Interior design has long been a unique way for people to express themselves through their personal living spaces. But thanks to social media, decorating and interior design is all the rage right now. Having a stylish, trendy apartment is also more of a status symbol than ever before. With so many beautiful, curated apartments to look at on social media, it’s easy to become inspired and excited about replicating that look in your own space.
But scrolling through social media, you’ll come face-to-face with a plethora of different apartment decorating styles. Some are clean and scaled back with muted, neutral colors, while others embrace bright colors and eccentric decor. What are these styles called? What differentiates one from another?
If you feel inspired and want to emulate a specific style in your own apartment, it helps to be well-versed in different types of interior design. This useful run-down of 13 of today’s most popular apartment decorating styles is here to help.
Elevate your apartment with these 13 popular apartment decorating styles
Know your minimalist from your Scandinavian and your bohemian from your shabby chic with this handy guide to some of today’s top interior design styles. Take a look at the pictures and descriptions so you can put a name and look to your design tastes.
1. Modern farmhouse
If you’re familiar with the modern farmhouse aesthetic, you have Chip and Joanna Gaines to thank for that. The Fixer Upper couple made this contemporary take on classic country and farmhouse style skyrocket in popularity.
As the name suggests, it takes a lot of its cues from rustic country homesteads with wood accents, vaulted ceilings, gables and tons of windows. But the modern farmhouse style adds a contemporary element with sophisticated touches like smooth lines and neutral colors. Reclaimed wood, sliding barn doors separating rooms, wrought iron and antique furnishings are other essential parts. Planked floors also enhance the rustic atmosphere.
For this style to work best in your apartment, you want a unit with lots of tall windows, a lofty ceiling and clean, white walls. From there, you can add in the other design features.
2. Dark academia
Moody and romantic, dark academia is a perfect interior design style for book lovers and history enthusiasts. If you want your home to feel like a grand old library, this may be the style for you.
Dominated by dark colors and wood furniture, dark academia takes many of the classic aesthetics of academia and dials up the moodiness. Build-in bookshelves, vintage furniture, decorated walls and large area rugs are all hallmarks of the style, as well as leather accents and tons of books. Dim natural lighting that necessities the use of candles or mood lighting are also key. Dark academia would work best in an older, historic apartment with more ornate fixtures, wood floors and crown molding.
3. Mid-century modern
Mid-century modern may date from the 1950s, but it is still as alive and vibrant as ever. This type of interior design is recognizable through its use of clean lines, function-over-form furnishings, organic shapes and uncluttered spaces. Mid-century modern apartments also use different contrasting materials, neutral colors and a splash of bold color here and there.
One of the most important aspects of mid-century modern design, though, is the furniture and its color. Warm and comforting teak wood was and is the go-to for mid-century modern furnishings. Flowy furniture, like the famous Eames chairs, are also icons of the era. If you want to set up your space in this particular style, it’s time to hit up your local vintage store.
4. Eclectic
If you’re a renter with a wide range of interests and passions, you want an interior design style that reflects that diversity. From its use of bold colors to covering walls in gallery-style layouts of prints and paintings, an eclectic design could be a good reflection of your diverse interests.
The more restrained sibling of maximalism, eclectic design usually starts with a neutral or light color scheme. This is then contrasted by colorful furniture and decor. While filling the space with tons of decor and furnishings is encouraged, the layout is key to keeping the space feeling organized and planned as opposed to cluttered. The use of eccentric decor like vintage pieces also drives home the “eclectic” message.
5. Contemporary
Smart, clean and sophisticated, you can recognize contemporary design through its use of clean and simple lines, strategic use of color, open spaces and contrasting materials and textures. You’ll often find wood contrasted against metal or stone in a contemporary home, as well as neutral color palettes with pops of bright color. Scaled-back decor, modern furniture with clean lines and lots of natural light also come into play a lot.
6. Shabby chic
A sister design to French country, shabby chic is a soft, feminine form of interior design. Notable for its use of vintage furniture, soft textures, neutral colors and a touch of glamour like hanging chandeliers, it’s meant to capture the romanticism of a countryside cabin with its cozy, rustic atmosphere.
