How to achieve popular interior design looks

What sort of home design style is for you? A quick snapshot of some of today's most popular looks and furniture styles may help you decide.

Whether you like old-world clutter or sleek clean lines, there are stylish interior designs to suit everyone:

Cottage style - Taking a cue from 'shabby chic', with its use of recycled furniture, cottage home style can take many forms but it is predominantly eclectic, with a 'lived-in' look that is comfortable and welcoming. Pretty floral prints, gingham and linen fabrics, pale colours, wooden or tiled floors, rugs and hand-painted furniture items and accessories are all signature motifs of this style.

French provincial - The French provincial interior design style is characterised by a rustic, old-world charm that easily mixes formal and informal elements. Although we can't all have stone or parquet floors, we can have furnishings made of rusted metals or natural materials such as recycled timbers with an aged quality. To decorate, think blue and white china and crystal pieces and rough-stained, painted plaster walls.

Retro style - Retro interior home design features sleek furniture style that incorporates low-slung shapes, and the natural materials and clean lines of Danish design. The cool style of the first half of the century produced decor with more emphasis on fun, typified by bright colours and contrasting fabrics and textures. Think shag-pile carpets, solid blocks of colour, smooth plastics and crushed velvets.

Contemporary or minimalist style - The hallmark of contemporary home styling is in its simplicity, its subtle sophistication and bold structural elements. There is a freshness that comes with clean lines, an emphasis on tonal colour palettes and a minimal use of space. Showcasing space rather than things means doing away with florals, ruffles and fringes, getting rid of the clutter and keeping surfaces clear.

Asian style - Asian home design strives to achieve a style of serenity through simple, clean lines. There is the minimalism of Japanese design and furniture style - featuring wooden chests, tatami mats and shoji screens - or the bright, bold styling of Chinese reds and golden urns. While Balinese pieces are now common in many homes, Asian design also makes use of local crafts such as lacquerware and stonework.

Mediterranean style - Like southern Europe, this home interior design style is relaxed, using the colours of the region, such as cornflower blues, soft purples, yellows and reds. The furniture is predominantly pine, with large plank-style dining tables that seat a lot of guests. Other features include colourful Spanish-style mosaics, terracotta floors and simple rugs.

For your own home design, talk to a local furniture retailer about furniture designs and styles to suit your tastes: