Redecorating your home is supposed to be exciting — not stressful! To keep the process as easy (and fun!) as possible, it helps to go in with a clear sense of style: what you want, what you need, and what you’d rather steer clear of. But with so many style options to choose from, refining your search can feel overwhelming. That’s why our home flooring experts wrote this short guide, where we break down the basics behind five contemporary and modern interior design styles. Read on for a tour through some of the hottest and most popular design trends for 2019.

Modern & Contemporary Interior Design Styles Explained

What Are the Different Types of Modern and Contemporary Design Styles?

What are the different design styles, you wonder? There are dozens (or maybe hundreds) to choose from, depending on how technical you want to get! To keep things simple, we’re focusing on five of the trendiest, including: 

1. Mid-Century Modern
2. Industrial
3. Bohemian
4. Shabby Chic
5. Farmhouse

While these are the styles we’ll be looking at today, don’t feel like you have to restrict yourself to only these five groups! When it comes to designing home interiors, the only limit is your creativity. Other design styles you might be interested in exploring include transitional, eclectic, coastal beach house, and classic.

Mid-Century Modern

“Mid-century modern” refers to furniture and decor from around the middle of the twentieth century, which was characterized by organic forms, clean silhouettes, and elegant lines. While this style utilizes all sorts of materials, some especially common examples include aluminum and plywood. One advantage of the mid-century modern style is its flexibility, which allows pieces in this style to accent and complement virtually any room in the home.

Industrial

This time we’re going further back in history, past mid-century modern and all the way to the industrial era, where this style draws its inspiration from. Industrial decor — which is enjoying a huge popularity boom in bars, coffee shops, and restaurants all over the country right now — typically features elements like exposed brick, copper pipes, and weathered wood. Since it relies on basic, “bare-bones” design elements, industrial decor can take on a rustic feeling, which makes it a natural style partner for farmhouse decor (which we’ll get to in just a few minutes).

Bohemian

The dictionary gives synonyms like “offbeat,” “avant garde,” and “free-spirited” for the word “bohemian.” If that sounds like you, shouldn’t you express it in your style, too? Bohemian decor is the perfect channel for everything experimental, from natural textiles and animal hides to decorative tapestries and area rugs.

The key is to create a rich, inviting, yet informal atmosphere that welcomes guests and encourages great conversation. Plush textures, mood lighting, and earthy colors can help you capture the right spirit.

Shabby Chic

Think of shabby chic as bohemian’s thrifty, eco-conscious cousin. Shabby chic emphasizes furniture and decor that has a lived-in, aged, antique appearance, like a great vintage find from a thrift shop or flea market. The “chic” part comes in through textiles and colors — usually, but not always, pastels and light hues — which help elevate the pieces and give the room an overall richer feel.

Farmhouse

Remember when we said that farmhouse and industrial styles made the perfect pair? That’s because both lean heavily on naturalistic, pared-down design elements like wooden tables and shelving, making them easy to blend and integrate.

If the industrial style seems like it might be a little too “edgy” for the family home, the farmhouse style is a warm alternative. This timeless approach to design is all about bringing the calm and simplicity of nature into the home. Farmhouse style homes are full of floral accents, natural colors and fabrics, and creative arrangements of vases and pottery — just like you’d imagine from a peaceful, idyllic day in the countryside.

Get Modern Interior Style Ideas from My Design Finder

We hope this article has given you a few ideas to help make your design dreams a reality. For more design inspiration, head over to My Design Finder, which gives you beautiful interior design examples personalized to fit your style preferences. Then, ask the friendly team at Flooring America how we can help you transform your kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, or any other space in your home.

From stone and bamboo to carpet, vinyl, and beyond, we carry top-of-the-line home flooring products in dozens of colors and patterns to suit any taste. Contact us online to get started, or call Flooring America today at (866) 439-6743.

Visualize Your Flooring Dreams

Want a preview of how new floors will look in your home? Try our room visualizer, My Floor Style. Upload a photo of your room, select your style preferences, and get a virtual look at each different flooring style. With My Floor Style, there are no surprises. Only beautiful new floors.