INTERIOR 101: YOUR GUIDE TO THE DIFFERENT DESIGN STYLES

One of the things that must be taken into consideration when building or renovating a house is interior design. What is your theme? Of course, your house's architecture is also a top priority, but even more so because that structure and faćade should ideally be aligned with the aesthetic of the interior spaces. 

It is a major no-no to hop into a house project without determining these aspects early on in the design process一if you find yourself inconsistent in this matter, you're likely to spend more to make changes later on.

That is not to say, however, that you must limit yourself to only one interior design. After all, designing a house and turning it into a home should be a fun process that celebrates the dwellers' personality and lifestyle, whether a space is big or small. There is a lot of room to mix and match interior design styles to suit your preference better.

This living room exudes a coastal glam look with the solid wood Catali End Table in warm oatmeal finish serving as the focal point in the room; it's seamlessly mixed with luxe elements like the table lamp, wall art and décor, and rug.  

While sticking to one design for a cohesive look throughout a property may be the most common advice, you also won't be hard-pressed to find design experts who'll recommend iterations and combinations of aesthetics. Take, for instance, modern or farmhouse industrial, modern boho, mid-century boho, or coastal eclectic. 

If you're having a hard time choosing an interior design style, ask yourself: "what is the design that reflects my personality and is something I won't get tired of looking at for years to come?" Answering this truthfully could significantly narrow down your options. 

At Pier 1, we make shopping much easier and more efficient by categorizing our products by style. This way, it'll be quicker for a consumer to envision the thematic pieces that mesh beautifully and impeccably with other items or may even serve as accents in a space.

Below are the interior design styles you'll find at Pier 1. Find out what they're about and how to integrate them into your home: 

Modern Farmhouse

The farmhouse aesthetic immediately calls to mind spaces with a relaxed vibe and neutral color scheme. An interior that follows this style is typically light, bright, airy, and predominantly white. Furniture pieces and décor in rich wood tones and metal are standouts for such spaces. These items come with distinctive elements like barn-style doors, metal corner brackets, exposed hinges, wooden slat design, and 'X' frame or detailing. The farmhouse design may take on a rustic, industrial, traditional, or modern vibe with a few tweaks here and there. 

Like the unpredictability and organic vibe of being on a farm, a house that takes cues from its vibe also enjoys the effortlessly cool feel of its mishmash styling. Don't shy away from mixing materials, finishes, and textures. But choose statement, neutral pieces with a distressed look or those that highlight the wood's natural grain or the rough metal finish. Mix them with nature-inspired pieces for a cozier feel, like in the example above, where a chunky, jute rug complemented the stone gray TV stand. 

Style your modern farmhouse home with these pieces:      

• This sliding slat door accent cabinet will make for a statement piece whether used as a bookshelf in the living room or a buffet in a dining area. It features open and closed storage, adjustable shelves, and exposed hardware. It's available in white & oak or white & gray wash.
• Set the tone of your dining area with this solid wood trestle table. It has a sophisticated mix of farmhouse and rustic aesthetics with its two-tone design and the tabletop's distressed detailing. 
• Let this design carry through to your home office. Go for a sleek and elegant writing desk, like this piece with 'X' frames and designs on the sides. Its materials include thick tempered safety glass, steel metal frame, and high-grade manufactured wood.
• Soften the wood and metal pieces with greenery or nature-inspired accents, such as this gray and blue floral rug.
• Welcoming farm animals into your home through decorative accents certainly won't hurt too. Check out this herd-themed wall art and resin rooster décor. 
• Add touches of metal with eye-catching and functional pieces like this laundry-themed wall hook and wine holder.

Mid-Century Modern

Wood Frame Mid-Century Modern Accent Chair In Gray

Mid-century modern design is one of the most favorite and go-to styles of recent years. The nostalgic, retro design that shot to popularity in the middle of the 20th century has made its way to the present; it remains relevant, thanks to its timelessness. In a sea of furniture options, you'll quickly identify mid-century modern pieces by looking for clean lines, curved designs, geometric or angular shapes, and a combination of manmade and natural materials; the so-called hairpin legs for tables and chairs are common, too.  

Simplicity, practicality, and functionality also take the spotlight in this design. These factors starkly contrast with the more opulent styles that were huge the decades before its emergence.   

