A Guide To The Top Interior Design Styles

One of the most daunting prospects when it comes to building or buying a home is that of interior design. With the ability of things like paint colours and furniture items to make rooms feel bigger, or more cramped, there is a lot of responsibility to make great choices. 

While the stakes can feel high, it’s also important to have fun with interior design. Otherwise, you may end up with a home that is completely void of personality or warmth. So, when it comes to making a house feel like a home, there are a few foolproof techniques you can use.

Top 10 interior design trends 

Instead of trying to design the interior of your home on your own, look to top interior design trends for inspiration. This way, you not only have a starting point, but you can also work out your likes and dislikes. 

Trend #1: Hamptons living 

One of the latest crazes in interior design revolves around taking design elements from all over the world. In the past, Moroccan inspired tiles, ornate candle holders reminiscent of France, and Scandinavian inspired white walls and wooden floors have been in vogue.

The latest trend is Hamptons living. Hamptons blend luxury with relaxation. Walls are white while the furnishings play with different shades of blue. Hamptons living is often characterised by large, oversized furniture that really plays into the feeling of comfortable luxury.

Trend #2: Exterior tiles

Exterior tiles are enjoying quite the moment. In recent years, there has been a real push to move a traditionally indoor item into the great outdoors. By tiling backyard areas or the entryway of a home, colour, contrast and personality abounds. 

Trend #3: Feature walls 

Feature walls are making a major comeback. Rather than sticking to one style throughout the entire home, feature walls can be used to add an element of personality to rooms like bedrooms or home offices.

For example, in a French provincial style home, walls will typically be painted grey, blue or cream. However, feature walls can be used to break up the home and make it feel more personalised. For instance, a child’s bedroom could even have a pink wall. 

Trend #4: Mirrors 

Using mirrors as feature pieces is very on trend at the moment. Whether placed vertically or horizontally, mirrors can add a certain sense of depth and creativity to a room. It also helps to fill spaces without going overboard with different types of paintings or artworks. 

Trend #5: Pops of colour 

In a home with softer whites and greys on the wall, it’s becoming increasingly popular to add pieces of furniture or appliances that are finished with statement colours. In the kitchen, this means investing in appliances in blues or reds to contrast the chrome or white fixtures. 

In the lounge room, you could add pops of colour through armchairs, rugs and even pieces of artwork. Colour not only works to help break up the room, it also lets your personality shine through. 

Trend #6: Textured walls

Textured walls are a real statement piece. Apart from adding another dimension to the interior of your home, they also add a sense of personality. Warm and inviting, textured walls make people feel comfortable and at ease. 

Trend #7: High-tech homes

Interior design trends are increasingly embracing advancing technologies. For example, it is very on trend to have an automated light system. Additionally, homes are now more likely to feature virtual assistants like Google’s Alexa for example. 

High-tech homes need to be properly thought out. This means matching high-tech features or equipment with the surroundings. For example, it would be too much of a clash to have a beach hut home with panelled timber features as well as automated panels on the walls.

Trend #8: Multifunctional spaces

One of the growing trends in interior design is creating multifunctional spaces. Embracing this trend is all about choosing items that serve a dual purpose, like a sofa bed. This way, spaces can transform from living rooms to bedrooms and even from bedrooms to home offices. 

Trend #9: Connecting to the earth 

Latest trends have seen a big push for homes to possess a seamless indoor outdoor experience. While this can be achieved by building inclusions like large double doors, the feeling can also be realised with interior design elements. 

To really play into the connection to nature, consider using natural timber finishes and furnishings. In spaces like the kitchen, laundry and bathrooms, stone and concrete benchtops are a great addition.

Trend #10: Retro finishes 

Everything old is new again! Whether you infuse a space with hanging furniture or even rattan pieces, retro finishes can add a real sense of style to a home. Retro finishes that are also making a comeback are bold patterns present in pieces such as rugs, pillows or throws. 

Colour scheme tips

Choosing a colour scheme for the interior of your home is quite an involved process. To get started, it’s best to break down the project into sections. This way, every step of the process becomes manageable, helping you settle on a colour scheme that brings your house to life. 

Step #1: Ask an expert 

Poorly chosen colours can have a drastic impact on your home. In order to settle on the perfect colour palette that will make your home look bigger and feel more inviting, consult an expert. Experts, magazines and design websites can really impart great tips and tricks. 

Step #2: Understand how colour effects a room 

Warm colours are inherently more inviting as warmth makes spaces feel small. Cool colours combine to create a relaxed atmosphere, making the space feel more open and airy. With this in mind, it’s important to choose colours that will complement the function of each room. 

Step #3: Create a mood 

Once you understand how colours effect a room, it becomes easier to create a mood with colour. For spaces that are serious such as home offices, you might consider using darker colours to get into a working mood. In play rooms, light colours will add to the sense of fun. 

Step #4: Craft a complementary palette

There is nothing worse than a home that unintentionally clashes. With this in mind, try to craft a complementary palette. This means picking colours that go together and if you’re so inclined, colours that are opposite and yet still manage to bounce off each other. 

Step #5: Account for light

A beautiful light blue that looks great on a paint swatch can often appear grey in a well lit living space. To avoid disappointment, think about how light will change the colour and contrast of your walls – for better or for worse. 

Digital tools for choosing colours

When it comes to choosing paint colours, sometimes the hardest part can be visualising how the colour will look in your home. To make the process easier, make use of online paint and colour tools. 

Home Stratosphere’s Paint Visualiser

Whether you’re choosing interior or exterior colours, Home Stratosphere’s Paint Visualiser can be used to apply hundreds of different paint colours to everything from walls and ceilings to floors and furniture. 

Loomatix Colour Grab

Anyone with a smartphone can use Loomatix to essentially capture a scene and receive the colour present in the photo in digital code. This way, when styles or colours inspire you, you can easily access their name and code. 

Valspar’s Virtual Painter

Valspar’s Virtual Painter can be used to easily upload a photo of a living room, kitchen or bathroom. The program then takes the uploaded photo and allows you to use online tools to try out different paint colours and combinations. 

Colour Generators 

Colour Generator is a great program to use when you want to find out the colour information behind an inspirational online picture. By uploading the image, you can pick the colours you like from it and learn all about them. 

How to mix and match styles

The interior design market is flooded with choice. While these options afford a great variety of materials and style, such a wide selection can be overwhelming. To achieve the style that truly matches your taste, lifestyle and personality, consider mixing and matching different styles. 

Tip #1: Have a plan 

When it comes to mixing and matching styles, a lot can go wrong. To ensure a great end result, have a plan in place. This plan will encompass wants and needs and an inspiration board. At the end of the day, your plan is a great first example of the look you’re going for.

Tip #2: Employ the 80/20 rule 

Following the 80/20 rule is a great tip for those looking to mix and match styles. This ratio states that 80% of the furniture, colour and overall style is one theme while 20% is another theme. This way, two styles are blended in a way that perfectly accents your home. 

Tip #3: Use colour 

A great way to bring two different themes or styles together is by using the same colour. Now, the colours don’t have to be the same shade, rather, they just have to share the same colour scheme. This way, a French provincial and boho chic style home will enjoy cohesion. 

Start designing 

Designing the interior of a home is an incredibly rewarding process. However, thanks to the sheer amount of design trends, inspiration and styles, the process can also feel quite overwhelming. 

If you’re ready to build and design your own home, Home-Build Concierge is here to help guide you. You can learn more about the Home-Build Concierge process online or download our information brochure today to begin a building and designing journey that will turn your dream home into a reality.