Regional Home Décor
How styles differ by region and how best to tailor steel to each style.
Each region in the UK has its own preferences when it comes to home décor; the shopping trends vary from region to region. For example, the South West enjoying a coastal appearance, London preferring a traditional/vintage look, Scotland liking a scandi design, and the midlands choosing a modern glam look.
This article explains each style and how steel-framed glazing can be incorporated into each successfully. Steel has an array of benefits, both aesthetically and performance-based. The strength of steel allows for intricate designs, smaller sightlines, and larger amounts of glass in the frame. additionally, steel has a large range of finishes and colour options. Steel can be the perfect option for almost all glazing installations if designed correctly to complement the existing space.
South West – Coastal
The Southwest of the UK has a coastal style. Coastal décor is beach-inspired and relies on a soft neutral palette, with the addition of pale blues. It is also defined by incorporating driftwood and woven rattan furniture; striped details can be used simultaneously to create more of a comprehensive “beach” design.
Another defining feature of Coastal décor is the reliance on natural light; the design is bright, clean and creates the illusion of a larger space. In addition, there is a focus on the use of natural colours, fabrics and designs.
Incorporating steel-framed installations into this type of design would require the use of large panes of glass; glazing bars would not be present. As coastal décor focuses on natural colours and light, there are two main options to integrate steel successfully; the first would be to have minimal sightlines allowing for more glass in the frame. The Second would be choosing a neutral RAL powder paint coating for the frame so that the colour can match the room’s interior design.
London – Traditional
The traditional style takes cues from the 18th and 19th centuries; it incorporates furniture that reflects historical design elements using natural materials and colours, with warmer, darker tones. It is elegant, trying to highlight many of the most desirable styles that have existed throughout history. Regularly looking busy, the traditional design takes this inspiration from the Victorian era’s desire for decorative items as it reflected status. Large, heavy curtains are a classic design choice in traditional designs.
Using steel frames in traditional homes will bring natural light into the darker space; as the design is busier, it allows the brightness to protrude into the space and open up the area. Lead glazing bars were originally used in windows as the glass panes could not be made very large due to the way glass windows were manufactured. Steel glazing bars imitate the lead glazing bars, breaking up the windows creating a more traditional appearance; these could be implemented. Using a dark RAL colour would benefit create a seamless transition from the traditional design of the room to the windows and doors.
Scotland – Scandi
Scandi style is shortened, meaning Scandinavian style. The main features that define Scandinavian style are muted, light colours, natural materials, clean lines and organic shapes. The use of Scandinavian style results in the space appearing brighter, lighter and overall, more sophisticated. The use of light colours throughout the room allows for the illusion of a much larger space; the light can flow into the space and reflect off of the lighter coloured walls.
Interior steel framed partitions or windows/doors would fit well into this type of design because steel’s strength allows for large panes of glass and significantly smaller sightlines. The large panes of glass would elevate the level of light able to enter to room, working in conjunction with the light, mute colours to create an open and bright space.
The benefit of using steel is that there are almost endless options for the RAL powder paint. The array of choices available means that it can be tailored to the pre-existing Scandi-style throughout the rest of the property.
Midlands – Modern Glam
Modern glam is a toned-down version of Hollywood glam or Hollywood Regency style; it is less dramatic whilst having contemporary features and detailing. Most commonly, the furniture will have a minimalist twist with glam detailing. The use of jewel colours and gold accents are very common, as is the use of symmetry. The materials used are velvet, satin and silks; the texture is an essential feature of modern glam. The modern design aspects would be monochromatic colour schemes, clean lines, a significant amount of white space and geometrical designs.
As minimalist design is a prominent feature within the modern glam style, one way to compliment this style would be to maintain the minimalist theme with the steel-framed windows and doors. Large panes of glass with minimal sightlines would benefit the pre-existing design, allowing for a bright, open space.
Mondrian Glazing is passionate about creating bespoke, exceptional glazing solutions for both residential and commercial projects internationally. If you are interested in steel-framed glass installations for interior or exterior use, then please get in touch with the sales team at Mondrian today.