Style your mid-century modern home with these pieces:      

• The mid-century design is big on integrating natural elements, and this set of two nightstands cannot be more apt. Not only does it come with tapered legs that are distinctively mid-century modern, its wood material was also responsibly harvested from renewable forests.
• Accentuate your living room or reading nook with this 4-tier shelf or bookcase. It has a minimalist design and a rich walnut finish. You'll love its unique shape, and versatility一you're even welcome to use it as storage for your home bar essentials.
• The fusion of manmade and natural elements, one of the characteristics of mid-century modern design, is perfectly highlighted in this sleek black bookcase/storage shelf. Its materials are engineered wood in black and rattan for the cabinet's doors.
• This piece has a classic mid-century modern design: an ergonomic chair with a curved back and seating. This office chair follows that retro design, combining a ​​veneer wood exterior, onyx or snow faux leather seating, and a polished steel frame and legs with castors.   
• This bench, best used for the end of the bed, comes with hairpin legs typically seen in mid-century modern furniture pieces. This piece leans on the glam side with its white faux fur seating and gold-finished legs. 

Traditional

Mack Rose Tiffany Floor Lamp

You need not be an expert to know that traditional interior design is trend-defying and, as its root word directly implies, rooted in tradition. This design dates back to the 18th and 19th centuries when ornate, regal, and storied pieces inspired by European aesthetics drew attention. 

What one is likely to see in a traditional home are the following: opulent furniture pieces fit for royalty, fireplace accents, dark wood colors, eye-catching jewel hues, intricate and bold prints or patterns, and luxurious fabrics (such as velvet, fur, wool, or silk) whether as upholstery or used for drapes. Visual richness is key in achieving a warm and cozy traditional home, but you should thoughtfully consider what items to put together, so you don't end up with a boring or old-fashioned space.

Style your traditional home with these pieces:    

• Button tufting and nailhead trims are common sightings in a traditional space; these are the key features of this office chair and a dark walnut wood base. Choose from blue, navy, or tan. 
• Make a statement in a room with this bold-patterned rug that features a classic Persian motif. 
• Don't let the wall go unnoticed. Dress it up with this Italian Plates Wall Art with eye-popping colors and prints on different-sized plates that are hand-painted and glazed. Traditional Tuscan style is charming, as this accent proves. 
• Accessorize an end table in a dark wood finish with a complementary accent table lamp that features genuine hand-rolled handcrafted art glass in vibrant colors of orange, red, green, and amber. 
• Add a traditional antique element to a bedroom through this boudoir stool with hand-carved Queen Anne legs in a walnut finish and a cushioned seat of tone-on-tone jacquard upholstery.

Bohemian

Modern Boho Solid Wood Spindle Queen Bed

The bohemian style, whether in fashion or interiors, is synonymous with a carefree and playful vibe, creativity, and self-expression. Its history is grounded on and inspired by free-spirited artists who challenged the norms and embraced the unconventional. Boho interior design has always celebrated individuality and welcomed unlikely combinations and layering of textures and patterns from when it became known in France back in the 19th century to now when photos of bohemian interior inspiration are all over social media. 

Boho easily comes to mind when the design direction and intention are on the warm, cozy, and homey route, plus a "more is more" approach. The color scheme primarily consists of neutrals一from white to a range of brown, khaki, cream, and tan; these colors can then be enhanced by pops of jewel tones, like in styling a home for Fall when it's ideal for incorporating orange accents. Natural and organic materials are aplenty: rattan, jute, seagrass, wicker, and wood. Remarkable details include fringes, tassels, and macramé. Don't forget to include plants to break the monotony of neutrals.

Style your bohemian home with these pieces:    

• Accent chairs have become so popular, and it's easy to see why. They make a nook come alive with their statement design. This modern white wash wicker dining chair features fine, graphically sculpted lines, and made use of metal for frame and legs. 
• Greenery is in, especially for this interior design style. It's good to have a potted plant to breathe life into space, even if it's artificial. Dress up a tabletop with this 14-inch tall palm plant in a wicker rattan basket.
• Welcome a generous amount of sunshine and style your windows with a casual chic set of curtains, like this one in macramé textured cotton available in gray, white, and neutral. 
• Make a space cozier in an instant by adding a natural jute rug to tie all the elements in a room together. This product is available in round, rectangle, and runner styles, as well as eight sizes ranging from 2'3" x 8' to 9'x 12'. 
• Woven baskets are must-haves in a boho space. Not only do they provide extra storage, but they also help achieve that cozy boho vibe. This coffee table, made of warp-resistant MDF with a wood texture appearance, includes two wicker baskets underneath.

Glam

Margarita Gold Iron Bar Cart

The glam interior design style is characterized by a luxurious, elegant aesthetic. Here, there is a generous serving of all things shiny, sparkly, lavish, and visually dramatic. Don't be intimidated though; modern interpretations of glam furniture pieces have mastered functionality to a tee, making them approachable despite their upscale appeal. 

It's easy to achieve a glamorous space一think of gold or metallic accents, shiny or mirrored surfaces, and intricate detailing like a geometric or quatrefoil pattern and marble textures. If you're being careful not to overdo the gold (because that could end up looking kitschy), introduce gold through small yet statement-making pieces like lighting fixtures, mirrors, wall art with gold specks, or tabletop décor. 

The art deco style is an iteration of the glam interior design, which also highlights luxuriousness and decadence through simple yet defined lines, geometric shapes, sunburst designs, and striking patterns like chevron.

Style your glam home with these pieces:    

• Create a focal point in a room by decorating a wall with a mirror. This Mirror Burst Shimmering Gold Metal Wall Decor is perfect for a glam home and even one inspired by the opulence of the art deco aesthetic. It is made of glass and metal hand painted with shimmering gold.
• Another option to adorn a wall is styling with artwork. This one is not your ordinary canvas wall art; it features a glamorous gilded botanical theme that stands out against a textured dark gray background.
• Glam up your living room with an accent table that doubles as storage. This trunk-style table has a deep espresso finish, and antique gold nailhead trims dotting a grooved diamond pattern. 
• Add more character to your couch or accent chair by dressing it up with a pillow. This Striped Metallic Throw Pillow is a great alternative to pillows with velvet, faux fur, or silk covers. Look closely; you'll appreciate its foil printed stripes with hand beaded accents.
• Envelope an interior space in the warm glow coming from this Gold Petal Flush Mount Pendant Light. It has a brass finish and an intricate pattern that makes for excellent shadow play when in use. For a sleeker option, check out this table lamp, whose design includes a white drum poly cotton blend shade and an antique brass metal base.

Coastal

Beach Memories by Norman Wyatt Jr. Canvas Wall Art

The coastal interior design style brings to mind the relaxing ambiance of being by the sea. Do not confuse it with nautical, though, as it's much more sophisticated, cleaner, and muted than its more playful and bolder counterpart. In lieu of the nautical stripes of red, blue, and white, what you're more likely to see in a coastal-themed space are subdued stripes of blue and white. 

A coastal-style home's color palette anchors itself on a combination of crisp whites, light grays, powdery blues, soothing greens, and earth tones. In terms of materials, there's a good balance of light-washed wood, organic and natural elements like jute and rattan, and light, airy fabrics like linen.

Of course, you can't miss sea-themed décor in this design's equation. The options are canvas wall art depicting calming beach scenery or shell accents.  

Style your coastal home with these pieces:   

• Transform a lounge sofa into a more comfortable seat by filling it with pillows. The blue and beige option of this Striped Pillow Cover is perfect for a coastal space. Another blue and beige pillow option is this handwoven Wool Throw Pillow that will lend a rugged contrast to a clean, minimalist coastal interior. 
• A homeowner's choice of artwork can make or break a space. This Blue Polystone Contemporary Vertical Orientation Framed Wall Art features a soothing scenery of the deep blue sea with an artsy take of a medley of blue, gray, white, and gold hues. It has a gold frame that complements the combination of smudging, dry brush layering, and glittering techniques used on the artwork.
• Incorporate sea-inspired decorative accents thoughtfully to retain the elegance of the coastal theme. This white seashell and starfish lamp with shade is a fabulous piece to add to a living room or even a home office. The ceramic base has polished nickel-plated details that give the piece an eye-catching sheen.
• This white version of this console一which may serve as a TV stand, or buffet一will make for an excellent statement piece in a coastal living or dining area. The sophisticated piece has two multi-functional storage drawers and a spacious bottom shelf.
• Add visual interest to a coffee table by styling it with trays where you can gather a curated set of your favorite scented candle and other small trinkets. This set of wood and jute trays may also serve food or drinks to your guests at home. 

Choosing the interior design style to tie the look of your interior spaces and achieve a cohesive feel within the home is undoubtedly one of the most fun and exciting parts of building or renovating a house. Take your time picking the one that works best for you and your family. Go for the one that mirrors your personality and makes you feel happy; after all, how your house looks can affect your mood and, ultimately, your and your family's well-being. Do not let yourself be dictated by trends一instead, build with a timeless design in mind.  

Shop by style at Pier 1 today.