But the use of grand, older furniture and elegant decor elevates the style into modernity. You’ll also likely encounter distressed paint, cozy materials like wood and linen and natural light in a shabby chic apartment.
7. Bohemian
If you’re drawn to several different interior design styles, you may like bohemian’s blended eccentricity. In the non-conformist, free-thinking spirit of bohemia, its namesake style blurs the lines between styles. This leads to a wide-ranging, eclectic form of self-expression.
Use of bright and bold colors and patterns is encouraged, as well as lushly-decorated walls and furniture. While a varied color palette is welcome, the different shades and materials should all complement each other. Plants and warm, natural materials like woven furniture and wall hangings also show up a lot. As for decorations and furnishings, the more eccentric, the better. Everything from souvenirs from global travels to random thrift shop finds adds to the unconventional atmosphere. The main thing about bohemian style is that you make it your own.
8. Art Deco
Step into an Art Deco apartment and the use of lush colors, striking geometric forms, gold and metal accents and elaborate detail work transports you back to the 1920s. Along with vintage, era-appropriate pieces, you can emulate this style in your apartment through the use of manmade as opposed to natural materials (think polished metals), large furniture with sharp edges and selectively choosing decor that has an element of glamour.
9. Transitional
Representing a happy midpoint between past and present, transitional apartment style is the best of both worlds between traditional design and contemporary. While neutral colors and clean lines represent the contemporary end of the spectrum, furniture with curving lines, crown molding and balanced layouts veer more traditional.
With contemporary touches to contrast the traditional style, your apartment feels fancy without being too dated. Modern light fixtures and minimal use of decorations are also key elements.
10. Maximalist
As the name suggests, maximalist interior design is about taking things to the max and going all out. That means going bigger, brighter and bolder. Vibrant patterns, saturated colors, striking art and eye-catching furniture are all mainstays of a maximalist apartment. Creating a cacophony of color and decorations, it celebrates the joy of being playful and over-the-top.
Embracing color, clutter and eccentric design choices, maximalist style shares similarities with eclectic, dark academia and bohemian aesthetics. But for maximalism, the key is the more-is-more mentality. The colors are Technicolor and highly pigmented, the patterns contrast each other and most walls are covered in pictures and other kinds of decorations. If you love color and over-the-top style, this could be a great fit for your personal style. An apartment with lots of natural light would work best for this style to truly bring out the colors, patterns and textures.
11. Japandi
If you want to be ahead of the curve on the next big interior design trend, Japandi needs to be on your radar. A blend of Japanese and Scandinavian minimalism, Japandi combines the functionality and sleekness of the Japanese style with the smooth lines and uncluttered spaces of Scandinavian.
Warm, neutral colors and wooden accents, natural textures and restrained use of decor are also key to the Japandi style. Minimalism is a major trend at the moment, with both Japanese and Scandinavian leading the charge. This up-and-coming style blends the best of both worlds, keeping your space clean, cozy and chic.
12. Scandinavian
One of the most popular interior design styles of recent years, the Scandinavian style is a form of minimalism. As the name suggests, it originated in Scandinavian countries like Sweden and Norway. Then, the popularity of IKEA and cozy Scandinavian cultural norms like “hygge” helped this scaled-back and welcoming style find a solid foothold in American homes.
In addition to clean lines, white or light-colored walls and lots of natural light, natural materials like tan woods are major components of Scandinavian style. Functional furniture and not a lot of clutter also help the space feel open and airy. An apartment with lots of natural light, white walls and warm, wooden accents would be a great fit for this style.
13. Industrial
If you want your contemporary apartment to have a bit of edge, you may find what you’re looking for in industrial interior design. As with many contemporary styles, industrial apartments typically have high ceilings, lofty windows, open spaces and clean lines. But in industrial apartments, exposed, raw materials like bricks, beams, concrete and pipes add a rustic, unfinished look to the space. Metal, iron and reclaimed wood are other colors and materials that may show up a lot.
Find your dream apartment to decorate in your dream style
Now that you’re acquainted with some of the most popular apartment decorating styles, you might have a new vision for your apartment’s interior design. But first, you first need to find the right apartment where you can realize your vision. No matter where you live, look up everything from small studios to luxurious units on Rent.com to find the right apartment for you. Then, it’s happy decorating!
