, and functionality.

Also, do not deprive your apartment of mosaic elements, for they complete the Mediterranean look. For this, the use of ceramic tiles (small or chipped) or a set of mirrors is the general recommendation.

  • Art Deco

Art Deco Style is all about embracing the trends that became popular in the 1920s and 1930s. Among common motifs of the art-deco style are zigzag patterns, geometrical designs, sunburst shapes, wildlife styles, and pointed edges. In materials, the art deco style allows for lacquer, glass, chrome, and stainless steel for furniture and accessories. Marble, zebrawood, and ebony are among the expensive materials that you can select from.

As far as colors go, your pick should be among greens, reds, pinks, blues, and deep yellows for your art-deco-theme-inspired home. As a fan of soft colors, the use of creams and beiges in your bedrooms, dining rooms, and living spaces is also permitted under this theme.

At Raffles International, ranked among the best interior designing colleges in Mumbai, we go a step further to teach our students of interior design about how fixture finishes in gold, silver, brass, and silver add to the elegance and glam of art-deco.

Gray, black, white, beige, and creams are popular colors of this design style to accentuate your home with. And, in accents, shimmery metallic and rich jewel tones sit well with this décor style. When it comes to furniture in your Art Deco home, wide chairs, armories, and large-sized sideboards are the norm. Among art-deco-inspired upholstery fabrics, you have a wide choice in leathers, velvets, zebra skin, and sharkskin to look for inspiration in.

On the whole, an eclectic mix of the classic and new encapsulates the aesthetics of art-deco designs.

Take your first step towards becoming a professional interior designer today!

An interior design course provides learning about the unique characteristics of the varied interior décor styles and themes. And at Raffles Design International Mumbai, counted among the best interior designing colleges in Mumbai, we work with an equal emphasis on both coursework and practical sessions to help you get the most from your interior design course.

When you enroll in an interior design program with us, you learn how to bring your spaces to life using a variety of colors, designs, and patterns – all of which can be an enriching experience. By learning about the intricacies of interior décor, you can go on to apply to the best names in interior design for building a successful career as an interior designer.