The Different Types of Home Design

The Different Types of Home Design

When moving into your first home or apartment after college it can be a daunting task when it comes to deciding how you are going to decorate your home. The reason it can be very challenging is that most people, when decorating their first home or apartment, want to show off their unique style and taste and it can be difficult deciding what your personal taste is. Also, it can be difficult to decide whether to stick with one theme or combine different interior design styles together. The three most popular types of interior design styles are Modern/Contemporary, which includes modern furniture and modern design furniture, Romantic, and French. Most people like to choose one or a combination of two or all three of these styles for their home decoration.

The Modern/Contemporary style is marked by a minimalist approach to design.

Most people who prefer the Contemporary look prefer to have a home that appears to have no clutter and therefore very little furniture. The look also uses clean lines and very defined pieces of furniture in its style. The colors that are usually associated with this kind of style are black and white, however, nowadays it seems that bright, bold colors can also be part of the contemporary design, and a bright yellow would be an example.

The French style is all about the rustic, country look. A lot of the French style has bright, detailed furniture that also looks antique. Distressed furniture pieces are also a part of the French style. It is all about a natural look. The colors that are normally associated with this kind of style are light and soft colors, like a taupe or a light green color. Also, the flooring in the French style is often wood or tile that looks like it has been worn.

The Romantic style is all about deep colors, big comfortable furniture, and rooms that feel cozy and intimate.

This kind of design also encourages less lighting in all of the rooms for a more intimate feel in each room. Also, the fabrics used in the Romantic style need to be bold in color or design. As far as colors, the Romantic look is supposed to look like it sounds, passionate with deep tones like reds, oranges, and purple. Finally, many who prefer the Romantic style also prefer to have carpet in as many rooms as possible to give the home a more intimate and cozy feeling.

It is important to remember that these are just the three major types of interior design styles. There are plenty of other options that are available to you. And, if you are not planning on redoing your entire house from top to bottom, it is possible to still have these styles in your home without painting all of the walls and putting in all new floors. It is also important to remember that it is your home and your kind of style that will make the home truly yours, so don’t be afraid to experiment or pair different styles together.

Connor Sullivan and his wife just purchased modern furniture for their new home. They both like the modern design furniture look for their rooms.

Craftsman Home Design Enjoys a Renaissance

Craftsman Home Design Enjoys a Renaissance

Off with the old and on with the…Old? Absolutely. Consider the new architectural trends. Nostalgic styles complete, with wrap-around front porches, exposed rafters and “craftsman” details are the cutting edge now.

The craftsman or prairie style homes made popular in the early 1900s are taking the home design trends by storm. Designed by architect Gustav Stickley and actually sold through mail order kits from Sears and Roebuck, these homes were originally built to be affordable and more casual than the ornate Victorian styles of the wealthy. They were meant to be homes for the masses. Frank Lloyd Wright added his own variations with his prairie style in the Midwest.

You can find these homes in virtually every metropolitan area of the country. Many are found in neighborhoods built in the early 20th century and are now located in trendy areas adjacent to major cities. And many of these areas are experiencing a rebirth and transformation.

But rehabbing a century old home is not the only avenue to acquiring a craftsman home.

Many new homes are now being designed to mimic the craftsman style complete with smaller footprints, dormers, porches supported with stocky tapered columns, wide overhangs, etc.

There are several reasons this trends is happening now. For one, there’s a yearning for a sense of home and safety associated with the past. People are longing for simpler times. The nostalgia of the past is a big draw now. For another, these homes are typically smaller and more economical to build. The trend in new home construction now is towards downsizing and scaling back.

Following are the major features of new Craftsman architecture:

Large front porches with chunky tapered columns
Horizontal bands in siding with differing finishes above and below.
Bracket roof supports.
Generous woodwork and trim inside and out.
Dark stain finishes
The use of triple windows or pairs of windows 
The lack of halls (a more open design)
Built-in cabinetry in the dining rooms or as room dividers
Materials local to the area

Bill Edwards has built more than 200 custom homes over the last 30 years and has also helped many people build or remodel their own homes using his tested methods. He currently heads up American Home Counsel, a consortium of professionals in the home building, real estate, development, financing, and education professions. Their goal is to help educate people about home building, home remodeling, and home buying and selling. To learn more about home design trends, please visit: http://buildyourownhome.AmericanHomeCounsel.com.