Whether you are moving to a new home or updating your interior design, understanding the elements and nuances of different furniture styles will help you create your desired interior design.
When creating a Pinterest board or searching for various design inspirations and furniture options online, you might encounter various interior design terms such as traditional, transitional, modern, contemporary, and the like. These terms might seem familiar at a glance, but it can be challenging to figure out the differences.
In this extensive guide, we will walk through different furniture styles and their characteristics to help you create the home of your dreams.
Interior Decor Furniture Style Guide
Traditional Furniture Style
The traditional furniture style, one of the most popular interior design styles, is characterised by classical motifs, intricate detailing, shaped legs, elaborate ornamentation, ornate carvings, claw feet, and brass elements. Traditional furniture pieces also feature elegantly designed upholstery made from rich and warm-coloured fabrics with generous patterns. Think Victorian furniture pieces and other expressive furniture styles.
You will also find plenty of traditional furniture pieces that are made from natural wood. Traditional homes mostly include dark wood pieces and warm undertones in their designs. They also highlight proportion by incorporating matching furniture pieces within the space. The classical furniture styles have been adored for years and continue to be relevant due to their rich and ornate furniture elements. If you're looking for a thoughtful, graceful, and warm interior scheme with remarkable harmony and familiar warmth, it's worth pushing through a traditional interior design.
Elements of Traditional Furniture Style:
-
Solid dark wood furniture pieces like oak, mahogany, and walnut
-
Rounded legs, rolled arms, claw feet, and gently curved lines
-
Generous furniture textures and confident upholstery
-
Elaborate furniture styles
-
Symmetrical furniture arrangements
Many traditional furniture pieces are crafted from quality natural materials and are intricately produced. Because of its quality, a traditional furniture piece can be more expensive than other furniture styles.
Transitional Furniture Style
The transitional furniture style, as described by its name, is a fusion of traditional interior design and modern interior design. The combination of generously detailed and functional furnishings makes the transitional style more cohesive and welcoming. Hybrid transitional furniture styles are simple yet elegant, blending masculine and feminine elements that prioritise comfort with large-scale furniture pieces and lots of natural materials.
If you are stuck between maintaining a charming traditional furniture style and welcoming a modern approach, try a transitional theme.
Elements of Transitional Furniture Style
-
Comfortable, large-scale furnishings
-
Form meets functional aesthetics
-
Soft fabric materials
-
Natural wood and other quality materials
-
Minimalist look
-
Lots of cushions, padded upholstery, and a subdued colour scheme
Modern Furniture Style
Modern style furniture pieces were born during the 19th century as the product of the Modernist movement, which firmly focused on the form meets function concept. Modern furniture styles involve minimalist pieces that are subtle in form, neutral in colour but rich in functionality. When creating a modern interior design, furniture pieces and accessories are kept to a minimum. Most modern furniture styles offered by the best interior designers in Singapore feature multiple functions and space-saving components.
In terms of their shapes, modern furniture pieces offer a more geometric form compared to the curvy look of traditional furniture styles. Modern pieces make use of the combination of natural materials and other sturdy elements like concrete, metal, and stone tops. If you love clean lines, uncluttered spaces, and fuss-free furniture design, the modern theme is an excellent style to follow.
Elements of Modern Furniture Style
-
Emphasis on straight lines and clean style
-
Minimum furniture pieces and maximum functionality
-
Minimum ornamentation and utilitarian simplicity
-
Use of industrial materials like metal, glass, and concrete and natural materials in their organic form
-
Neutral colour scheme
Mid-Century Modern Furniture Style
The mid-century modern style was born in the mid-20th century to enhance both comfort and aesthetics. Like modern design, the mid-century modern theme incorporates clean lines, muted tones, and a combination of various materials. A mid-century modern table with a natural wood top, for example, can be accessorised with metal leg designs. Many materials, like marble and sintered stone, are also used to achieve geometric shapes.
Elements of Mid-century Modern Furniture Style
-
Minimalist furniture forms, clean lines, and an uncluttered look
-
A combination of natural and man-made materials
-
Geometric shapes and tapered legs
-
A warm and neutral colour palette
-
Elegant textures, velvet materials, and confident details
Contemporary Furniture Style
It can be easy to get confused with modern and contemporary furniture styles. Although both terms are almost synonymous with each other, they pertain to different styles. Modern design describes a particular style era, while contemporary furniture styles are those that are on trend at the moment. This means that contemporary design will constantly evolve over time.
While a modern-style furniture piece features straight lines and a neutral colour scheme, a contemporary furniture style welcomes some curves and additional pops of colour. Contemporary design also embraces functional aesthetics but does not adhere to strict design rules. This fluid furniture style can shift from modern to rustic to Scandinavian or be a fusion of many furniture styles. In short, you can mix contemporary furniture with rustic furniture characteristics with art deco furniture, or incorporate some rustic furniture pieces into your minimalist furniture scheme.
Elements of Contemporary Furniture Style
-
Clean, no-fuss aesthetics with some artistic flair
-
Minimalist furniture style with a touch of colours
-
Solid colours, free design possibilities
-
Mixture of modern materials with retro style or vintage accessories
-
Upcycling old pieces like antique furniture
Art Deco Furniture Style
The Art Deco style emerges for its remarkable elegance, luxury, and bold ornamentation. This is where glass furniture, exotic woods, and polished metals are highlighted. Art Deco furniture pieces are wonderfully extravagant with their maximalist details and distinguished focal points. Think animal prints, bold glass designs, coloured upholstery, and expressive forms.
