Apartment Interior Design Ideas
You finally have the canvas that you have been waiting for – your own apartment that you can do up to your heart’s content. Furniture pieces, wall paint, light fixtures, soft furnishings, kitchen set up, bathroom fittings, there are so many choices that one needs to make. The array of options can be bewildering, but here’s where our design guide comes in. Take into consideration the space you have, your list of practical requirements and marry them with the aesthetic style that appeals to you most. Having a design style will help you cut through clutter as you make you those design decisions; it will also turn an otherwise bland apartment into a warm and inviting space, one you are proud to call home.
Going Handmade and Organic with Rustic Style
Feel a deep connection to all things organic and natural that you want to bring to your apartment interiors? Want to keep it handmade and cosy? Look no further than the Rustic style of design. To achieve this look, keep the colour palette as natural as possible, full of earthy tones such as browns, beiges and greens. You can also include reds, blues and greys, as long as they look natural, warm and homely. Wooden pieces – reclaimed and distressed, rather than glossy and polished – are the mainstay of a rustic home. Unleash all your upcycling desires and get someone to handcraft and repurpose unique furniture pieces for you. Use textured fabrics like jute and raw cotton and patterns such as ikat and patchwork to echo the handmade aesthetic. Plastics and synthetics are a strict no- no, while metals like wrought iron may be used to accessorise.
Channelling Great Gatsby for the Art Deco Look
If you are anything like or aspire to be anything like the stylish, extravagant, glamorous millionaire Jay Gatsby, then art deco is certainly your groove. When you think art deco, think opulent, think rich, and think ‘extra’. Go all out with bold and jewel like colours – black, white, silver and gold, bright red, blue and yellow. Carry forward the bold theme by picking out large statement pieces of furniture. Curved furniture with smooth lines will fit right into your art deco apartment as will black and white art deco tiles or a highly lacquered floor. Feel free to go to town with stainless steel, marble, glass and mirror as you make furniture, décor and accessory choices. Be liberal with geometric and natural themes – stay away from pretty designs such as floral. Use trapezoids, chevrons, zigzags and classic art deco motif of sunbursts. Do up your walls with ornate mirrors and art deco prints. If you like the look, but don’t want to go the whole hog, selectively pick certain components of this style and combine it with a modern or contemporary look.
Choosing Less to be More with the Minimalist Way of Life
If you want your apartment to be a haven of fuss free calm and elegance, turn to minimalist style of design. The look works especially well if you have a small space which you want to make airy and bright. To begin with, declutter your possessions and pare back to absolute essentials you want to keep. Invest in good storage and keep items away from sight leaving you with clutter-free surfaces and clean unbroken lines. The colours to explore are whites, blacks, creams – all those that bring a cool effect. In keeping with the aesthetic, put in furniture with clean lines and simplicity. Don’t go with anything too trendy or modern because minimalist when done well can be timeless. Accessorise by all means, but tightly edit the items to make sure they are few and of impact. This style more than any other is a state of mind and a way of life and you design decisions need to reflect that.
Being Eclectic, Being Uniquely You
There is nothing quite like eclectic style that allows you to leave your creative stamp on your apartment’s interior design. While this style of decor allows you unlimited choices to mix and match across colours, textures, and design periods, it is also the one where you need to be quite judicious about your decisions. To begin with, settle for a few looks you want to combine. Pick a base style that is classic or vintage and then include others in it. Pick furniture from different eras and bring them together. Don’t go to the store to buy matching sets, instead mix pieces to create your own. A common thread can be a texture or a colour that weaves everything together. To pull off eclectic, be sure to plan the colour scheme out. Have one colour, usually a more neutral or light tone, which you echo through to bring a sense of cohesion. Then splash on additional colours that set each other off. Mix different textures in your soft furnishings and accessories – velvet, natural, metal, wood, jute – to create a unique feel. Overall, while you bring your distinct originality to the space, keep it functional, comfortable and warm. You don’t want to host a mad Hatter’s tea party quite yet.
Being Trendy but Timeless with Modern Classic
Combining the old with the new, the traditional and simple with trendy and modern is the modern classic style. If you are aiming for this look, play with colours such browns, beiges, greys, whites and blacks. The palette is muted, clean and pale. Don’t go overboard with accessories and instead, focus on a few that add class to the apartment. Your furniture will carry forward the theme of simple and modern, with less carvings and being elegant. The style has strong elements of minimalism that means going for uncluttered and clean. With modern classic, the aesthetic you are aiming for is subtle, sophisticated, and trendy. Nothing is overtly loud, ornate or too busy. Don’t equate this with boring though, feel free to go bold with a touch of drama – a splash of colour or a piece of art that brings in the modern.
Sink into the Simple but Stylish Urban Modern
Make urban modern your style of choice if you are an apartment owner who is looking to create a restful but a modern place to relax, away from the stresses of daily life. To create this look, think modern, contemporary, industrial and minimalist and then combine these for an aesthetic that is trendy yet simple. The overall look is that of industrial but with much softer tones, sans the harshness and edginess that can be associated with this style. Some hallmarks of this style are the use of a lot of natural light, breezy feel, soaring windows, rugged wood, mix of metals and brick, and open plans. The colour palette remains neutral and very much industrial or minimalist that helps in creating the restful atmosphere. To make it interesting and inviting, utilise a few striking bold accent pieces.
That brings us to the end of the apartment interiors style guide. We have something for everyone – people who love inviting rustic organic components of nature to their home to those looking for something more modern and edgy. And even for the ones who want to create a sanctuary of calm in the middle of a bustling city to those who want to bring distinct originality and creativity to their home, we have it all. Now that you have your style picked out, get ready to turn visions of your dream home into reality.
