Top 10 Most Popular Interior Design Styles in 2021.

Plenty of interior design styles come in a range of arrangement and styles. Each of its iteration of home design is utterly distinct with some design only have the subtlest of differences. Yet each presents its own flavor, finish and experience that render a space in unique chapters of creative endeavor, inspiration, history. Therefore knowing what sets different interior design styles apart may be a lot handier than you might realize, ensuring you pick the perfect style for your space and ambitions, and helping you achieve visual perfection with a lot less hassle.

1) Modern style

Modern architecture and design, including interiors, is a broad term for design styles united by a common intention – a celebration of material, technology and composition through authenticity, transparency and efficiency. Inspired by the Modernist art movement that preceded it, the Modernist style, born at the dawn of the 20th century, reinvented our relationship with space and aesthetics to bring us closer in touch with it. A building was more than an inhabitable shell; it was now a machine for living in. Modernist interiors are therefore often a complex overlay of functional programming, careful compositions and clearly articulated lines and geometry. The inherent materiality of a form is an integral part of the design language here, as is an emphasis on visual and functional simplicity.

2) Mid-century modern style

Mid-Century modern describes a style that gained momentum in the aftermath of the Second World War. With echoes of the Bauhaus and International movement, this arm of modernist interior design is set apart by its vivid use of color, crisp lines, and interactive dialogues with nature and the outdoors. The emphasis here is on strengthening interpersonal bonds; space was viewed as being more than just a functional container, and emerged as a canvas for the personal and social ideologies that drove humanity post WWII. Generous, open planned interiors with an emphasis on common, shared areas, broad interfaces between the home and its natural surround, and a functional and visual clarity integral to the Modernist style mark these spaces. The color palette of Mid-century modern style usually floats in hues of orange, yellow, green and brown, although deviations are not uncommon.

3) Minimalist style

Sparked by the Minimalist arts movement of the 1960s and 70s, and inspired by traditional Japanese design and Zen philosophy, minimalist interior style expresses driving concepts of modernism in an almost puritanical palette. Stripping things down to bare basics, minimalism offers us an aesthetic that relies on the efficiency of the space and design. Devoid of distractions or clutter, minimalist interiors are streamlined to maximize on bold visual impacts and the underlying use of the space. Elements and motifs are kept to a bare minimum, with concealed storage and careful detailing playing their due part. Colors are explored in hushed tones, with an accent or two taking center stage. The repetition and movement of lines and a generous introduction of natural light keep these interiors light and dynamic.

4) Scandinavian style

Like its other modernist counterparts, Scandinavian style embodies a move towards simplicity, functionality and efficiency; it also however brings an emphasis on affordability to the palette. Stirred by democratic design ideals, scandinavian design strikes a careful balance between minimalist efficiency and warm, personal invitations. This interior style is characterized by organic materials, bare ornamentation and clean detailing. The color palette swims in black and white, with grays and blues or the occasional pop of color bring visual respite. Silhouettes and contours in scandinavian interiors are more rounded and sinuous, which along with organic textures create a much cozier vibe in even the barest of layouts and arrangements.

5) Industrial style

Industrial interiors celebrate the modernist eye for efficiency and functionality by transforming the working parts of a building into its primary aesthetic. Beams, columns, pipes, ducts and flanges are brought to the fore to emphasize the ‘machine for living’, rendering these interiors in a largely masculine overtone. Unlike many other offshoots of the modern movement, industrial style interiors do not shy away from weight or roughness, embracing the worn, recycled and salvaged. Often the style of choice in warehouse conversions and loft remodeling, industrial interiors tend to stick to warm, neutral colors such as grays and browns with iron or steel, exposed concrete and unfinished brickwork complementing them perfectly. When choosing furniture and décor, vintage industrial designs complete the look.

6) Contemporary style

The Contemporary style, by its very definition, is current and therefore is an ever evolving palette that echoes prevalent trends and tastes at any given time. As such it is tricky to characterize this style as a set of given ideas, intentions or traits; however, as a design style it diverges from the modernist aesthetic by a presenting a more balanced and rounded approach to interior design. With the Mid-century modern style being in favor at the moment, contemporary interiors currently borrow heavily from it; however these elements, colors and lines are laid out in gentler compositions that make as much room for visual indulgence as functional efficiency. Neither cold nor too formal, these are warm, cozy spaces that are a lot more fluid and instinctive in their making.

7) Urban style

The emphasis of urban style interiors lies on elements and designs that bring the gritty vibe of the urban context indoors. Not afraid to experiment with unusual materials and features, this interior design style takes its pick of ideas to arrive at distinctive, and often bohemian, looks. Leaning towards industrial sensibilities, the Urban style elaborates on structural features, industrial components and exposed ducting, much like its mentor. However these elements are combined in clear open spaces, which float in light colors and clean finishes that add a touch of feminine elegance to the proceedings. In fact the urban interior usually comes with a hefty dose of artistic indulgence, often turning to the unexpected for answers.

8) Traditional Style

Doused in the comforts and indulgences of classic European décor, the Traditional style turns to the past to create ideas for the future. The approach here can be true to source or a slight retake on classical suggestions, bringing time-tested elements, motifs and proportions to fit a modern lifestyle. Traditional style interiors are set apart by their silhouettes; winged back chairs, elaborate furniture pieces, claw footed tables, and other furniture and feature designs usually have their origins in 18th century English, Neoclassical, French Country or Colonial styles. The backdrops are usually pale and simple, with rich colors, lines and profiles imbibing classical opulence into the space. Delicately carved and lacquered dark wood furniture and architectural embellishments abound in this interior style.

9) Transitional style

This beautiful interior design style is a delightful fusion of, and in this way, a surprising transition between two interior design trends with specific individuality – the classical traditional and the contemporary modern. These two styles might seem too far apart from each other, with the Traditional style being considered somewhat ‘old fashioned’ and, while the Modern style somewhat ‘cold’. Yet, interior designers have discovered a smart way to take the best of these two ‘worlds’ and display it in a very pleasing manner. Transitional style features solid furniture items of a larger size and robust structure, with curved lines and focus on comfort, typical for traditional interiors. The lack of too much ornamentation, the arrangement straight lines, and the clear restriction in number, though, celebrates the minimalist trends of the contemporary style. The result is stunning – lavish sophistication displayed with modest simplicity. The color palette of the Transitional style is predominantly neutral and monochromatic, featured on walls, ceilings, flooring, and upholstery. Colors range from deep taupe to warm tan or vanilla, adding cozy depth and balance. This neutral background offers, however, excellent options for introducing color accents in smaller elements.

10) Art Deco interior design style

The bold and bombastic is expressed in elegant compositions through sheer balance and restraint in the Art Deco style. With its origins in the excitement and glamour of post war Europe and America, the style was born in the 1920s to offer a new aesthetic for a new time. At its heart this style is a sensual exploration of order and symmetry, with the lines and geometry taking charge of the designs and compositions. Angular patterns, layered designs and bold curves set off a play of form and aesthetics echoed in shiny chrome and brass fittings, glossy paint, lacquered wood, and an abundance of sprinkled glass and mirrored elements. Art Deco interiors are also set apart by their lighting with its distinctive ambience achieved through layering of up and down lighters.