Finding the Perfect Interior Style

Bohemian

Imagine a traveler enthusiast came to decorate a room with all their memories of different cultures from around the world. For the child at heart who always colored outside of the lines, Bohemian comes in. With much artistic appeal, Bohemian or Boho is full of easy going patterns and textures; mixed with a lack of structure that allows artists to be bold and different in the way they decorate. Both daring and inviting, Boho is the perfect interior design style for those who don’t want to be held down by rules and regulations. The interior design, Bohemian, shows the free-spirited and unconventional walks of life.

A Brief History of Bohemian Design

Originating in 19th Century France, artists and gypsies ruled the public hearts. Creativity was booming more than ever and people began to question the traditional way of life. Consequently, money became the last priority as the arts stepped in to take its place. The Romantics of France began to revolt against their king making revolution a centerpiece for inspiration. This meant more art, more free-spirits, and more daring challenges. Tossing rules aside, the Bohemian style reflected the change being preached in the streets of France.

How to Decorate for Bohemian Design

Allow the little child inside to come out when decorating for Bohemian design. A room should feel relaxed and free. Therefore, rules do not apply to the endless colors and textures that can be used. Imagine telling a story about the travels that nomads went on and what they experienced through the outlook of the room. Bohemian style utilizes bright colors with a handmade, vintage flair. Animal hide area rugs help to create a story telling feel. Got green? Plants are more than welcome since it brings life into any room. More so, refrain from using black since the goal of Bohemian design is to open up a room rather than dampen it. Without a doubt, Boho is a very personal style that allows for homeowners to get creative with their space. So be as bold and colorful as possible.

Contemporary

Sometimes confused with modern styles, contemporary means “in the present”. When Googling Contemporary design, homeowners will see a mixture of modern, traditional, and futuristic influences. Thus, Contemporary design is meant to be welcoming and open without the clutter of traditional values. Modernism influenced the furniture utilized in Contemporary rooms. This style focuses on the sophistication of simplicity rather than ‘things’.

A Brief History of Contemporary Design

Contemporary design started to come to life around the 1970s after mid-century modern design was born. This design combated the popularity of modern ideals for those who thought it to be too much. This is why there are many similarities seen between modern and contemporary designs. Interior designers wanted to bring back more color and texture with an added sense of traditional principles. Nevertheless, Contemporary design allowed for interior designers to remain sophisticated while expressing individualism.

How to Decorate for Contemporary Design

Less is more when it comes to decorating for Contemporary design. Neutral color palettes that blend well with black and white combinations are perfect for the Contemporary style. Area rugs used become the statement maker of patterns and textures. Metals, stone, and glass modernly influenced all the furniture. Moreover, elegant patterns used in fabrics presented a traditional influence. Simple lighting scatters the room with a few artistic statements as an exception. Once completed, a Contemporary room should feel inviting and sophisticated.

Southwest

A tribute to the beautiful sierras and terra cottas. Southwest is full of “earthy” and organic tones. This interior design is very distinctive with influences of Native American and Spanish cultures. A bright color palette to compliment the tile roofs and handcrafted objects that made-up homes in the New Mexico area. Every piece of furniture that makes up Southwestern design is full of detail and color in order to make a room pop with life.

A Brief History of Southwestern Design

Oddly enough, the history behind Southwestern design is not a very bright one despite the heavy Spanish and Native American influence growing in the 19th century. However, this did not stop interior designers from creating beautiful homes. A movement in the mid 1900’s had limited the architectural advancements in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In 1957, the Historic Zoning Ordinance drafted and passed allowing for the Pueblo style homes to continue its influence. A pioneer woman for Southwestern design, Mary Louise Colter, helped to create the foundation of this interior style, also known as the Santa Fe Style.

How to Decorate for Southwestern Design

Picture the beautiful sun shining upon a vast desert. This interior design has Native American and Spanish ranch-influences like dreamcatchers and lassoes. Southwestern style captures this image in a home. By using rich colors that blend with the angelic feel of terra cotta and wood in its decor. A room using Southwest designs should feel warm like the desert. Animal hide area rugs spot the floors underneath leather sofas and chairs. Pottery and tiles as accent pieces scatter the tables and shelves throughout the room. A Southwestern home should feel rustic and full of energy with detailed metal accents.

Traditional

A tale as old as time. Traditional takes homeowners into a fairy tale with its elegant and classic feel. A room should reflect a European classic novel that is rich with history. Although it may be predictable, Traditional designs keep its sophistication. Furthermore, the Traditional style is used in many homes since it brings a sense of warmth and allows homeowners to still be comfortable in its elegance. Bringing the past to the present, Traditional design set the tone for all major interior styles to follow.

A Brief History of Traditional Design

First used in American homes in the 1700s and 1800s, Traditional design was the trend seen in every room. Northern European cultures influenced all the Queen Anne furniture used. Furthermore, this style was meant to capture a period of time that was both classical and full of history. The classical period started around the 1730s which brought about a new form of music, art, and literature. Home furnishings began to reflect this change in its elegant decor and paintings. Traditional design captured a period of time that could not be photographed.

How to Decorate for Traditional Design

Sophistication and elegance are the prime features of Traditional design. A room using this interior style should look like it was pulled out of a room from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Full of regal upholstery furniture involving rich, dark colors. Decorating in Traditional must be formal and classic. Additionally, heavy curtains to dampen outside light with soft cushions make for balance. Area rugs used in the Traditional styles are huge statements that give just enough color to light up the room. Traditional design enjoys creating contrasts, dark colors with light tones or dull mixed with shiny textures.

Transitional

Looking for something contemporary but traditional at its roots? Transitional is the best of both worlds. This style combines both kinds of designs to create a look that puts a spin on a classic. Imagine giving new life to old furniture. That is what Transitional design is. The perfect blend between traditional colors and contemporary upholstery. From the start, Transitional acted as the less uptight cousin of Traditional which allowed for Contemporary ideas to be added. Molding old with new, this interior design opens up new doors for styles lost in time.

A Brief History of Transitional Design

At the same time as Mid-Century Modern design took the world by storm, another interior style was being born. In the 1950s, Transitional took homes that wanted more comfort and luxury to its counterpart. This interior style gave designers a happy medium to decorate with instead of constant sharp lines. Both refreshing and relaxed, Transitional allowed homeowners to have a broad selection of styles to choose from rather than sticking with modern. Transitional gave designers a middle ground to decorate with instead of repetitive lines.

How to Decorate for Transitional Design

Since Transitional combines the best of both Traditional and Contemporary styles, the room will look both sophisticated yet relaxed. The color palette consists of neutral colors with black and white tones. In a more bold approach, rooms are decorated with less accessories as the furniture and area rugs will act as accents. Therefore, this becomes a more minimalistic approach to designing. Metal material make up the accessories used in Transitional rooms. A lot like Modern design, Transitional focuses on straight lines versus curves. Moreover, textures play an important role since its job is to make up for the loss of color. Transitional combines the color palette seen in Traditional and the attention to detail of Contemporary.

These are only five of the many kinds of interior design styles to experiment with. Whether it be Bohemian or Traditional, there is a perfect area rug to match. Consult with us, Rug Fashion Store, online or in-store today for all your area rug needs.