How to add the taste of other countries to your interior’s design

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 Despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of Americans (about 80%) prefer classic interiors, this is far from the only style in decor that can transform your home, especially if you love travelling and the aesthetics of other countries.

But in order to successfully integrate different styles in one space, it is important to first learn about their characteristics. Vast knowledge will help you be sure in your actions and be able to harmoniously combine different elements.

Let’s now take a look at ten actual modern interior styles.

PROVENCE

Simplicity, comfort, light colors, wood as the basis of materials – the Provence style is rightly called French. Authenticity above all: the Provence-style interior solutions involve the use of natural materials only – from wood to stone. Things take on an individual look due to the effect of wear and tear. Design in the French way is when there is a lot of light, no contrasting solutions, pastel and certainly – flowers in pots, on the windowsills.

As for the walls, they should be in muted shades, dusty colors: gray, dirty blue, sand. Furniture with cracks and scuffs, paintings in different-sized frames, antique chandeliers and candelabra, thin linen curtains – these should be included in the final result of the decorator.

FUTURISM

The father of futurism, the Italian Marinetti, argued that technology is more important than traditional art objects. Practicality, emptiness, minimalism, gadgets and technology are the key elements of the interior. Futurism categorically does not accept decorativeness.

Functionality is the key principle of this style, along with steel, chrome, glass and plastic, which are its main materials. The lines should be intelligible, clear, the space should be free from excesses.

 Art projects and experiments are the theme of Italian based futurism. Everything here is subordinated to the concept of a hotel from the future – from shocking colors to electronic innovations.

MINIMALISM

The American minimalism, as the name suggests, denies redundancy. There should be as few elements as possible, and as much free space as you can free up. Accordingly, the main nuance of minimalism is the correct organization of space. Since the number of pieces of furniture is limited, each of them should have several purposes. For example, a sofa should not only be a sofa, but also a shoe cabinet.

Natural materials in minimalism mix easily with aluminum and steel. In terms of colors, as much white as possible is used – this color, according to specialized publications, “adds graphicality.”

 Minimalism is represented by a lot of light and an abundance of light colors. Cold colors in the case of this interior can become a fertile background for “warm”, almost animated decor items.

Not enough furniture? It depends: more than one coffee table might not contradict the principles of this style, but add geometry to the space.

EMPIRE

The emergence of the empire style is the merit of the ambitious Napoleon, who decided to turn France into a real empire. Having conceived to give the country, which had already entered the 19th century, the power of Ancient Rome, Napoleon began with himself. The result is a combination of luxury, multiplied by brutality, aggression and arrogance, with natural simplicity.

The emperor who was ready for a military campaign every minute, did not want to part with pomp and wealth even in the terribly cold Russia. This is who the protagonist of the Empire style is. Brightness of colors, bulkiness of sofas, armchairs, tables in Empire decor leave no doubt: important French people lived there.

The Malmaison castle, where Napoleon and Josephine lived s a typical example of the Empire style.

ECLECTICISM

Mixing different styles and eras, sometimes mutually exclusive, implies only one prerequisite – the presence of taste. Emerging at the beginning of the last century, the eclectic style made it possible to dilute the simple interior with luxury items.

Since then, eclecticism, justifying its name, has incorporated everything, betting on contradictions: the interiors successfully combine modern and traditional fabrics, plastic, metal and “aged” wood, bright colors and graphics. The main thing is to know when to stop and not to overdo it with a variety of materials.

There are a lot of visual tricks in this interior: the space narrows, then expands, then seems to dissolve and become illusory. Everything is built on contrasts, not only color, but also tactile and textured: stone and glass, wood and mirrors, wallpaper and fabrics.

CLASSICISM

Restraint is the main principle in a classic interior. This style is characterized by severity, grace and splendor (but by no means pretentiousness). Classics, by definition, exclude democracy, so everything – materials, pieces of furniture acquired from nfoutlet.com, accessories – must correspond to a fairly high level.

Columns, gold and marble look just as organically in such an interior as wood, silk and noble stone. Classics require scope, so the room cannot be modest in size.

MODERN

Having challenged the classics at the end of the 19th century, Art Nouveau excluded the severity of lines, symmetry and monumentality. Smoothness, wood as the main material of the interior – this style demonstrates closeness to nature and naturalness.

The main task of the interior is to harmoniously combine functionality and decorativeness. Art Nouveau requires a balance between open space and dark colors. The modern style is, to a certain extent, close to eclecticism, thanks to the use of elements from different eras; the fundamental difference between them lies in the fact that modernity transforms the foreign into its own.

The modern style tends to draw inspiration from nature. The combination of wooden surfaces, accessories and objects, organic forms and functional objects with very “clean” lines create an interior in which pragmatic urbanism is surprisingly intertwined with natural unrestrainedly.

HIGH TECH

It is not difficult to understand what we are talking about – high technologies as an idea, pragmatism, clarity, functionality as the embodiment of this idea. Glass, metal and plastic, cold colors, a minimum of furniture and decor are designed to create the feeling of a stylish laboratory, in which, nevertheless, you can live, experience emotions and enjoy comfort.

The hi-tech style is ideal for filming a sci-fi movie. Spatial voids, geometricity – welcome to Solaris!

ART DECO

The pure, deliberate looks of Art Deco are best characterized by the phrase “elegant luxury”. Art Deco is a pleasant confirmation that high status does not necessarily imply an exhibition of expensive and lifeless things in the interior. Leather, wood, glass, bronze, fabrics, marble – all this is compatible, on one condition: no luridness. The same principle of moderation is observed in the color scheme: preference is given to black and pastel tones. Rich, but comfortable – this is the philosophy of the style.

Art Deco is a style that is easily recognizable in architecture and painting for its clear geometric shapes. In recent years, there has been another surge of interest in art deco, not only in interior design, but also in architecture and fashion.

EASTERN / ORIENTAL STYLE

In the oriental style, there are two ideologically mutually exclusive directions – Asian and Arab. Arabic decor is distinguished by luxury, redundancy, massive furniture, ornate lines. On the other hand, Asian (typical for China and Japan) is modest and minimalistic.

The interiors are usually made in a Bohemian chic style, in demand in Europe. There, European trends are easily combined with the unique Moroccan style of interior decor.

They can also be combined in your interior, with a little luck and fashion taste!

Photo by Andrea Davis on Unsplash