To collect a comfortable and harmonious interior, first, you need to decide which style to choose in the interior. You can stick to a specific style or experiment by mixing elements from different eras and cultures. The main rule is that you should be comfortable. 

The content of the article:

• 1 Rustica 
• 2 Provence
• 3 English style 
• 4 Retro 
• 5 Fusion and eclecticism 

Rustic 

Translated from French “rustique” means “rustic”. But it’s not so simple with the rustic style interior. This is not a country house, finished with wood from floor to ceiling. This stylization resembles a rural house, organically combining rustic flavor, a touch of antiquity, and modernity in one space.

The color scheme is natural, muted, the focus is on rough textures. Wood predominates in decoration; in a rustic space, it can completely conquer the walls, taking the form of wooden panels, decorative saw cuts, or simple lining. A wooden ceiling will also be useful. The older the tree, the more scuffs it has, the better for rusticism. 

In such an interior, vintage and rustic lyrics coexist with modern technology, and brutal textures with cozy textiles.

Not everyone will decide to choose rusticism as the style of the interior of an apartment, but in country houses, it is always a welcome guest. In popularity, rustic styles are not inferior to sister styles: country and chalet. To distinguish one from the other, use the cheat sheet: country looks like the dwelling of cowboys and loves bright colors; if it seems that there is a Swiss village outside the window, and stone predominates in the decoration – in front of you is a chalet; rustic is the most “uncouth” and aged. 

Main advantages: Affordable solution for the design of a summer house or a country house. 

Suitable for: Everyone who appreciates a comfortable life outside the city, preferring the warmth of natural materials and the coziness of a “hunting lodge” to palace luxury

Provence

Even if the lavender fields and olive groves do not stretch outside the window, the flavor of the French province can be settled in the interior using the Provence style.

In such a space, impressionism reigns – all the colors seem to be diluted with white paint, the atmosphere is immersed in pastel colors, the style-forming shade is lavender. Vintage and deliberate aging are encouraged. Favorite finishing materials include light wood, ceramic tiles, and decorative plaster. Provence loves small floral prints and textiles – the more the better.

In Russian interiors, this style flourished first on the basis of suburban real estate and then moved to apartments. Cuisines stylized in the spirit of Provence turned out to be especially popular. 

Designers predict that pure Provence will leave the interior hit parade, but its individual elements are still relevant, for example, retro-style lamps or a light canopy over the bed.

The main advantages: All roughness, irregularities, and scuffs will come in handy, old furniture can be covered with white paint and given a new life, you can also save money on decor – stylize the space with the help of textile handicrafts and a bunch of wildflowers. Suitable for

: Sensitive and sentimental people, lovers of romantic novels, and those who prefer a measured lifestyle to the frenzied pace of a big city. 

English style 

How to choose an interior style and not regret it? Think about your habits. If you are a fan of comfortably settling down in an armchair under a warm blanket with a cup of Earl Gray tea, take a look at the English style in the interior.  

These are strict proportions, classic furniture forms, an abundance of decor and subdued chamber lighting. In the British interior, there are many different light sources: sconces, floor lamps, table lamps. There is also a place for a chandelier with pendants, but spotlights and LED lighting in a traditional English interior are not welcome. 

Such a space does not accept synthetics, loves noble natural materials: expensive textiles, dark wood, leather. Coffered ceilings, spacious home libraries, “rich” curtains with intricate draperies, leather couches with a carriage tie, and armchairs with so-called ears – protrusions on the back designed to protect against drafts – are responsible for the British flavor. The walls are decorated with moldings and wallpaper with a traditional print, such as the fleur-de-lis, as in the Sherlock series.

The wood-burning fireplace can be replaced with an electric analog or a decorative false fireplace, which will become the center of the composition. 

Main pluses: Like any classic, it does not go out of style. 

Suitable for: Refined aristocrats, Dickens fans, and everyone who believes that the main thing in the interior is the library. 

Retro 

What style in the interior to choose if all modern ones are not to your liking? Retro, of course. 

When it comes to retro interiors, it is worth clarifying which one. In fact, stylization for any fashionable decade is retro. At the same time, spaces decorated in the style of the 60s and 70s will differ significantly from each other. 

Even in the context of one era, retro is different. Judge for yourself. In the 60s, glamorous pop art raged in America, and the Stalinist Empire style had not yet gone out of fashion on the territory of the USSR. Styles are different, like heaven and earth. There are neon colors, fluffy pillows, and posters of Campbell’s soup cans, here herringbone parquet, massive dark wood furniture, and crystal glasses in sideboards. Only one thing unites these interiors – a retrospective.

Western 60s-style furnishings can also have a quieter interpretation than pop art. Among the recognizable features: active prints on the walls and carpets, lacquered furniture on thin legs, geometry. 

The total stylization of the space in a retro-style can turn it into a backdrop for a film. However, some elements from bygone eras are welcome in modern interiors. They can take root on the basis of different styles and give the space an interesting nostalgic touch. 

Main pluses: Retro will save money on art objects – they will be replaced by a disk telephone found on the mezzanine and grandfather’s radio.   

Suitable for: everyone who is in love with a certain era and prefers things with a history.

Fusion and eclecticism 

How to choose an interior style if you like a little bit of each? Don’t choose – combine! Fusion and eclecticism come to the rescue. 

Someone considers these interior phenomena to be different styles, someone different names for the same thing. The general principle is mixing, but there are differences. Eclecticism is more restrained, in such an interior, as a rule, they mix two or three related styles, for example, boho, shabby, and rustic or empire and baroque. The composition is united by colors, texture, and general stylistic mood.

Fusion loves to combine incongruous. This style likes a deliberate clash of elements from different eras and cultures. Wooden ceilings can coexist with a baroque chandelier and velvet ottoman, while glossy white kitchens can have pink gold-legged bar stools and wall chandeliers. 

Fusion can have a discreet incarnation or “cross the line”, turning into ironic kitsch. The main thing is to express the individuality of the inhabitants of the interior. The general concept and personality of the owner serves as the “glue” for the motley elements in the fusion interior.

Main advantages: Styles in their pure form are gradually going out of fashion, mixing and individualization of space is in trend.

Suitable for: Freethinkers who are too cramped within a certain style, collectors, and shopaholics. 

What style in the interior to choose is an important question in our latitudes, where it is customary to make repairs for centuries. The answer is simple: choose everything that you want, and if your soul asks for completely different things – mix and experiment! 

Read more about interior styles in our next publications.