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To be candid, it had never crossed my mind whether or not my personal interior design style would clash with the architecture of the building I lived in. A home is what you make of it, and I believe your true style will shine through any space regardless of how new or old it is. With that in mind, choose a house/apartment you are drawn to! For example, my current apartment building is a cream-colored 1941 Chateau in the Hollywood Hills with characteristics like a steeply pitched hipped roof, tall chimneys, rounded archways, and a brick exterior. The residents in the building have different interior styles, which vary as far as Traditional to Post Modern. I prefer older, historical buildings due to their charming characteristics, but I tend to have a more contemporary vision when I imagine my apartment's aesthetic.
My philosophy when mixing architecture and interior design styles is respecting the original characteristics that make the space unique and incorporating as many elements (like a fireplace, milk/mail slots, hardwood floors, trim work) into your design. I love the idea of giving new life to a historical place while still maintaining the space's integrity and bones. This question truly comes down to preference, so luckily, there is no right or wrong answer here. Matching the interior style to the home's architecture might feel like the right thing to do, but if you choose to mix and match styles, all the more power to you!
If you want to learn what architectural style your home is, check out this guide that goes into more depth on each style, or visit Spoak's free online design school. Now, let's explore a few types of architectural styles and interior styles that complement each other well to get our inspiration going!
A personal favorite and fascination of mine are the Victorian-style homes. They are so ornate and expressive with personality that you immediately are aware of their presence as soon as you come across one. San Francisco is home to many gorgeous Victorian homes, and over the years, they have transformed the interiors into something more modern and chic for the wealthy clientele that lives there. If you look across San Francisco's real estate market on Zillow or similar, you will almost always come across a contemporary designed Victorian home, like this one below!
This particular combination is still a trendy one in Los Angeles today. The Spanish-style homes made their full swing in the early 1930s as a successor to the Mission Revival style. At the time, Art Deco was a glamorized interior style that celebrated the Jazz Age with bright colors through tile, painted accents, and imported fabrics. When placed together, you get a truly one-of-a-kind space that feels so luxurious and filled with history.
Last New Years, I was fortunate to find this gem in Sedona, Arizona—an old A-Frame cabin turned into a cozy, Bohemian oasis that looked over a duck pond. I loved what the owners did with the place by making a nondescript cabin into one of the most sought-after Airbnbs in the area. Each piece in the home was carefully hand-picked to make the dreamy, bohemian vision come to life. Very Sedona-esque. Instead of rustic, log-cabin furniture, the exchange for pops of color and a multitude of textures brings a whole new life to this cabin. Lucky for you, it is still available to rent on Airbnb if you are planning a trip to Sedona soon!
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