Style Guide: Find Out Which Home Design Suits You Best

Interior design comes in a range of styles. If you are having trouble identifying the style that you always want in your home, we’re here to guide you by defining 8 interior design styles that are popular in Malaysian homes and what makes each of these design styles stand out. This will help you decide the ultimate theme for your home that would best suit your lifestyle, and tastes!

1. Scandinavian

Scandinavian design is one of the easiest interior design styles to recognize. Made popular in the 1950s by three northern European countries - Denmark, Norway and Sweden, Scandinavian interior design style is characterised by simple aesthetics, a clean colour palette (grey, white, brown and black) and minimal furniture that serves a purpose.

Other Scandinavian interior design key elements include leather, wood and wool. The combination of these warm textures, soft hues and plenty of natural light creates a casual and comfortable setting in a Scandi home.

You’ll love it…

If you are someone who finds joy in the simplest things of daily life, like watching your favourite TV show under a cosy blanket with a cup of coffee or tea in your hand, you might find the Scandi-style interior design a reflection of your personality!

2. Eclectic

Eclectic interior design is all about high-energy, spellbinding finds and furnishings. Think bold colour palettes, textures, and patterns being tied together to create a cohesive and attractive design.

The trick to making a space feel coherent with a varied mix of the contrasting elements is by tying it together with one solid colour. Try painting your walls, your mouldings, and even your ceiling in one unifying colour, and keep your upholstered pieces in the same colour scheme as well. Everything else will fall into place beautifully.

You’ll love it…

If you love making bold choices and enjoy creating or collecting art, travel souvenirs, and vintage finds, chances are you're a bit of an eclectic soul—and your home is a reflection of that!

3. Minimalist

The minimalist decorating style is inspired by Japanese design and concentrates on the principle that “less is more”. A minimalist home is dominated by an empty space, spaciousness and a large amount of light while remaining cosy and attractive.

You’ll find multi-functional furniture and storage space as the most essential design element in a Minimalist home. For this reason, furniture often doubles as hidden storage. For instance, a coffee table that lifts up to reveal storage is one of the many creative solutions Minimalist interior use. The streamlined furnishings have nothing flamboyant or glitzy about them. It also uses neutral colour palettes for a less cluttered look and visually relaxing.

You’ll love it…

If you value having an uncluttered and well-organized space over rooms attempting to do too much at once, then you might find the Minimalist design concept suitable for your home!

4. Farmhouse

Farmhouse interior design is one of the most popular home decorating styles, known for its rustic accents, warmth and laid-back livability.

Farmhouse furniture is characterized by distressed wood, matte metals and upholstered linen. Other staples to consider include the ever-popular farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, and an industrial enamel pendant. Colour palettes in modern farmhouse interiors are always on the neutral side such as white, cream or brown. When you want to create an additional pop of colour, it’s important to use nature-inspired hues such as deep navy, sage green, or cherry red.

You’ll love it…

If you dream of weekends upstate spent preparing farm-to-table feasts in your rustic kitchen for your family or friends, a farmhouse-style house would be a great option for someone like you!

5. Modern

Modern interior design style is decidedly fuss-free and simple. It focuses on more essential aspects of the home rather than trying to crowd it with accessories. Most of the furnishings and decorative pieces used in modern design often boast a purpose, have clean lines with smooth, sleek surfaces to create a fresh and elegant living space.

An open-plan layout is a must when it comes to modern home interior design. An open living, dining and kitchen area helps to eliminate unnecessary structures within a home while encouraging free airflow and natural light to enter the space.

You’ll love it…

If you like the idea of an open space layout where the living room, dining table, the kitchen are connected in one spacious area, a modern interior design style is a perfect match for your home!

6. Contemporary

When you look at interior design styles throughout history, contemporary interior design is the one style that is always evolving. In fact, it will most likely continue to change over the course of the 21st century. Contemporary refers to anything related to the present moment. This unique interior design style borrows from various periods which creates an environment fit to last a lifetime.

In today’s time, contemporary interior designs include unadorned spaces that appear to be super clean and elegant. Typical contemporary furniture shows exposed legs and clean lines to give a light and airy feel. It’s also common to see materials like metal, nickels, glass, chrome and stainless steel used in contemporary homes due to its light-reflecting properties.

You’ll love it…

If you like to stay abreast of the current trends in home design and decorating and are willing (and have the budget) to change with the times, a Contemporary home is a suitable choice for you!

7. Industrial

Industrial design emerged when the western European factories closed down at the end of the second industrial revolution leaving many large vacant buildings behind. Population increase caused people to start converting industrial areas into residential neighbourhoods.

Instead of covering up or removing all the remnants of the space (brick walls, exposed pipes and electrical wires), large, open units, preserving the old floors, walls and keeping much of the pipes and wiring and beams exposed became a distinctive character of an industrial home.

You’ll love it…

If you own a few pieces that embody all the best in terms of industrial design furniture, like repurposed vintage furniture or love to collect bold graphics, murals, paintings and even painting old symbols, then you might find an Industrial interior design appealing for your home!

8. Traditional

Traditional interior is a timeless go-to style that features varied design styles that are not exclusive to one particular era. Some key features of Traditional interior designs include rich tones and dark woods. Walls are often painted or panelled with neutral colours so that the furniture and decorative accents can be highlighted.

One of the most important aspects about Traditional interior design is ‘symmetry’ which means that everything from chairs to lamps to accessories has to come in pairs. The underlying idea behind this is that there should be a balanced space centred on a focal point, which is usually the TV or a decorative art piece. So if you are not the ‘matchy-matchy’ type, Traditional design style may not be your cup of tea.

You’ll love it…

If you appreciate decorations and design that have a rich history behind them, for example, classic art pieces, hand-me-down furniture, and symmetrical objects, then Traditional design style is most suitable for your home!

Looking to renovate your home?

Not sure how to get started with incorporating any of these design themes in your own home? Get professional help by requesting for a free quote today! Qanvast will match you up with up to five interior firms that will help to transform your dream home based on your budget and style choice!

You can also enjoy up to 30% discounts or receive instant rebates up to RM400 on selected furniture stores when you engage a firm via Qanvast! For more information, click here.

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