3 Global Interior Design Styles

Jumping on a plane to visit your favorite international destination isn’t always an option. But you can turn your home into a global getaway by incorporating principles of global interior design. This style involves using style elements from your favorite cultures and places to give your home an international feel.

Global Interior Design: What Does It Look Like?

The short answer is: it’s up to you! You can focus on one specific country or culture as inspiration for your entire home. Conversely, you can combine several for a totally unique look. Whether you choose to blend styles within each room or separate rooms by theme, experiment with different elements, items, and colors to build your bespoke style.

Global Interior Design Style Examples

Even the most creative and imaginative people need some inspiration from time to time. If you want to add some global flair to your home but aren’t sure about where to start, use these ideas to get your creative gears turning!

1. French Style

French style is timeless, elegant, and classy. Think pastel colors, floral patterns, and ornate detailing with feminine accents. French-style homes are often filled with elaborate, timeless furniture, classic lighting such as chandeliers and sconces, and classy architectural elements like crown moldings or ceiling medallions.

Decor-wise, you can add elements of French style to your home through artwork, wall coverings, accent lighting, and wall hangings. There is some crossover between French-style interior design and shabby chic style, so you can mix both for a rustic but classy look. Here are a few France-inspired decor items to help you capture this beloved interior design style.

2. Asian Style

The next global interior design style is inspired by dynasties, emperors, and dragons. It features striking colors that signify loyalty (purple) and power (red), along with natural elements like wood and stone.

Asian interior design is also known for being intricate and elaborate. It’s full of rich imagery inspired by nature, animals, and folklore. Some artwork may feature Chinese characters or other symbolic features.

You can embrace this global interior design style by displaying Asian-inspired wall art or furniture that has an oriental flair.

3. Mediterranean Style

Mediterranean style evokes images of deep blue seas, a rugged coastline, and breezy seaside towns. This global interior design style includes lots of warm tones, like orange, red, beige, and brown with dramatic accents of blue or green. It incorporates natural and rustic elements like wood, brick, clay, and stone.

The Mediterranean region includes countries like Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, and Malta. Since this part of the world tends to stay warm year-round, the Mediterranean style evokes an indoor/outdoor living situation with lots of natural light, greenery, and fresh elements.

If you want to capture the Mediterranean style in your home, consider these decor examples.

Choosing the Right Global Interior Design Style for Your Home

Picking the right global style for your home can be a challenge, especially if you enjoy multiple styles. The good news is that there are no hard and fast rules – you can mix and match styles, draw inspiration from all kinds of sources, and blend decor items in a way that’s fresh and authentic.

However, if you want to settle on one style but can’t determine what’s best for your space, think about the following points:

• What style appeals to you or “speaks” to you the most?
• Is there a certain style that transports you to a place that you love?
• Are there influences in your family, culture, or past that draw you to a certain style?

By asking yourself the right questions, you’ll have no trouble figuring out which style is best for your home.