Style is elusive. Fashions change. Your likes and dislikes change. Even the language used to define style is unreliably subjective (what's contemporary to some may be high-tech, industrial or post-modern to others). To help you define, refine, confirm or otherwise illuminate your style—as well as to ensure that we're all using the same language—we've assembled some popular favorites here.
Similar Styles:
Folk, Americana, American Colonial, American Federal, American CountryDistinguishing Details:
Simple, nostalgic designs that draw inspiration from American history and culture. Rooms are warm and comfortable, and are decorated with American antiques, crafts and collectables, and distressed pine and oak finishes.Look For:
Simple elegance: aluminum blinds or wood shutters; honeycomb or pleated shades; shadings, sheers or louvers with natural-looking fabric.
Similar Styles:
Cottage, FarmhouseDistinguishing Details:
Relaxed designs that feature easy lines and offer a comfortable way of living in stylish simplicity. Rooms are airy and spacious, and furniture ranges from comfy down-filled couches and chairs to wood furniture - both hand-painted and unadorned.Look For:
Stylish simplicity: aluminum blind or wood shutter; honeycomb or pleated shade; shading, sheer or louver with natural-looking fabric.
Similar Styles:
Modern, Minimalist, ScandinavianDistinguishing Details:
A fresh, uncluttered design sensibility that places a priority on functionality and comfort. Clean lines dominate with experimental uses of materials; concrete, man-made materials, glass, natural and unique wood species, metal, and textiles.Look For:
Understated, clean design: aluminum blinds; simple shade, shading, sheer or louver.
Similar Styles:
Creative, Personal, GlobalDistinguishing Details:
Japanese minimalism with American contemporary. Art Deco with French country. Flea market retro with modern. However you mix and match styles, these rooms reflect your unique design sensibility - and personal collecting style. Intimate, thoughtful and thoroughly personal.Look For:
Bold designs (brightly colored blinds, shades, shadings, sheers or louvers) when you want the window treatment to be the room’s chief attraction, understated designs (simple blinds, shutters, shades, shadings, sheers or louvers) when you want to highlight other furnishings.
Similar Styles:
Italian Villa, Spanish Hacienda, Mediterranean, Irish Cottage, English Country, French CountryDistinguishing Details:
Old World charm dominates this design style. Decorative touches may include plush area rugs, hand-painted, antique armoires, and ornately detailed textiles.Look For:
You’ll want to let lots of light into these warm, open interior spaces: shades, shadings, sheers and louvers will accommodate that goal. If your room’s design is more country than European, consider the more informal, organic look of a wood shutter or woven wood shade.
Similar Styles:
Regency Period, VictorianDistinguishing Details:
Elegant and ordered, this design style is characterized by antique furnishings, marble or wood floorings, ornate surface treatments, formal fabrics, decorative wallpapers and heirlooms glowing with the patina of history.Look For:
The elegant and ornate: pleated, honeycomb, Roman or woven wood shade; sheer, shading or louver with formal fabric; wood shutters.
Similar Styles:
Lodge, High Mountain, Ranch, Country Tuscan, Arts & Crafts, Shaker, Craftsman, MissionDistinguishing Details:
Craftsmanship, and simple lines form lovely, harmonious interiors. Generally natural and earthy (think wood floors, exposed beams and roof timbers, flagstone fireplaces, iron hardware, and sheepskin rugs).Look For:
No-frills and natural: wood blinds or shutters; woven wood shades (created from reeds, bamboos and grasses)
Similar Styles:
Classic, Queen Anne, Georgian Revival, VictorianDistinguishing Details:
Grand, distinct designs influenced by Greek and Roman styles and characterized by sophisticated luxury. Emphasis is on timeless and classic materials from marble flooring and finely carved wood furniture and surfaces, to gilded silver and gold leaf mirrors and Oriental rugs.Look For:
Sophisticated luxury: A blind or wood shutter; honeycomb, pleated or Roman shade; shading, sheer or louver with richly colored or textured fabric.
Similar Styles:
Classic Contemporary, Simple EleganceDistinguishing Details:
A bridge between contemporary and traditional and characterized by design simplicity with a refined style.
