From Scandi to Luxe: How to Choose the Right Decor Style for Your Home

Do you ever hear common decor and furniture styles mentioned on decor shows, and they just fly over your head? How on earth can someone possibly know the difference between modern and minimalist, luxe and mid-century mod? On my travels, I come across many decor styles, and one thing I’ve noticed is there are styles to suit everyone.

Home decor is a very broad category, and there isn’t just one way to make your home look good. The good news is nowadays you can choose a style that’s more current, or you can even give a nod to yesteryear and incorporate some classics into what we put into our spaces.

Furniture is a great way to bring a certain style into a room, but you have to know what characterizes each style in order to get it right. We no longer live in an age where we all have to have the same style of stuff in our rooms. We can get the look of customized furniture without breaking the bank. So how do you know which style is which? How can you decide which style is for you, and how to bring elements of it into your home? Read on for a quick primer of decor trends and movements and what makes each of them unique.

Scandinavian

It’s no coincidence that this prominent decor style originates from the birthplace of many furniture brands that dominate our culture today. Scandi style is all about upping the design factor of a piece of furniture, as if it’s a piece of art. If you see a piece of furniture that resembles a sculpture, it’s paying a nod to Scandi design. People who favor this style love the sculptural aspect of furniture, and they think less is more when it comes to accessories. They want to let the light in and have an emphasis on pops of color. You don’t have to look far for a piece of furniture that fits into the Scandi-style, I was easily able to spot one at one of the best furniture stores near me.

Mid-century Mod

Mid-century mod may be a style of the 1950s and 1960s, but it’s very popular right now. Even though it’s from all those years ago, it was created with a look toward future and what people were looking for was simplicity. According to Fresh Home, “mid-century look is all about stripping items down to their barest elements and letting their function become the star.” It is all about letting negative space become as big a part of the space as the pieces of furniture and designing furniture with natural shapes in mind. Where modern and minimalist styles aren’t really about a lot of color, Mid-century mod is all about playing with color and designing rooms with warm and bright colors to really bring the space to life. If you couldn’t help but swoon over the rooms on Mad Men, this is the perfect style for you. Don’t worry, you won’t be out of date, you will be right on trend!

Modern

Modern decor is all about the sleek-factor of a room. It’s not about mashing up a lot of colors, or mixing up a lot of furnishings. It’s about fewer, well-selected pieces that are arranged to emphasize the openness of space, light and airiness in a room. If you’re into sleek lines and bringing a slightly-futuristic element to your home, the modern style is for you.

Minimalist

In terms of lifestyle, minimalism is a major trend right now. Many people are opting to shed as many possessions as possible and living a more simplistic life. This has extended into furniture and decor styles too. Where modern decor is all about clean lines and an emphasis on simplicity of color, furnishings and accessories, minimalism drives this further. A person who favors this style is someone who doesn’t want much fuss but still wants something stylish without having to overthink on filling up each and every space in a room.

Luxe

If you were watching the hit renovation show The Block this year, you’ll know the word luxe came up a lot. But what is luxe? Short for luxury, it’s all about inviting and sumptuous textures of colors and really making a room look very comfortable and eye-catching. It is opulent and rich, and invoking a feeling of the finer things in life. It’s about luxurious fabrics like velvet, jewel-toned colors, and expensive looking metallic elements. If you like how hotel rooms make you feel and want your room to have that ultra-chic fashion-blogger look, this is the perfect choice for you.

Now that you know which style you fit into, now you can go about your merry way to shop for it and make your room match your character and the style you love.