Interior Design Aesthetics: 22 Projects that Explore Trending Interior Styles (2024)

"The details are not the details. They make the design." – Charles Eames. Creating attractive spaces that anticipate the needs of usersrelies on several factors: scale, circulation, functionality, and comfort. However,the past few decades have proved that the visual appeal of a project is also greatly important, and can make or break the interior space. In this interior focus, we will explore the aesthetic side of interior design, looking at popular styles across the world and how architects and designersuse elementssuch as color, furniture, accessories, and finishes to define their spatial identity.

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There is often a confusion between interior architecture and interior design, as they do tend to overlap occasionally. Interior architectstackle the technical stages of a project; they work onstructural renovations, the spatial organization and functionality of a space, the circulation of users, and ensuring that thebuilding structure and codes promote a safe and habitable living space.Interior designers and decorators, on the other hand,are more about aesthetics. They are in charge ofcreatingvisually-pleasing and meticulous designs within existing structures. Similar to architecture, each era saw aunique interiorstyle. Streamline Modern for instance, which first appeared in France in the 1920's, was characterized by rich colors, bold geometric shapes, and lavish ornamentation.Whereas Mid-century Modern, the American design movement that rose to popularity inthe United States' post–World War II period, featureddesigns that were rooted in functionality, clean lines, and simplicity, using materials such as wood, metal, and glass.

Read on tolearn more about the visual characteristics of trending interior stylesand how they've been employed by architects through22 projects from our database.

Contemporary

Contemporary interior design is perhaps one of the most commonly-used styles over the past couple of decades, notably due to itstimeless features. The style is known for its use of sleek andsmoothsurfaces,refined furniture selection, andavant-gardeart pieces within a neutral, black, or white color scheme. Often dubbed as "ultramodern spaces", contemporary-designed interiors are filled withstreamlined materials,integration of wood, marble, and metallics,contrasted withbright and bold colorsof wall art, lighting fixtures, or accent furniture pieces.

A | Residence / IAIA - Idea Art Interior Architects

Mit Chit House / Looklen Architects

Industrial

Inspired by refurbished factories, particularly after the Industrial Revolution, the industrial style is identified by its bare and effortless philosophy of exposing architectural elements like pipes, brick, concrete wall surfaces, and beams. It is believed that the industrial style gained popularity in the late 1990's - early 2000s when dense urban areas were facing housing shortages. That, in addition to economical crises, inspired people to convert old factories into loft apartments, keeping the structural elements exposed and making use of its open floor plan and large windows. Along with the open floor plan, this interior design style is often accompanied with a neutral color palette, and embellished with a blend of rustic materials in furniture and pendant lighting to contrast the rawness of the space.

ASKWATCH Store / Kenta Nagai Studio

Art Loft Chai Wan / Mass Operations

Scandinavian

Nordic countries areglobally known for their design characteristics, so much so that they have their own design style, the Scandinavian design.This minimalistic style uses a blend of textures and muted hues, such astaupe, ivory, and sage, tocreate sleekand contemporarydécorthat exudes a sense of warmth and coziness. This style is further emphasized with clean lines, and simple-yet-functional furniture pieces and fixtures,as well as an abundance ofnatural light. Another prominent feature is sharpcontrasts, particularly with color palettes. It is very common to see an all-white dining room contrasted with anall-black sculpture or black and white photography,creating a subtle yet bold statement.

Flat in Zverynas / HEIMA architects

The Attic / f+f architectes

Asian Zen

Asian Zen interior design is a style that emphasizes a sense of harmony, calmness, and simplicity. At the very core of Zen décor is a sense of tranquility rather than a focus specific features,which iswhy designers often prioritizefindingwhat works for the client personallyinstead of following generic schemes. Nature is a focal point within Asian Zen interiors,so the colorpalettes and material selection such as wood, sand, and rattan usually revolve around natural elementsto reinforcethis connection between human and Earth.With that, plants, rocks, pebbles, and water features are elemental, promoting a sense of relaxation and connection to the outdoor world. It also important to note that walking barefoot is a prominent cultural aspect of Asian households so choose flooring solutions should encourage doing so without slipping. Other design features include the use of sliding doors, low riseplatformbeds andseating areas,screens, andpartitions.

