Selecting Decor - Decorating Plan - Maintenance - Atmosphere - Space - Lifestyle - Mood - Size - Color - Pattern - Texture - Fiber/Density
Country - Rustic
Colors: Bright and clear. No subtle shadings here.
Patterns: Primitive or naive. Bright flowery peasant motifs are fun too.
Textures: Rough or bold. The rougher and more unrefined, the more rustic. The floor covering might have a handmade look. You could use hooked or braided rugs.
Informal
Colors: Bright with strong contrasts. Strong colors go well with the natural-looking textures of informal furnishings.
Pattern: The size of the design should fit proportionately with the size of the room and its furnishings, but on the whole, small motifs seem more informal.
Textures: Uneven or un-shiny. Texture is a great determinant of informality. Textures in an informal room tend to be natural and unpolished. They tend to have uneven surfaces, or look like they have uneven surfaces. In terms of carpeting, this might mean you select a multi-level loop style, or a pebbly-looking level loop or cut Frieze. A carpeting colored with various shades does not look uniform. Mottled colorations or tweedy effects even on smooth surfaces give an informal ambience.
Semi-Formal
Colors: Colors are neither super-bright, nor super-subtle. If bright, bold colors are informal, and pale, subtle colors are formal, then those colors in the middle are semi-formal.
Patterns: Most patterns are semiformal. Except for the most powerful and primitive and the most subtle and sophisticated, the majority of patterns can be considered semiformal.
Textures: Textures are neither especially rough nor smooth. To achieve a semiformal effect, textures can be modestly uneven or dimensional. They can be simply smooth without being especially lustrous. Rug and carpet surfaces may be smooth or carved in patterns.
Formal
Colors: Soft, pale colors are beautiful with fine furniture, and they won't upstage it! Another way to go, if you want drama (as Napoleon did) is to choose rich jewel tones.
Patterns: Patterns may be large in scale, delicately drawn, crafted by hand, or made of luxurious materials. Most formal patterns are extravagant in some way. Some types of designs have a classically formal feeling. This is true of damask and brocade fabrics, Aubusson and Savonnerie rugs, most Oriental rugs, as well as most fine-patterned porcelain.
Textures: In a formal room, textures are basically smooth and shiny. Soft, smooth surfaces in general create a luxurious comfort quotient. Imagine deep pile rugs, generous upholstered pieces, fabric on the walls. These soft surfaces also absorb sound and give a feeling of privileged privacy. Flat rich rugs like Orientals, needlepoint, and flat furs are less warm and comforting, but they are still extremely formal.
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