Style Estate Blog

Warm Contemporary Designs

Warm  If you want your room to feel warmer and more energizing, choose richer colors and more textures.  Reds, yellows and oranges all tend to spice up a room. Deep greens, browns and darker tones of blue also work well.   Use plush or nubby fabrics like chenille, tweed, flannel or wool.  Plaids or prints are often good choices for warm feeling rooms as well.  And just like when you want to feel warmer when you venture outside on a cold day, dress the room in layers.  Use rugs scattered around the floor, toss a warm throw over the back of a chair, or pile on the pillows. 

Use lighting to accent artwork like family photos or happy scenes and bring task lighting into play in areas where you need to work.  Utilize furnishings to create conversation areas and intimate spaces.  Furniture should be inviting and comfortable.  Warm rooms reflect the personalities of the people who live there, so don’t be afraid to bring in your collections.

Remember, we’re talking about moods here, not particular styles.  Although country or traditional styles are most frequently thought of as warm rooms, you can create the mood of warmth in a variety of styles, including contemporary.

Set The Mood

Cool, Calm, Tranquil Interior Design Styles

A cool room is one that exudes an air of calm and tranquility.  This look is often desirable in areas where you want to promote rest, serenity or concentration.    Bedrooms, baths, offices or hot, sunny rooms where you want to visually lower the temperature.  Colors are usually light blues, greens, silvers, pastels or neutrals.  Monochromatic color schemes can often be found in cooler rooms.  These colors make a room feel more spacious and airy. 

The goal is to create a harmonious blend, a place where the mind can be cleared and the heart centered.  Fabrics are usually smooth, solid colors.  Touches of nature, like plants or water features, are often added, but the room should be uncluttered.  Minimal accessories are required.  Furnishings should be of simple designs and forego embellishments like ruffles or elaborately carved furnishings.  Keep window dressings uncomplicated.  Plain, tab-top curtains, shutters or even no window coverings at all can work nicely. 

Choosing Interior Design And Decorating Styles That Fit Your Personality. Part 1: Choosing The Right Style To Fit Your Personality

Choosing Decorating Styles That Fit Your Personality

Part 1: How To Choose A Decorating Style That Fits Your Personality

Do you envy people who seem to instinctively know what looks best in their home? The ones who automatically gravitate towards the perfect colors, furniture and accessories that make their home look beautiful and yet reflect so much of their own distinctive personality. They can toss out phrases like contemporary minimalist or bohemian retro with complete confidence. How do they manage to have such a natural flair for design when it can seem so complicated to others?

Identifying The Right Design Styles For Your Personality

Part of the problem may hinge on the fact that you aren’t really clear what each design style encompasses.  There are hundreds of design styles out there and it can be quite confusing if you’re not a decor aficionado.   What you need to remember, though, is that you don’t have to be a designer to know what is right for your home.  With just a little basic decorating knowledge, you can create a style that is perfect for you. 

Determine Which Design Styles Will Set The Right Mood

Before you settle on a particular style that has a name like shabby chic or Scandinavian modern, oftentimes it’s easier to determine a mood you want to create in a room - formal, casual, warm or cool- then develop the actual style from there.  In this first part of a series, let’s first look at what creates each mood.  That will help you determine what colors and textures are best suited for the environment you’re trying to develop and you’ll have a great jumping off place to start developing your own sense of style.

Choosing Interior Design And Decorating Styles That Fit Your Personality. Part 2: Formal Interior Decorating and Design.