The most popular interior trends across Europe

From Scandinavian to shabby chic, selecting the right interior décor design for your home is an important decision, especially since research by the Independent Network, powered by VEKA  found that it takes the average Brit just 38 seconds to judge your home. How our home is decorated shows the world who we are and what is important to us. It is an insight into our personalities and what defines us. 

The covid pandemic has meant more people are spending time at home. For many, it has been an opportunity to engage with DIY projects, including interior décor. 

But what are the most common interior design trends? Are more people looking for a contemporary feel to their homes, or something a little more rustic or vintage? 

With this in mind, the mortgage comparison experts at Uswitch were curious to find out which interior design trends are taking Europe by storm. By using the top 15 most pinned interior styles on Pinterest, and inserting them into the keyword tool on Google Adwords, yearly search volumes for each style were collected, in order to determine the most popular. 

The most popular interior styles across Europe  

Scandinavian 

Europeans are renowned for having beautiful homes and we can reveal that Scandinavian décor is Europe’s most on-trend interior style. With almost 530,000 total searches across the continent, this Nordic-inspired look is most popular in France, the Netherlands and Poland. 

With its practical functionality, and a minimalistic yet welcoming feel, it is little wonder that Scandinavian home décor is a popular choice for homeowners. According to Ikea, arguably the most iconic Scandinavian furniture store in the world, this interior style is built around three leading principles: simplicity, functionality and beauty. 

The French show the most interest in adopting this style to their homes. Searches hit 137,000 last year in France, representing a quarter of the total searches, with the Netherlands at 14% and Poland at just under 3%. 

Bohemian 

The second most popular interior style from our study is Bohemian, with over half a million searches. Often inspired by a lack of structure, Bohemian home décor is a blend of carefree patterns, textures and colours. It was most commonly searched for in Germany, with over 158,000 searches (representing almost a third of total searches for this style). 

A cluster of Scandinavian countries also occupy the results for the Boho interior design style. Finland leads the way, with just under 100,000 searches, followed by Sweden with just over 36,000.

Bohemian style interior design is also most commonly searched for in the United Kingdom (UK). Over 60,000 searches last year were looking for Boho vibes, centred around personal enjoyment and expression; the only rule being that there are no rules. 

Vintage

Vintage is the third most popular interior style from our study, with just under 400,000 searches last year. It is most commonly searched for in Hungary and Greece, yet combined this only equates to 5% of the total searches for this design style. 

Based around decorating your home with furnishings, accessories and colour palettes from an earlier time period, vintage home décor is most commonly searched for in France, with over 106,000 annual searches. 

Industrial

Sitting comfortably in fourth place is the industrial interior design style, with 382,000 total searches. Normally defined by the architectural features of a space, the industrial interior design style incorporates building materials into the room, with an open floor plan. According to our study, this style is most common across southern and western Europe, ranging from Italy with over 70,000 searches to Portugal with about 8,500. Combined, these countries account for almost 40% of the total industrial home décor searches. 

Rustic 

Rustic interior design represents a style that highlights natural, rugged beauty with a casual and aged vibe. Almost 190,000 searches took place last year for this design style, with Norway being the country where it featured as the highest result. 

More than 7,000 Norwegians searched for rustic home décor ideas, yet this was only 4% of the overall search volume; the most being in the UK with over 32,000 searches. 

Shabby chic 

In sixth place, and completing our study of most popular interior styles across Europe, is shabby chic. Over 162,000 searches took place last year for this style, which consists of furniture and furnishings that are chosen for their appearance of age, as well as evidence of wear and tear. 

This happens to be Switzerland’s most commonly searched design style, with over 11,600 searches last year (7% of total searches). Shabby chic is most popular in Germany, with over 36,000 searches (22% of total searches). 

Choosing the right interior trend for you

Mortgages expert, Florence Codjoe outlines what you need to think about when choosing an interior trend for your house:

Even though Scandinavian and bohemian interior design styles are leading the way across Europe, that does not mean it is the right choice for you. Vintage and industrial are increasingly becoming more popular, so the best thing you can do is consider different options before making your final choice. The beauty of it all is, this is your home, so there are no rules. Your interior styles should be a reflection of you and your personality. Other things to consider should be:

• Your budget - consider how much you can realistically spend before starting the project (you do not want to get part way through and realise you cannot afford to finish it)

• The space(s) you are working with - considering how much available space you have to work with, the amount of natural light it receives, and whether you need to prepare the space before any interior changes can be made. 

• What you already have to work with - maybe you already have items at your disposal that can be utilised in your chosen interior trend, or be upcycled into something new. This will also save you money in the long run.