Try Something New: 3 Trendy Interior Design Styles

Looking to revitalize your home with some new décor, furniture, or just a fresh layout? Then you could probably use some inspiration when it comes to interior design styles.
Fortunately, if you haven’t redecorated in the past five years or so, there’s a lot out there to pull from. Numerous new design styles have hit the scene, offering new takes, new outlooks, and new approaches you just might not have thought of before.
Need some inspo before redoing that living room, dining area, or home office? Here’s a look at the top design trends to consider:
Biophilic Interior Design Styles
Want a design that’s as good for your health as it is for your home’s aesthetic appeal? Then biophilic is your answer.
Biophilic design brings nature indoors — but not in a gross or dirty way. Instead, it incorporates naturally occurring materials and décor, sweeping views, lots of sunlight, and plenty of greenery and vegetation.
Many say biophilic design decreases stress, lowers blood pressure, improves health, and even increases productivity, thanks to the natural elements and fresh air it exposes people to. Corporations like Google and Apple are known for using this design style in their office environments.
Here are some ways to work biophilic design into your own home:
- Add more windows and skylights, or if that’s not possible, switch to lighter-weight curtains (or none at all) to let in more sunlight
- Incorporate fountains, ponds, and other water features. The sound and smell of water can have serious health benefits, according to biophilic philosophy.
- Bring in plants, flowers and foliage — particularly ones with seasonal colors or rich scents.
- Integrate natural materials like stone, wood, and leather, and steer clear of manmade ones like plastic or particle board.
- Hang nature-themed photographs or artwork.
Wabi Sabi Interior Design Styles
Wabi Sabi is a Japanese-inspired design style that embraces imperfections. It’s not about symmetrical layouts or matchy-matchy pillowcases, but instead about finding the beauty in all things — the real, the authentic, and the minimal.
At its heart, Wabi Sabi is simple. It encourages modesty and minimalism, and there’s no right or wrong way to do it. Unlike traditional “minimalist” styles though, Wabi Sabi isn’t anti-mess. It’s just the opposite, embracing that imperfect mess as a sign of comfort, relaxation and real life.
Decluttering — doing away with things you don’t absolutely need or find value in — and using natural, earthy materials are the main principles of Wabi Sabi. Here are some ways to work Wabi Sabi into your home:
- Forget the perfectly shaped vases and flower pots. Instead, gravitate toward more imperfect items, like one-of-a-kind pottery, hand-painted ceramics, blown glass, and carved wood items.
- Weed out the bright and unnatural paint colors and wallpaper. Stick to earth tones like brown, yellow, grey, green, and blue.
- Bring in natural materials like terra cotta, reclaimed wood, leather and stone. Like biophilic, plastics and other manmade materials aren’t ideal in this design style.
- Avoid big box stores and mass-made décor and furniture. Frequent craft shows, flea markets, antique shops or even Etsy for more one-of-a-kind décor options instead.
- Embrace the nicks, chips, and scrapes. Don’t throw out or avoid décor just because it’s old and worn. Part of Wabi Sabi is embracing the imperfections that make things unique, so keep them — and maybe even highlight those issues.
- Clean house, and donate or recycle items you no longer need, want or have an emotional connection to. Wabi Sabi is all about decluttering and embracing the calm.
Hygge Interior Design Styles
Hygge comes from the Danish word for cozy — and the style is just that. It’s design that is intimate, comfortable, and evokes an emotional feeling.
Want a picture of hygge in a nutshell? Think a cable knit blanket, warm cup of tea and a vanilla scented candle. Imagine a crackling fireplace, a bowl of ice cream, and a good book. Picture a warm bath, a glass of wine, and a soft melody.
Hygge is a design style that makes you feel at home, warm and cozy. It uses soft lights, light scents, and small comforts like soft pillows, lush blankets, and rich textures.
Here’s how to add some hygge to your home:
- Add different sized candles to each room, and keep their scents simple and light. There’s nothing cozier than a dimly light room only illuminated by candlelight.
- Think layers. A comfortable couch with dozens of pillows, five different quilt options, and a big, furry rug underneath? Now that’s hygge.
- Create retreats. Small, snug hideaways are big in hygge, so integrate window seats, reading nooks, and even small tents into your home, where you can sit down and take a quiet minute to yourself.
- Add a fireplace — or even just a fire pit. The crackling logs and flickering light add an instant dose of hygge — especially on a cold winter night.
- Get textured. Try not to be too one-note with your textures, and alternate fabrics types, weights, and patterns whenever possible.
Whatever interior design styles you decide to explore more, Embrace is here to help. A cashout refinance can give you the funds you need to cover that makeover and then some. Contact a loan officer today to learn more.