I know you’ve heard the words “mid-century modern” and “farmhouse” thrown around many times before, but what exactly are furniture styles and what do they mean? Should you sell that fabulous vintage armoire your grandmother gave you if your home is sleek and modern in fear that it won’t “fit in”?
Unfortunately for you, there’s no hard and fast rule when it comes to mixing styles of furniture in your home. Luckily for you, mixing furniture styles isn’t just okay, it’s the norm.
When buying furniture, it’s helpful to have different types of styles that you like and work well together in mind before driving to your local showroom. To help you out, here are 6 of the most popular furniture styles today.
The Six Unique Furniture Styles
1. Rustic Style
If rugged with a hint of country charm appeals to you, rustic is probably your dream style. Characterized by traditionally shaped pieces with a focus on wood and natural beauty, rustic embodies everything that you love about the outdoors.
Natural elements such as stone fireplaces and log accent walls can be found in many rustic homes and cabins. Don’t worry though, you won’t have to go deep into the woods to bring this style into your suburban home.
Pieces like the one above bring the country to you, with charming patterns embedded into a gorgeous rustic wood dresser.
2. Modern Style
Modern and contemporary may be used interchangeably, but there are more differences between the two than meet the eye. Modern styles are typically more monochromatic and favor strong lines than their contemporary counterparts.
Modern doesn’t necessarily mean “new”, as most people think. When it comes to furniture and homes, modern is a unique style that flawlessly incorporates clean lines and eliminates visual clutter in the space.
The dresser above is modern with sleek lines and simple hardware that stands out. This could go well in any space that needs something with a bit of flair that won’t be too overpowering.
3. Industrial Style
As long as exposed brick and reclaimed wood are popular, industrial styles are here to stay. It became popular when more and more people began moving into lofts with exposed elements, and industrial styles showed the bones of the place you’re living in and made them the star.
Heavy wood and metals are extremely typical of industrial pieces of furniture. Though the elements that make up these pieces are very visually dominating, industrial homes tend not to have a lot of visual clutter. You won’t typically see your mom’s nick-nacks taking up the space on industrial-style shelves.
Though seemingly simple, the shelf above shows complexity in the bent legs and worn wood. Industrial pieces aren’t typically ornate, but they have personality in the materials they’re made of.
4. Art Deco Style
Art Deco was popular during the Roaring 20s, but elements from this overly decorated and ornate era can be found anywhere. Though many residential homes are not completely dominated by the Art Deco style today, you can bring elements of Art Deco into your home through a variety of accent pieces.
Mixed metals and intricate designs are what Art Deco is all about. If you find a piece that feels larger than life and steals the show, chances are you’ve happened upon something reminiscent of this style.
The chest above is the perfect mix of modern industrial and classic art deco. If you’re looking for a perfect conversation starter, this is it.
5 Mid-Century Modern Style
On the complete opposite end of the decorative spectrum as Art Deco, mid-century modern reigns. This style is characterized by simple clean lines, angular forms, and oftentimes clashing materials.
If mid-century modern is used exclusively in a home that’s not from the ’50s or ’60s, mid-century modern may seem a bit dated in the space. This is an excellent style to mix and match with modern or vintage (or both!) pieces.
6. Farmhouse Style
Have you heard of Chip and Joanna Gaines? They’ve taken farmhouse style to the next level and have slapped all of Waco in the process. Because of them, farmhouse-style homes and furniture have exploded in popularity over the last few years.
The classic farmhouse style is characterized by light linen beiges and whites and distressed woods. If you imagine a rustic cabin-style home with a modern approach, you’ve found farmhouse style.
Most farmhouse homes are dominated by neutrals, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add a pop of personality to your design. The console above would fit perfectly into any farmhouse home while acting as a focal point for space.
Though there are dozens of furniture styles, but this list is a great start to showing you what’s out there and how you can mix and match them to make your home your home.
Which one of the styles above is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below.