A Word or Two About Design Styles
By Kenneth Ho & Fardid Biglar
When it comes to renovating the home, most homeowners often have difficulty
describing the style that they want. With the amount of jargon it
takes and the subtle difference between the styles, you’d have
to be an architecture historian to tell them apart. The following
are brief descriptions of the most popular interior design styles
meant to give you an edge in choosing and talking about the styles
you like: MODERN
Modernist designs are known for their purist sensibilities including
clean lines, spaciousness, and efficiency. It is a very popular
style in Europe and North American condo living due to the spaciousness
that it emphasizes. You see few historical architectural elements
in a modern home and none in an ultra-modern style. There are no
moldings, no corbels, very subtle textures, and nothing that creates
a busy look. Style is reflected through technological materials
such as stainless steel, glass, plastic, smooth wood veneers and
other sleek materials. Since there are fewer details, colour and
texture plays a very important role. In modern kitchens for example,
cabinet doors that are simpler in design such as the slab door.
With fewer elements to distract your eyes, when compared to traditional
styles, modern design quality is reflected by the details of craftsmanship
and intrinsic beauty in materials used. High-gloss lacquer finishes,
exotic wood veneers, and stainless steel accents create a high-tech
look.
CONTEMPORARY
Contemporary kitchens have some of the high-tech look and functionality
of a modern space, but are not purist in style and design vocabulary.
Often different styles are mixed together to give this style of
space a unique emotional connection to its occupants. In a contemporary
space, it’s common to find a juxtaposition of styles such
as an antique rug or historic wood table used with an ultra-modern
sofa in a streamlined and technologically advanced space.
CLASSIC (TRADITIONAL)
The advantage of having a traditional design is that it may never
go out of style. Ornamental elements such as moldings and posts
are commonly used in a traditional design to reflect timeless elegance
and sophistication. The classical style is most obvious when looking
at the kitchen – crown moldings, light valences, raised panel
doors, columns with ornaments, hardwood flooring, and rich materials
such as tumbled marble.
Cabinets in cherry wood or off white finishes topped with granite
countertops are a popular direction for most homeowners. This would
be a good choice of style if you are the type of person who likes
to redecorate often without spending a lot of money, because wood
finishes and white cabinetry match nearly any fabric and trend. A
traditional space also makes clutter not as noticeable compared to
a modern style. This is due to the abundance of textures and variation
within different elements. MODERN CLASSIC
The modern classic style is a streamlined version of the traditional
style. It has modernist sensibilities with its clean lines and spacious
feel. Classic elements that are presented in a modern classic design
is often more subtle, such as like moldings without extra ornamentations
for example. The overall impression that you would get by looking
at a classic modern space is that the room would appear to be cleaner
as all classic elements are reduced to form only or totally removed.
In a modern classic kitchen, you would still be able to find elements
that are presented in a traditional kitchen such as crown moldings,
light valences, and raised panel cabinet doors but you would find
these elements to have less details in them or streamlined to be
more technological in style. Instead of tumbled marble flooring,
a honed and cross cut travertine would be used to purify the style.
A common feature of the classic modern style is extra-wide drawer
cabinets that you’d see in ultra-modern designs, turned into
a timeless piece of furniture for all times.
COUNTRY
The country style is a casual version of the traditional style.
Materials that are hand made or have a hand made look are preferred
and have more variation. Worn and weathered items are celebrated
and remove formality for a space. It’s all about comfort.
OLD WORLD
The old world style perhaps may be the most ornamented and sophisticated
of the styles outlined here. Inspired by history, they are Baroque,
Neo-classical, Tuscan, Renaissance, and English style interiors
that conjure up imagery of castles in Europe. Elements such as corbels,
appliqués, crown moldings, spindle columns, canopies, and
complex hand-made architectural features are common. Antiqued or
hand-made iron work and hand-dragged finishes, elaborate chandelier
in the dinning room and the foyer, and grand scales distinguish
an old world interior.
These are six of the most common styles that we see in homes nowadays.
Knowing these styles will give you an advantage in coordinating
the elements that you need to create an exquisite interior that
reflects your tastes. It is also useful in helping you to discuss
elements and styles that you like with your designer, a part of
a healthy two-way design process which is the key to making your
dream space a reality.
Kenneth Ho is a partner at the design and construction firm BiglarKinyan
Design Partnership Inc. For more information about the work of BKDP
and their Free LCD television promotion, please visit their website
at www.BKDP.ca
Article Submitted by:
Biglar Kinyan Design Partners
Click
here to view their profile
<<--Back
to Home Improvement Tips and Articles Main Index |
HandyCanadian Tools
