Pinpointing Your Design Style, Pt. 2
After receiving an incredible response to the first blog post, I thought I’d share a few of my favourite of the more “unique” styles.
Art Deco
Art Deco originated in the in 1920s and 1930s with the streamlined, geometric style of home furnishings. Designs of this time were generally composed of simple lines and geometric shapes for ornamentation – typically trapezoids, zigzags, triangles, chevrons, and sunbursts. Luxe materials of the Art Deco style include marble, lacquered surfaces, chrome, brass, velvet, and high-end upholstery. A traditional Art Deco palette is full of rich, jewel tone colours often complemented by beiges, creams, or slightly muted yellows. Furniture pieces in this design style feature rounded fronts, mirrored accents, sleek lines and wood with chrome or brass hardware and glass tops.
Iconic buildings in the Art Deco style include Radio City Music Hall and the Chrysler Building.
Wabi-Sabi
A Japanese term meaning “finding beauty in imperfection”. Unlike other design trends, Wabi-Sabi doesn’t have specific shapes, colours or decor that defines it. The style follows the same guiding principles as the philosophy itself: natural, lived-in, effortless and, above all, perfectly imperfect. To create and embrace the essence of Wabi-Sabi consider elements such as handcrafted features, stoneware, linen, dipped ceramics, or using materials in their raw, unprocessed form – for example, a wooden table left with knots and grain or a stone floor rough and unpolished. Wabi-Sabi interiors often feature sparse furniture arrangements and open floor plans, which create a sense of spaciousness and allow natural light to flow freely. Ultimately, this design style is all about finding joy in simplicity and beauty in its’ natural form.
Japandi
Japandi is the word used for mixing the modernist movement of minimal functional Scandinavian styling with the traditional cultural elegance that we see in Japanese styling. Japandi interiors are clean and minimalist but warm and comfortable at the same time. The fusion of functionality and coziness looks beautiful. Japandi focuses on clean lines, natural materials, and a muted color palette, often incorporating modern and geometric elements. To achieve this aesthetic, designers will choose to use a mix of dark and light wood, feature natural materials such as wood, bamboo, rattan, linen, and wool, and keep accessories minimal – choosing one statement piece. In terms of colour, this design style pulls the soft Scandi pastel tones mixed with a rich, warm Earth tones common in a Japanese palette.
Mediterranean
Determined by the location and climate of countries north of the Mediterranean Sea this design style has Greek, Italian, and Spanish influences. As a reflection of local history, culture, climate and local building material supplies, each country uses specific colors, textures and elements. For example, Italy uses red-tiled rooftops, similar to Tuscan architecture, Greece uses whitewash walls and roofs, and Spain uses wrought iron banisters and balconies. Internally, they all use colors that are influenced by the sea and sky. Mediterranean style identifiers include curved forms and arches, columns, rattan, brick and stone, interior balconies, rustic furniture, and wall textures.
Industrial/Urban Chic
Industrial design style is often found in lofts, warehouses or other reclaimed industrial spaces.
Reflecting past usage, it is characterized by open spaces, high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows. Because these spaces typically have so much texture in their building elements, a neutral palette is commonly used. Industrial design is recognizable for concrete floors, exposed brick walls, visible air ducts, structural beams, steel, and worn leather.
Urban is defined as in or related to a city or town. Chic is derived from fashion suggesting trendy elegance. The Urban Chic style lends itself to open plan, multifunctional spaces with lots of creativity in turning old spaces like warehouses and city buildings into trendy studio apartments and new office spaces. Urban Chic is ~technically~ its own style, however shares common design elements with Industrial design. Urban Chic is typically a slightly more polished version of Industrial design lending a more comfortable touch to a space.
