If you are starting your course work or self training to become an interior designer, you want to have a firm understanding of the basics. Whether you’re decorating a bedroom or an entire home, bungalow or attic, you’ll find that many specific design styles fit into four broad generic categories. This general guide will define the Casual, Formal, Traditional, and Contemporary styles so that you can continue your studies and career with an understanding of the design principles of each category.

Formal

Formal is the look of the elegant Ritz-Carlton hotels and public government buildings like the White House. While homes today are not typically built with 12 “tall baseboard trim, hand-placed herringbone wood floors, or elaborate carved plaster decorations on ceilings and walls, there are elements of the formal style of decoration that you and your clients may want to use in a project.

Symmetry is one of the key characteristics of the interiors and exteriors of homes designed in a formal style. The windows, the furniture, the paintings are elements that are usually arranged in pairs with a straight axis that dominates each room. A central focal point will define a room, and it could be a beautiful window-wall overlooking a perfect lawn, a large stone fireplace centered on a key wall, or exquisite piece of furniture. A formal decorating style suits a home with high ceilings, large tall windows, and architectural features such as beautifully paneled walls, columns, and pilasters.

Formal-style interiors are decorated to attract attention and display richness, including highly polished woods, gleaming mirrors, polished brass window and door hardware, sparkling crystal chandeliers and wall sconces, and unique and interesting pieces of fine wood and upholstered furniture.

Furniture and accessories in formal interiors are often antique or fine reproductions. The woods used are generally dark and rich in appearance, but lighter woods are often used for decoration and inlays. Imported oriental rugs cover the polished hardwood floors. Original works of art are often elaborately framed in hand-carved gilt frames and figurative stone or bronze sculptures will be displayed on pedestals.

Contemporary

Contemporary decor is for those who like to keep up with the latest styles and enjoy today’s stuff. While modern interiors have been thought of as cool and minimalist, contemporary interiors today are often comfortable and inviting without being cluttered and dark. It is a style that is equally appropriate for offices and homes, lofts and shops.

A contemporary-style home can be calm and serene, and it can give the appearance of an Asian meditation space. Simplicity, subtle sophistication, texture, and clean lines help define contemporary interiors. The focus of each room is a quiet space rather than furniture. By focusing on color, dimension, and shape, contemporary interiors are suggestive, elegant, and fresh.

Neutrals, white and black are the main colors in contemporary interiors. The palette is often accented with bright, bold colors and, within a few style variants, ornate patterns and dazzling ornamentation. Black is often used to ground and define a room. With walls painted in a basic neutral, it has a backdrop for bold colored accessories.

The line is a key element of the design. It is found in the architectural details and is defined by the use of bold color blocks, high ceilings, and bare windows. Geometric shapes are used in wall art and sculpture. The empty space is left on the walls, between the furniture and above in the upper areas, and it becomes just as important as the areas filled with objects.

In contemporary interiors, less is more, as space creates perspective and dimension. Each piece of furniture stands out for being individual and unique. The contemporary style takes advantage of the structural elements as decoration. Air ducts can hang from the ceiling, fabric and bricks provide texture and stability. Structural details can be painted in bold contrasting colors, or simply exposed and painted the same color as the wall to lessen their significance.

Casual

A casual style room is homey, warm, comfortable and inviting. For television viewers, it is like walking on the set of Friends gold Big Bang Theory. Who doesn’t want to be comfortable in their own home? If you want to put together a room in a casual style, learn the basics that go together to create a casual and unpretentious room. Casual rooms have simple details, textured elements in fabrics and accessories, soft upholstery in neutral colors, low-gloss surfaces, structural elements, and furniture arrangements that avoid perfect symmetry.

The details are simple and the elements are rectangular or gently curved. A room decorated in a casual style has simple details, but is the perfect place to add an unexpected touch of whimsy, such as an old reconstructed birdhouse or bowling alley as a lamp base. Casual decor is easily incorporated into specific styles such as Rustic, Cottage, Beach, French, Shabby Chic, or American.

With people who enjoy more relaxed lifestyles, today many homes are fully decorated with casual decor items. But any home can incorporate the elements into a guest room, rustic kitchen, TV room, or bathroom. The elements of the informal style of decoration can infiltrate almost any room and make it feel comfortable.

Traditional

The traditional decor is calm, orderly, and predictable. You may have grown up in a home decorated with traditional-style furniture. The furnishings are classic and can look dated, so nothing is a surprise. The pieces fill a room and match and are consistent.

Furniture is often reproductions. They are part of dining room sets, living room sets, and bedroom sets, and all bedroom sets are similar in furniture styles. Furniture and accessories are arranged in pairs and tend to be centered in each room. There is nothing out of place or very different in style.

Traditional rooms are not flashy, but rather casual, making traditional-style homes comfortable for any age group. It’s a familiar look seen in magazines or furniture showrooms.

Upholstered furniture in a traditional room shows classic lines and understated details. They may have decorative details, but they are functional, simple, and relaxing in appearance. The edges are soft, smooth and blend in with the whole. Fabrics are usually neither too shiny nor too textured. Solid colors, florals, muted plaid, inconspicuous stripes, geometries, tone-on-tone, and small patterns throughout the garment are common.

As you continue Your education, knowing the four broad generic categories of Casual, Formal, Traditional, and Contemporary, will lay a good foundation for your career. Once you research them well and broaden your studies to specific styles, history, and resources, you can confidently guide your clients through your various projects to make each one a unique expression of your taste and design ability.

(c) Elizabeth McMillian from 2012