Art Deco pieces present sleek silhouettes, sharp symmetrical forms, and exotic elements. With its expressive maximalist nature, the Art Deco furniture style is definitely the best for adventurous design enthusiasts.
Elements of the Art Deco Furniture Style
-
Large-scale furniture styles
-
High-end and exotic materials like teak, mahogany, and maple
-
Oriental lacquer work
-
Bold and expressive patterns
-
The fusion of straight lines and curves
-
Marble tops, glass, chrome, and other luxury furniture materials
-
Metallic accents and reflective surfaces
-
Velvet furniture, expressively patterned upholstery
Rustic Furniture Style
The rustic furniture style offers aged, flawed, and organic materials. Consider distressed wood and shabby chic exposed looks that are expressive and uninhibited. The farmhouse style involves rustic-style furniture pieces that lean toward a warmer colour scheme. Popular rustic colours are whites, greys, beige, and browns that lean more towards the warmer part of the spectrum. Being dominated by neutral schemes, farmhouse style furniture pieces rarely express bold colours but highlight natural textures and solid wood materials to create an impressive muted look.
Elements of Rustic Furniture Style
-
The use of organic wood materials like distressed wood or reclaimed wood
-
Textural variation and natural elements
-
Handmade furniture styles that are one-of-a-kind
-
Heavy furniture pieces
-
Simple and streamlined furniture arrangement
Industrial Furniture Style
Born during the industrial revolution, industrial style furniture pieces feature the raw look that many interior design styles conceal. Industrial furniture styles express a raw, unfinished look with their neutral tones and a mixture of wooden and metal elements. Many interior designers incorporate this interesting look into spaces with the use of wooden and metal focal pieces, stainless steel accessories, pendant lights, and some vintage furniture pieces.
With its interesting look, strong style elements, and liberating feel, the industrial furniture style continues to gain popularity in many modern households.
Elements of Industrial Furniture Style
-
Raw and unfinished look that is born from the industrial revolution
-
Sharp furniture contrasts with metal accents
-
Combination of wood and metal furniture materials
Scandinavian Furniture Style
The Scandinavian furniture style comes from Scandinavia. This popular furniture style offers simplicity, functionality, and comfort. Scandinavian style furniture pieces feature sustainability with their excellent craftsmanship and excellent longevity. The Scandinavian style uses lots of muted colours and furniture options that are close to nature, creating an effortless harmony between the indoor and outdoor design. Like modern and contemporary furniture styles, Scandinavian furniture highlights a form-meets-function principle.
Elements of Scandinavian Furniture Style
-
Natural textures, organic furniture materials
-
Soft and simple look, excellent craftsmanship
-
Combination of wood and fabric upholstery
-
Muted tones, soft colours, and clean detailing
-
Mixture of straight and curved lines
Retro Furniture Style
Like fashion trends, furniture styles also lose and gain popularity over time. Retro furniture, unlike other furniture styles such as modern, can be found in many eras when it was popularized. The term "retro style" refers to a furniture style that is already outdated but is emerging again as a trend. The retro furniture pieces that we have today were popular from the 16th century up to the 19th century. These include the classical furniture styles that we used to love and are incorporating into a more modern interior design style. In fact, many of our favourite modern chairs are now considered iconic retro pieces that we incorporate into our spaces.
Are retro pieces the same as antique furniture? Many retro home furnishings can be classified as "vintage," meaning they have existed for 50 to 100 years, by many furniture collectors. However, to be considered antique furniture, the piece should be at least 100 years old. You may opt for authentic antique furniture pieces in antique shops or look for contemporary furniture pieces that mimic the retro look. This depends on your preferences.
Elements of Retro Furniture Style
-
Whimsical furniture with bright colours and expressive details
-
Less saturated solid colors
-
Nostalgic furniture options
-
Fun, colourful, and playful upholstery and paints
Mission Style Furniture
The beauty of mission-style furniture pieces reflects the beauty of simplicity and quality craftsmanship. Mission furniture pieces offer a functional design and sturdy construction. These furniture pieces are made from quality materials and are usually bulky and heavy. Mission furniture is built to last. Imagine your high-quality dining table or the luxurious genuine leather sofa in your living room.
Elements of Mission Furniture Style
-
Simple and durable design that is built to last
-
Clean, straight lines, smooth surfaces and lack of ornamentation
-
High-quality wood materials like oak, walnut, maple, ash, and more
-
Premium leather materials
How to Find Your Perfect Furniture Design
Forget trends—you can create your own version of a dream home with the pieces that you personally love. Are you working on an existing interior design style? Are you styling a blank canvas?
If you already have some existing pieces in your home, look into the ones you like and take note of their distinguishing features. In your living room, for example, you have a charming fabric sofa with clean tapered legs, light wood accents, and a simple and elegant coffee table. These pieces have distinct elements that you can mix and match. It's also worth paying attention to straight lines, textures, and curves, especially if you have a minimalist design scheme.
If you are designing a new space, follow the theme that you want to achieve. Do you want to create a warm and formal space? How about a refreshing, casual lounging area? Your furniture choices may differ based on the feel that you want to create.
Feel free to look for design inspiration. Have you visited a stylish house lately? What were the furniture pieces that you liked the most? If you don't have time to look for actual pieces, you can search for online inspiration from places like Pinterest, Instagram, and various interior design blog posts. These can help you select a mood that you want to incorporate into your home. Feel free to mix and match pieces that you think will work well together. Just remember to maintain common elements to keep your design balanced.
What's Your Furniture Style?
When buying your home furniture, including sofas, tables, and other furniture, it's vital to choose pieces that spark your interest and support your lifestyle. Whatever your preferred design theme is, the most important thing is to create a home that expresses your character.