What is your favorite interior style? Style is often hard to label—and it’s going to be something you’re constantly discovering. So when you start thinking about style in your home, never look at it as something that’s “fixed.” Enjoy shifting, tweaking, and experimenting with every room.
The terms Bones, Breath, Heart, and Head to outline the elements that define a room. Understanding them is a stepping-stone to finding and building your style. The goal is to get the foundations, Bones and Breath, squared away, and then focus on the Heart and Head.
Bones are the hard shell of a room: the walls, floors, ceiling, and built-in fixtures. You want to make sure they are all clean, painted or sealed, and in good repair.
Breath is the furniture arrangement. Establishing good flow in every room is key.
The Heart is where style comes into play. It includes all the emotional touches: color, texture, shape, and pattern. These are the first things people notice in a room, so you should experiment to see what feels right.
The Head takes into account details that express.
Here is the pinpoint your design aesthetic (most likely a mix of one or two—or more!—broad “looks”) with a quick study of these eight styles to answer the question “What is your favorite interior style?”
1. Eclectic collector
A design mashup of personal treasures influenced by travel, functional design, and aesthetic passions.
COLORS
Often bold and bright but can slip into neutral territory if it helps highlight the decorative eye candy.
ELEMENTS
By its nature, this style is undefined. It’s all about the mix! Layered prints, patterns, and textures.
INFLUENCES
Global design, film, and art with a strong sense of individual style.
2. Happy modern
The sunny side of modern. Bright and joyful, with an appreciation and eye for design.
COLORS
Saturated brights, chalky pastels, black, white, and clear.
ELEMENTS
Bold patterns, lighter wood tones, painted wood finishes, plastic, cotton, paper, and felt.
INFLUENCES
Scandinavian design. Mid-century modern. Pop culture.
3. Classic Glam
The modern way to work with classic elements is to pick and choose your favorites—and then layer them on. More is more.
COLORS
Bold. Turquoise, navy, green, red, pink, yellow, and white mixed with gold and silver metallics.
ELEMENTS
Pattern, lacquer, Lucite, brass, wallpaper, bamboo, and mirrors.
INFLUENCES
Old Hollywood. Kitsch. Vintage decorating magazines and coffee-table books. The big names of twentieth-century interior design: Dorothy Draper, Billy Baldwin, and David Hicks.
4. Warm industrial
Exposed brick, metal accents, and rustic details punctuate the usually loftlike space. Adding warmer, more comfortable textures and materials can make it work in any size room.
COLORS
Darker neutrals, grays, blacks, browns, and navy, punctuated with a few powder-coated brights.
ELEMENTS
Metal, rough-hewn wood, leather, canvas, copper, and glass; an aged patina is a definite plus.
INFLUENCES
America’s industrial past. True lofts. Vintage science lab equipment, old factory signage, and industrial antiques.
5. New traditional
Classic formal design, relaxed and updated for how we live today. Think familiar shapes in fresh colors.
COLORS
Rich hues mixed with warm, creamy whites, deep browns, and true blacks. Lighter and brighter accent colors modernize the look.
ELEMENTS
Dark wood tones, metals, marble, and gilt. Linen, wool, and velvet fabrics. Stripes, plaids, and smaller-scale patterns.
INFLUENCES
Classic architecture and interior design. Family heirlooms.
6. Simple chic
Beautifully (and thoughtfully) pared down. Individual elements can range from rustic to luxurious, but the overall palette is focused and elegant.
COLORS
White, cream, pale gray, soft brown, black. Offbeat pastels and clear brights as accents.
ELEMENTS
Light or distressed wood, linen, cotton, felt, ceramic, hand knits, glass, and pottery.
INFLUENCES
French and Swedish country homes. Wabi-sabi. Shabby chic.
7. Organic modern
An elegant balance between the minimal, clean lines of contemporary design and beautiful, often luxurious, natural elements and forms.
COLORS
Clean neutrals with warm and cool whites—and other shades found in nature, like mossy greens.
ELEMENTS
Raw-edge wood, leather, linen, silk, metallic finishes, marble, stone, and fur. Surface texture, simple geometric patterns, and plants.
INFLUENCES
Nature. Everyday luxuries, like the perfect teapot or wool blanket. Japanese interiors. Contemporary furniture design.
8. Contemporary cottage
Casual yet chic. Comfortable furniture in welcoming rooms that convey a strong sense of style without sacrificing homey warmth.
COLORS
Creamy whites, denim blues, rosy reds, mustard, and olive.
ELEMENTS
Warm woods, canvas, wool, enameled metals, milk-painted wood, and soft lighting.
INFLUENCES
Cottages and country homes. British B&Bs. Seaside getaways.
