Everyone’s got a favorite style. But how do you incorporate that style into your home in a way that is realistic, functional, and beautiful? You may know what you like, but describing what you like in a way that lets you incorporate it into your home is a different story.
In this month’s post, we’ll go over how to find your style and ways to describe it so you can incorporate it into your home. We’ll touch on different interior design styles, ways to find inspiration, and how to integrate these concepts into your home.
What’s your style?
Not everyone knows what their favorite style is. But just because you don’t “know” your favorite style, doesn’t mean you don’t have one!
If you don’t think you have one, consider….
- When you are in public spaces, like restaurants, are there certain styles that make the atmosphere more enjoyable?
- Do any friends or family have homes with a distinct style you love?
- Are there any movies with set pieces you love?
If you answered yes to any of these, chances are you have a sense of style and what you like that is yet to be discovered.
Different interior design styles
Below, we’ve put some of our favorite remodeling styles we’ve seen our clients explore.
Rustic
Rustic interior design sources inspiration from the log cabins of yesteryear, while retaining all the luxuries of a modern home. Featuring rich, natural textures and materials, rustic styles are a popular direction for home remodels in the Chicago area. Some common features of rustic interior design:
- Weathered materials
- Exposed beams
- Earthy, warm colors
- Textured, patterned fabrics
- Connection to the outdoors
- Barn inspired features
Movie With Rustic Design Style: On Golden Pond
Contemporary
Contemporary design is rooted in sleek lines, solid colors, and bold choices. The design trend is focused on a simple, “less is more” mindset that allows form and line to take center stage, with splashes of color in furniture and accessories bringing character and personality to the space. Some common characteristic of contemporary interior design:
- Emphasis on natural light and big windows
- Neutral colors
- Open floor plans
- Bold furniture
- Oversized art
- Less ornamentation
TV Show With Contemporary Design Style: Billions
Mid-century modern
A design trend initially developed in the middle of the 20th century, mid-century modern is known for its “function over form” aesthetics and uncluttered spaces. Mid-century modern emphasizes mixing and matching, emphasizing form through sleek lines and limited ornamentation. Common characteristic of mid-century modern design include:
- Integration of the outdoors through big windows
- Graphic patterns
- Bold lighting fixtures
- Sleek kitchens
- Period accents
- Neutral colors
TV Show With Contemporary Design Style: Mad Men
Traditional
Traditional design emphasizes the past to bring comfort and familiarity to your home. Taking its cues from 18th and 19th century French and English culture, traditional design focuses its styling on symmetry and tradition to create a calming and orderly environment. Common characteristics of traditional design include:
- Soft edges
- Basic and conservative palettes
- Wood tones
- Molding and trim
- Rugs
- Elegant window treatments
- Beautiful patterns
TV Show With Traditional Design Style: Downton Abbey
Cottage
Cottage design is known for its humble, comfy, and casual vibe. While their informal, airy interiors are a defining characteristic, cottage design is more about feel than any one particular trait. A cottage design should cherish imperfections and highlight your family’s personality. Some common characteristics of the cottage interior design style:
- Feminine fabrics
- Airy, pastel palettes
- Old fashioned flooring
- Collected items
- Painting untraditional items, like bed frames
- Slip covers
- Open shelving
TV Show With Cottage Design Style: Gilmore Girls
Transitional
Transitional design meshes modern and traditional elements to form its own tradition. Transitional design is centered around the warmth of traditional design and clean lines of contemporary design. This allows for a space that is both familiar and freeing, allowing for a truly unique space. Common characteristics of traditional design include:
- Simple silhouettes
- Few accents
- Simple and clean-lined kitchens
- Simple window treatments
- Neutral flooring
TV Show With Transitional Design Style: Big Little Lies
See what your style is with our interior design quiz!
Take the below quiz to find out which of these styles best suits you!
How to incorporate your style into your home
Mixing and matching is okay
Just because you move one direction with the design of your home in one room, does not mean that another room can’t have another distinct style. If you find that you want a kitchen that’s open and bright, but a living room that is “cozy” and rustic, don’t just ignore that impulse because it’s not the same style.
While everything should fit together aesthetically, it does not mean everything needs to be the same.
Find inspiration
Once you’ve decided on a stylistic direction, you can start finding inspiration for how you’d like to proceed. Take a look at what other homeowners are doing with the style you’ve chosen and what you like and don’t like about these directions.
Some great blogs and magazines to look for inspiration include:
You should also seek to gain inspiration from your day to day life. When visiting different restaurants, homes, or businesses, always be on the lookout for design trends that fit into your favorite styles to see if someone has integrated something you love in an interesting way.
Don’t let style come before functionality
Your functional needs should have just as much influence over your style as the aesthetic brilliance. While it’s important you love the way your home looks, if your space is not actually practical for you to use then it is not going to do you any good.
Any style you integrate into your home needs to work within your lifestyle. This means looking for trends that will help you live the best version of your life should be the most important aspect to consider.
Find opportunities
Once your found ways for you to integrate the features you love into your home, take stock of your current space. Is your home close to how you want it, or do you need to do a full-scale remodel to apply the design style you want fully?
Custom homes
With custom homes you can fully implement your vision from the ground up. When you hire an experienced custom home design builder, you can start from scratch with the design concept and build on top of that.
Home additions
Home additions are perfect if you simply need additional space to achieve your remodeling goals. With a home addition, you can simply add more room, or even extend your main structure as part of a broader home remodel project.
Home remodels
A home remodel will allow you to fully change the look and feel of your home without actually changing the bones of your home. With a home remodel, you can…
- Knock down walls, reshaping the layout of your home
- Update appliances, modernizing your home and making it more suitable to your lifestyle
- Add windows, change your flooring, and add other features to fundamentally change the look and feel of your space
Ready to get started integrating your style into your home?
Patrick A Finn has experience turning our clients dreams into reality. We work with our clients to ensure their homes are exactly as they imagined, ensuring the space is the look and feel they had in their head before starting construction.
Give us a call at (847) 358-4133 or contact us online today to learn more about what we can do for you.
