One of the biggest struggles both the client and interior designer have to face during a renovation is not being able to communicate properly. This is in part due to the fact that clients have little to no technical knowledge of any design lingo, so they can never properly articulate what kind of a interior design styles they want to have in their homes. Everyone wants their home to look the absolute best! But how to bridge that gap between your designer and yourself in order to communicate properly?
Easy; educate yourself a little bit in their lingo so you can better know and tell what, how and where you want your dream home accoutrements to be!
Here’s a small crash course in all the prevailing interior design styles in both Singapore. Knowing these small essentials will help you go a long way from your starting point!
(1) Contemporary
The word ‘contemporary’ literally translates to ‘of the present.’ So the contemporary interior design styles emulate all the practices that are trending at the present moment. Many people confuse this style with modern, not knowing that they are distinctly different. Interior design and Singapore is chock-full of contemporary interior design trends. It’s ubiquitous, but many do not know its defining characteristics.
Here’s all you need to know: the contemporary style is fluid! It doesn’t have to be strictly formal and rigid like modernism. It can lean a little sideways to be flamboyant and even artsy. You can use green walls, indoor planters, accent laser lighting, unique lighting fixtures, vivid colors, graphic art and even accessories that make a bold statement to emulate the contemporary style in your interior design. Anything and everything that is trending in the here and now is relevant!
(2) Industrial
The industrial style emulates a warehouse-like aesthetic, which emphasizes raw materials and an artfully unfinished ambiance. Interior design in Singapore has become canny enough to emulate such an impactful style in residential settings.
You can evoke the industrial style in your interior design by following two simple rules; use materials with raw aesthetic, and an understated, dull color palate. The idea is to emphasize all of the raw finishes, so you can use exposed brick, hollowed-out ductwork in the ceiling and cement. Track lights and wooden accents are also a great way to imbue the industrial style.
(3) Scandinavian
The Modern Movement represented societies take on simplicity in the past, and the Scandinavian Style represents our take on simplicity now. This style is straightforward and undemanding – basic at its best. But still, there is a lot of thought that goes into designing an effortlessly Scandinavian style interior design.
Interior design in Singapore is dominantly leaning towards the Scandinavian style of interior design. This style is characterized by a few major points: all-white color palate with a small bit of contrast, light wooden floors, large window openings and understated furniture/accessories. You can even incorporate light distressed wood finishes, shag rugs and subtle metallic accents. The overall impact is elegant and understated.
(4) Shabby-Chic
Interior design in Singapore is quite all-encompassing, but the Shabby-Chic style has been decidedly prevalent. This style is characterized by soft, aesthetically worn-out furnishings that seem extremely vintage inspired – even though they are new most of the times. This style uses a light or pastel color palate that emphasizes the vintage charm of all the other features. Distressed finishes – paint, fabric, flooring, wallpapers and more – are also a key characteristic of this style. You can embellish the Shabby-Chic style with antique or vintage decoration pieces displayed in strategic corners around the room. a large amount of visual clutter is also appreciated.
(5) Minimalistic
Minimalism is not simply an interior design style, but also a way of life. It entails getting rid of the clutter in both your life and space for a better, more serene lifestyle. Therefore, a minimalist interior design focuses on simple, elegant materials that stand out on their own, regardless of the lack of ornamentation. These materials may feature matt, gloss or even smooth finishes. The color scheme is a mixture of light and earthy. Both of them combine to offer a beautiful visual contrast. Simple furniture with no decorative value is very much appreciated in this aesthetic. There is little to no ornamentation or accessories – if you don’t absolutely need it, then it shouldn’t be in the space after all. Add in large window portals that let in an ample amount of natural light and you’ll have a beautiful minimal interior of your very own.
Conclusion
If you sit down to compile a list of all existing interior design styles, then it could go on literally and figuratively forever. But since interior design in Singapore is pretty streamlined, a crash course in these few style would be enough to better your basic understanding.