Switching up home decor styles can be intimidating. Do you mix and match? Use a statement piece? What does each style entail?
From industrial ceiling fans to nautical light fixtures, this guide will help explain some of the most popular home decor styles and how you can incorporate them into your home. Remember that you can also mix and match styles or pull from a contrasting style for a statement piece or fixture that draws the eye.
Modern
With roots in the simple, unadorned looks of German and Scandinavian designs, modern style believes that form follows function and that lights and decor should reflect their purpose. Unnecessary details are removed.
The style is characterized by sleek finishes such as brushed steel or chrome, natural materials like wood or glass, straight lines with few curves, exposed structural elements and minimalist designs with a natural or neutral color palette.
Complete the look with white-painted walls, glass coffee tables, light wood shelving, leather furniture and natural fibers.
Industrial
Exposed Edison bulbs, weathered wood, metallic hues, rivets, ropes, chains, wire shades, gears, exposed pipes and a vintage inspiration drive the industrial style. The goal is to celebrate humble, hardworking materials by bringing them into the spotlight and turning ordinary objects into art.
You can achieve an industrial look with an industrial lighting pendant in your kitchen, industrial ceiling fans throughout the home, metal seating and bookcases, open shelves in the kitchen, reclaimed wood tables and exposed brick. Remember, industrial style finds the perfect in the imperfect.
Rustic
Do you want to add the feeling of a mountain cabin or a lakeside home to your space? The rustic style is for you. This style is typified by lantern shapes, natural inspirations such as faux deer antlers, country themes and non-shiny finishes such as tin or bronze.
Rustic style pairs well with white-painted and wood panel walls, fireplaces, nostalgic touches that add unique and whimsical accents, wood-beam ceilings, wrought-iron fixtures, barn doors and colorful quilts. If there’s rust or a patina and the item looks old, antique, reclaimed or weathered, it’s likely to fit in.
You can bring rustic style to your suburban home, cooking a hearty meal to enjoy over campfire stories in your living room and then making s’mores in your fireplace.
French Country
Somewhat similar to rustic style, French country style brings the timeless charm of the French countryside into your home. It’s marked by rustic touches, soft textures, wrought-iron fixtures, a casual feel and pairing light and dark hues.
The style uses natural materials such as wood and pottery with ornate, intricate detailing. Finishes should make pieces look antique. Chandeliers often have crystal drops or beads and bringing in windmill ceiling fans can help add to the mixing of rustic and romantic.
Midcentury Modern
Still popular more than 50 years after it was introduced, midcentury modern is inspired by the boundless optimism that permeated mid-20th century America.
Clean lines, geometric shapes, minimal designs and functional devices combine with futuristic touches, metallic finishes, bold colors, large patterns and unusual materials. Modern versions of midcentury modern can be seen in the Sputnik-style chandelier, the arc lamp and artichoke pendant.
Complete your space with wood tables with hairpin legs, vinyl furniture, Formica countertops, Plexiglas, Lucite, neutral walls, retro-style appliances and vintage pieces.
Modern Farmhouse
Bring fashionable country charm into your home, whether it’s rural or suburban, with the modern farmhouse style.
Look for details such as wrought-iron accents, weathered or hammered textures, reclaimed wood, vintage and industrial touches, dark finishes and a touch of sleek contemporary inspiration. A working pulley system would not be out of the question, as practicality is crucial. Highly-efficient, large windmill ceiling fans are the perfect representation of modern farmhouse style.
To complete the look in your home, use barn doors, antiques, shiplap, iron beds, quilts, brick surfaces, apron sinks, rectangular dining tables and Shaker-style furniture.
Coastal
Listen close and you just might hear the waves, even if you live in a landlocked home. Coastal style will transport your space to the beach with seeded glass shades, textured finishes, wire cages, nickel or bronze finishes, light-washed wood, Fresnel lenses, shells, rope or lantern shapes and industrial touches.
If you want to bring shipmates into your home, add shiplap walls, jute rugs, blue paint, white linen, beadboard walls, colorful glass jars, striped rugs and pillows and wood furniture. For the finishing touches, add anything you would find at the beach, such as seashells, driftwood and coral. Add industrial ceiling fans to mix complementary styles.
Nautical
From yachts to submarines, nautical style is inspired by life at sea. With simple, comfortable lines, nautical style is typified by metallic finishes, lantern-inspired styling, wire cages and exposed bulbs. This can be thought of as a sub-style of coastal because the two are similar, sharing maritime elements.
Rusted or metallic finishes reminiscent of the coast combine with shells, coral, rattan, rope and wood. Add tropical fans to your space for the ideal beach-in-the-suburbs experience. Aye aye, captain!
Mission
Inspired by the mission churches of southern California with a touch of Spanish decor, mission (or Craftsman) style utilizes straight, angular lines, bronze or brown finishes and hearty, warm-finished wood. You can also expect amber-tinted glass as well as Spanish and art deco inspirations.
Geometric form suggests a modern style, while the warm, inviting colors and materials are nostalgic and bring the past to mind. Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural style is another inspiration. Horizontal and vertical lines meet flat panels that accentuate the grain of the wood.
Mission style furniture looks sturdy, chunky and heavy. Oak, cherry and maple are common and combine with medium or dark finishes. Like with modern style, ornamentation is kept simple. Pull knobs should look heavy, made of iron or copper.
About LightsOnline
With more than a decade of experience, LightsOnline has been making lighting dreams come true through its friendly customer support, expert guidance and a wide selection of ceiling fans and lights. Its premium lighting solutions come in a variety of styles to fit in every room of your home. No matter your interior design scheme, you will find something to complement or contrast, mixing and matching styles to create statement fixtures. LightsOnline proudly carries some of the best brands in the industry, including Savoy House fans and Minka Aire fans. If you are looking to update a ceiling fan or add a new fixture to a room, look no further than LightsOnline.
Shop LightsOnline for a wide collection of lights and ceiling fans in the above styles at www.lightsonline.com
