Hello friends! Kicking things off this week, I am super excited to talk a bit about transitional design and decor. This is not only one of the most popular interior design styles out there but also my personal favourite. I get asked pretty regularly about what transitional style is, how to make it work in clients’ space and general inquiries looking for tips, tricks and inspiration.
In the simplest sense, transitional style is a charming mix of both contemporary and traditional design elements. It creates a slightly more inviting space without sacrificing any of the elegance and sophistication of the other styles. It seamlessly blends curved and straight lines, textured and smooth finishes to create a timeless design that is equally masculine and feminine. Despite being a mesh of design styles, it’s not a chaotic mess. Transitional style is orderly, clean and uncomplicated, creating an overall sense of uncluttered sophistication.
Here are 5 things to keep in mind when designing your transitional space:
1. Colour:
Keep your overall colour scheme neutral and let the lines of the furniture pieces become the focal point. The lack of strong colour gives the room a clean, calm quality that lends a sense of harmony to the space. For years our neutrals were mainly taupes, tans and vanilla. Although these colours are still great options, there has been a significant trend towards grey as the new neutral. For anyone still leery of grey, remember it comes in a multitude of shades. Warm grey options are best for those wanting to avoid cold and stark interiors. Dark brown or black are great contrasting colours to punctuate the space.
via idealhome.co.uk
via Houzz.com
2. Furniture:
Transitional style furniture incorporates both curved and straight lines in its pieces to create a balanced contemporary look. It embraces a blend of masculine and feminine elements with a focus on classic, uncomplicated design and simple sophistication. The size of the furnishings is an important consideration, selecting pieces that are sufficiently sized for the room but that won’t overwhelm the space. Furnishings do not have ornate decoration which keeps the focus of the design on its simplicity.
via freshhome.com
3. Lighting:
Transitional light fixtures are simple and sophisticated, mimimalistic but still practical. This lighting style tends to be less ornate than traditional fixtures but not as streamlined as modern ones. Lighting mimics the blend of curved and straight lines seen in transitional furniture design. Finishes range from metallic and glass to fabric and wood. Neutral fabric is used in transitional lighting design to add texture and a sense of comfort to a space.
via Teal Door Decor
4. Fabrics and finishes:
Incorporating a variety of textural elements such as wood, glass, high gloss finishes, fabric and metal gives transitional design its sense of variety. With an overall neutral palette, adding interesting and contrasting textures gives the decor a sense of depth. Common fabrics in transitional spaces include ultra suedes, chenilles and leather. Sometimes juxtaposing fabric textures or using a fabric in an unexpected way can add visual interest to the room.
5. Accessories:
Overall accessorizing is kept to a minimum with transitional design. By adding purposeful design details with furnishings and fabrics, additional accessories are few and far between. The few pieces that may be added to complete the transitional decor would continue to offer texture and contrast with finishes such as metallics, glass and mirrored surfaces. An impactful art piece can be selected to add a finishing touch, but a single larger piece works better than several smaller ones.
via Fresh Home
What’s your favourite element of transitional design? Shoot me a comment below, I’d love to hear from you.