Interior Design “Styles” Revealed.
What is your Interior Design Style? Would you know if asked?
Probably not! Many of my clients can’t.
They tell me they love that “Pottery Barn” style. Did Pottery Barn know they created their own individual style? Probably! Not only do they flood your mailbox with tons of catalogs (and many…variations of the same catalog just in a different order), they have stores located in most populated cities in the U.S.
When I have initial Client Consultations and have asked them to pull magazine pages of what they like…90% of the time, a Pottery Barn catalog is in the mix.
There are so many options out there, you shouldn’t limit yourself to what EVERYONE has access to. The first key to any purchase is to have a plan. Within that plan, you must have a “Style” to guide you so that you don’t have a mishmash of items that don’t flow together and serve no purpose to you, other than as dust collectors.
If you can’t define your “Style”, don’t worry, that’s what we, Interior Designer’s, are for. They should be able to tell you right away after you describe, show or tell them about the look you are trying to achieve.
In this next series, you are going to gain insight into the many different styles out there AND, see examples of items that coordinate, flow, create, beautify and enhance the overall appeal of your home.
Today’s “Interior Style”…..
MODERN.
The Modern style, “Modern Movement” in proper terms, was developed back in the 1920’s. Frank Lloyd Wright is probably the most famous example, for his “Modern” Style of Architecture.
Back in the 1920’s, people thought the “Modern Movement” was too bold in style and found it uncomfortable and too sparse. Clean, bold lines dominated the style and were carried through from the design and detailing of the room to the upholstered pieces that were used for seating. White, one of the most common “Colors” associated with this style, emphasizing it’s clean, clutter-free look; has broaden these days incorporating many more colors into the palette beyond that traditional choice.
The best way to add the drama into a Modern Design today, is by incorporating Paint, the most changeable and cost efficient element. Some popular Modern color choices today are; Lime, Tangarine, Zinc, Taupe and Camel. These colors, when placed next to a nicely painted white semi-gloss trim and ceiling, POP! They are sharp, pleasing to the eye and coordinate with almost anything you put with them. The one thing you need to be careful with in a Modern design, is making these colors work into the color scheme without overpowering the overall design.
For example, when you paint your walls Tangarine, everything else in the room might be various shades of a “Chocolate” color and the only other place you will see that tangerine, may be in that glass bowl on your Cocktail Table, or as an accent in a painting above your Chenille sofa. Everything else in the area will be subtle, solid in color and clean lined with very little, if any, curves.
Metal accents, Glass, plain Fabrics, minimal Accessories and large Artwork, also describe design aspects you will find in any Modern Design.
The Architecture of the home within a “Modern” Style finds:
Flush Shelving, giving you an “Incorporated into the Wall” look.
Barely there Fireplace mantels (if any at all).
Recessed lighting (eliminating the needs for additional lighting while reducing clutter).
Minimal Trim/Woodwork. You may find the only wood trim work you have, at all, are the baseboards that run throughout the home.
Most windows, large in scale, will be naked (no casement and most likely undecorated) incorporating that sleek, unadorned look into that Modern Design, creating a sweeping, uninterrupted view.
Metal railings for sweeping staircases.
Stone, wood or concrete flooring are also widely used in the Modern Style.
Next “Style” revealed…………”Eclectic”.