Tekuni 2 Apartments / DDAP Architect

Nong Ho 17 House / Skarn Chaiyawat

Japandi

Japandi isthe intersection of Scandinavian and modern Japanese interior design, sharing the sameminimalist design principles, with a focus on warmth, comfort, natural elements, and muted color palettes. Japandi iscurrently one of the most popular and sought-after style by designers. Some of the notable characteristicsused in Japanese designs include natural fibers like bamboo and rattan, furniture made from natural materials, and pottery,balanced withsleek linesandwarm hues for a modern aesthetic. In Scandinavian homes, on the other hand, color palettes are dominated with shades of grays, white,and black, with the occasionalneutral tones and metallic accents.Unlike Japanese interiors, Scandinavian designsemploy a mix of materialssuch as leatherand knitsto create a casual, cozy, and effortless aesthetic. Once combined, modern Japanese and Scandinavian interior design createthe timeless Japandi aesthetic.

Ori Refuge / Traama Arquitetura

Sumu Residence / Echo Design + Architecture

Organic Modernism

Organic modernism, also known as Biophilic interior design embraces the characteristics of biophilic architecture, taking advantage of daylight, natural color schemes, and abundant integration of greenery, blurring the lines between engineered, man-made structures and the natural environment. Inspired by nature, organic design trends promote natural forms through the material selection and furnishing, the weaving of interior and exterior spaces, and natural materials such as wood and brick. Other characteristics include minimal ornamentation, light organic forms, muted hues, translucent materials, and open floor plans.

Villa Apollon / Block722

Villa Mandra / K-Studio

Retro Revival

A big sum of designers, regardless of their specialized field, recycle trends while creating new products. Similarly in interior design, styles that were prominent decades ago, such as Art Deco and Art Nouveau, have found their way back into the modern design scene. But in order to blend with today's modern aesthetic, interior designers reimagine old styles in a contemporary context, such as through the use of contemporary materials or color palettes. This revival can be seen in the form of vibrant color palettes, bold geometric patterns, brassy fit-outs, or vintage furniture pieces, finding inspiration from the second half of the 20th century.

Banacado Café / ASKA

Modern Farmhouse

Farmhouse interiors prioritize practicality and simplicitywith a rustic, rural charm. Although thisstyleis often linked to architecture incountryside houses, it has recently found its way into urban contexts,promotingcomfort and creating a an effortless look that feels raw, cozy, and trendy simultaneously. Excessive use of timberelements and white-washed finishes are the mostcharacteristic ofthis style, along with mismatchedfixtures; vintagesofas and antiques are complimented with contemporary chairs or textiles.

Redhill Barn / TYPE

Flinders Residence / Abe McCarthy Architects

Mediterranean

Inspired by the serene, sunny, and classic atmospheres of countries around the Mediterranean sea, this interior style is a reinterpretation of summer beach villas. Mediterranean designs are characterized by light and warm tones, contrasted with shades of blue and green to represent the sun, sea, and lush plantations. Extensive use of natural materials such as ceramics, wood, fibers, and wrought iron are also heavily seen in such projects, along with ornamented tiling that characterize the flora found in Mediterranean countries, and floods of natural sunlight.

Palerm House / OHLAB

Eclectic / Maximalist

The perfect embodiment of "good big or go home", a maximalist or eclectic style is often acombination of all kinds of interior design styles and periods organized within one interior space. These styles, which rarely follow any design rule, take a "more-is-more" approach,employingvibrant colors, bold patterns, graphics, avant-garde shapes, andan abundance of details, to make a strong and playful statement. As for how to create a maximalist or eclectic space, optfor expressive, bold patterns and colors, and layer textures and materials. Ornament the space with artworkand unique furniture pieces from different design eras, and organize them around the space in whicheverlayout desired.For a more "balanced" interior scheme,choose complementarycolors,shapes, and arrangements so that the space doesn't feel too messy.

Beta Cinema / Module K

Esquire Office / Studio Bipolar

Minimalism

Using modernist architecture as a foundation, minimalist interior design uses the bare essentials to create a simple and clean space. It's characterized by a monochromatic color palette, functionality, lack of ornamentation, and clean lines,embodying the "less is more" approach.Thesespaces often incorporatean open floor plan, an abundance of natural light, andsleek furniturethat is durable and comfortable.

Avila Warehouse Conversion / Allaround Lab

PP Apartment / Nildo José

Find more interior projects in this My ArchDaily folder created by the author.

This article is part of an ArchDaily series that explores features of interior architecture, from our own database of projects. Every month, we will highlight how architects and designers are utilizing new elements, new characteristics and new signatures in interior spaces around the world. As always, at ArchDaily, we highly appreciate the input of our readers. If you think we should mention specific ideas, please submit your suggestions.

This article is part of the ArchDaily Topics: Aesthetics, proudly presented by Vitrocsa the original minimalist windows since 1992. The aim of Vitrocsa is to merge the interior and exterior with creativity.

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