What is My Style Type?

Understanding your style type is a great way to help you as you decorate your home.  With this guide, you should be able to easily distinguish different features of the most common furniture styles. You might also discover your decorating preferences. There are tons of style types out there, and while we could delve into all of the little details, we want to keep this simple and straightforward for you by highlighting the popular ones.

Traditional Style Type

This is a style full of history. It takes its inspiration from the ornate details of the Victorian and Edwardian periods. Traditional furniture will showcase dark wood finishes, straightened lines, tapered legs, intricate patterns, and scallop or shell designs. If a piece is upholstered, the fabric is usually a luxe option with rich designs. The most iconic Traditional pieces are the claw-footed table and bathtub. This style feels formal and elegant and fits best in older manors and townhouses built before the 1950s. Furniture in this style is still being manufactured today, but there are still many antiques and family heirlooms that have stood the test of time in appearance and durability.

Mission

Mission furniture was made in the late 1800s as a protest to the opulence of Traditional styles. This style contains a little more bulk, simple edges and lines, 90-degree angles, and exposed joints. While it doesn’t quite fit the model of minimalism, it’s probably the best furniture for someone who likes the in-between. This is a style that wants to be functional while still maintaining sturdy elegance. It’s a style that keeps returning in trends every couple of decades due to its charm and practicality.

Shaker

If you like a more simple style with less bulk than the Mission style, you might want to consider Shaker furniture. This style is meant to draw attention to the wood used to make each piece. Shaker pieces will sport wooden knobs, there is very little ornamentation, gentle sweeping curves, and tapered legs. Usually, Shaker furniture is made in lighter, warm-toned stains to brighten a room. This furniture is great for those who like to have simple wooden textures as the main component in their home.

Industrial

The Industrial style highlights a raw and unfinished look. When taken to its full potential, homes that utilize this style often exude a luxury warehouse sort of feel. Bricks, metals, and woods are the main materials for the Industrial style enthusiast and it looks great paired with hanging greenery. This style is well-suited for those who have an open-concept home and love to DIY and repurpose items.

Rustic

This style was popular for most of the 2010s and has seen different resurgences throughout history. Rustic furniture is often associated with cabins, farmhouses, and countryside getaways. It is a style that highlights textures like rough-sawn wood and stone. These pieces look great paired with earthy colors, distressed finishes, leathers, furs, and metals. One trend coming from this style is Reclaimed Barnwood furniture. The rustic style tends not to reflect the word “elegant” but it is beautiful in its reflection of the natural world and blocky shapes.

Modern

This specific style is a wide umbrella for many subset styles, so there is a lot of room for creativity. Modern furniture was loosely inspired by the Art Deco style of the 20s and 30s. It first saw a rise in America after World War II and continued to be popular until the 70s. Today, it continues to evolve from the designs of that era.  Modern furniture took the simplicity of Shaker and Mission furniture and added bold geometric shapes, mixed materials, strong lines, and sweeping curves. It involves smooth textures, neutral tones with pops of color, and minimizing surface area.

If you think Modern furniture reflects your style, we encourage you to explore some of its subsets: Mid-Century Modern, Minimalist, and Contemporary.

Like to mix things up? You might have a Transitional or Eclectic style type.

These styles are for those who don’t feel at home using just one of these styles. If you have a Transitional style, you’re someone who likes to mix Contemporary furniture and Traditional pieces and create harmony between classic and modern aesthetics. Transitional homes magnify simple lines and neutral colors.

If you think you have an Eclectic style, you probably favor a specific theme but have a strong desire to showcase components of multiple styles and materials. Like those who enjoy the Industrial style, you might enjoy repurposing and making the decor in your home. You might also be someone who likes to pieces from different time periods because you see their character. Many modern eclectic homes sport pops of vibrant colors and textures. However, if you’d rather mix pastels and vintage pieces into your home, you might want to consider exploring the mix-and-match style of Shabby-Chic.

Your Style is What You Make of It.

While there are definitive guidelines for every furniture style, you should feel free to explore the creative options that speak to you. Whether you fit into a specific style box or not, we hope this guide has helped you discover at least one style type you like and the ones you don’t. We’d even like to help you find specific pieces and styles that you’re looking for. Here at Amish Outlet Store, we have a wide variety of styles for you to choose from. You can browse by Room Type, or simply use a direct search on our site and find the styles that reflect your personality.