5 Neoclassical Interior Design Ideas To Give Your Home An Elegant Makeover

by Mehnaz Farooque | February 29, 2024 | 6 mins read

Neoclassical design is all about understated luxury

Bring home tasteful classic interiors with these Neoclassical interior design ideas

If you love muted colour schemes, elegant furniture pieces and clean design lines, you’re a fan of neoclassical interior design. As the name suggests, Neoclassical is a rendition of classic and archaic interior styles with modern sensibilities. The neoclassical style of design emerged as a trend during the 18th and 19th centuries in Europe and some parts of America. Back then, the neoclassical style interior was popular with the rich class of people who preferred simple but impressionistic designs over opulent interiors which were dominant at the time.

Since then, the archaic neoclassical interior design has never been out of fashion. It has time and again proved its timelessness with, of course, the modern and contemporary interpretations of designers. Today, the neoclassical decorating style remains one of the most sophisticated interior design themes that is surprisingly still relevant to modern-age people.

So, what makes neoclassical interiors still pertinent in the industry? The main reasons are:

– Neoclassical interiors imbue a sense of simplicity similar to contemporary designs

– Neoclassical interior design exhibits the use of a lot of natural materials like stones and marble, which are quite relevant to new-age natural design themes

– Neoclassical interiors echo a relaxed and comfortable ambience – loved by modern-age homeowners

Thus, you can see how this old-school thought of design holds the essence of modern interiors, making it one of the most sought-after interior design themes. If you are thinking of getting a neoclassical interior design for your home, here are some striking features of the style to help you achieve the ageless interiors in modern times.

1. Neoclassical Interiors Are All About Muted Colours

Wherever you see neoclassical interior designs, you will notice that the design theme epicentres a collection of muted and calming colour palettes. Cream, grey, blue, yellow and green are usually the go-to neoclassical interior colours for homes. You can also use mild metallic colours for the design theme. Neoclassical interiors also use accent colours in black, red, gold and silver. Beige is a great neoclassical interior colour. You will spot beige as a popular colour choice for hotels with neoclassical interior themes. The best way to maintain a pure neoclassical interior design is to choose the muted forms of sober colours to exhibit effortlessness. If you are going for accent wall designs in your neoclassical living room, you can also add a twist to the walls with floral art. 

Neoclassical interior are all about muted colours which is all about understated luxury
Muted colours define neoclassical interior design

2. Neoclassical Interior Design Features Simple And Symmetrical Furniture

The main difference between neoclassical interior design and other contemporary designs of that time is the simplicity of the furniture pieces. Unlike its counterpart design themes, a neoclassical interior brought to life clean and symmetrical furniture designs. It deviated from the then-popular decorative and heavy furniture designs like sofas with carved legs and ornate chairs. Neoclassical furniture designs are very similar to modern-age minimalistic designs. You will see many elegant and geometrical furniture pieces like armed upholstered sofas, French chairs, dark wood low coffee tables, classic upholstered headboards and rectangular wooden beds.

Ancient Greece and Rome highly inspire neoclassical interior design elements. So the interior design theme shows basic geometrical shapes with clean and straight design lines. Furniture legs are straight with proper symmetrical designs. Neoclassical furniture is usually made of wood or metal with high-quality upholsteries. 

Neoclassical interior design ideas for your home
Neoclassical interiors with modern furniture

3. Neoclassical Interiors Exhibit A Lot Of Natural Materials

From wood to stones, you will see a lot of natural materials in neoclassical interior designs. For furniture, you can go with dark and light hardwood and maybe metallic chairs at times. Marble white floorings and stone top tables are really common in this design theme. Although the neoclassical theme uses natural building materials like stones and marble, it exhibits a very exquisite lavishness in its designs. So, you can go for a lot of white marble and medium toned hardwood furniture to keep the polished and shiny design sensibilities of neoclassicism. In terms of decorative element materials, neoclassical designs exhibit a lot of porcelain, ormolu and silver. In neoclassical designs, you would also see a lot of exposed metallic work in furniture pieces like vintage-style armchairs and mirror frames. 

Neoclassical interior designs that comprises lot of natural materials
Neoclassical kitchen with a white marble countertop

4. Neoclassical Interiors Use Luxurious Decorative Elements

Neoclassical interior design is all about the elegant lavishness that comes with detailed designs. Although decorative and vintage-styled, neoclassical designs don’t use opulent themes. So, if you are following a neoclassical design theme for your house, make sure you are not overwhelming the place with heavy vintage decorations. Try to go with selectively antique motifs that are lavish but not loud. You would see neoclassical interiors with a lot of decorative motifs, out of which floral designs are the most common. You can use floral ornate wallpaper designs, oriental pattern rugs, floral upholsteries in sofas, bedcovers and headboards. You would also notice that neoclassical designs incorporate many Turkish style urns, jugs and statues that reveal the classic era of when it first emerged. 

You can also go for golden copper decorative elements like painting frames and large mirrors. Golden or bronze vintage metal chandeliers are an important neoclassical interior design for living room ceilings

Neoclassical interior designs that comprises luxurious decorative elements
Neoclassical interiors feature lavish accessories

5. Wall Mouldings Are An Essential Element of Neoclassical Interior Design

You must have noticed that all neoclassical interior designs exhibit decorative wall and ceiling mouldings. A common design is beautiful floral mouldings that mark the transition from ceilings to walls. These are known as crown mouldings and are very common in neoclassical interiors. This interior design theme also includes a lot of elegant mouldings as window and door casings. These mouldings usually have a white colour scheme to distinguish the designs. However, you can also go with the other light colour choices. Mouldings also appear in neoclassical furniture like cupboards, staircases and beds. 

Neoclassical interior designs that exhibit ceiling mouldings
Wall and ceiling mouldings are a must-have element
Lets plan your home interiors together, speak to designers now

Remember, neoclassical interiors bring magnificent sensibilities but with a relaxed and calm design theme. So, go for the right colour schemes and the appropriate furniture designs to portray the design theme’s elegant subtlety. And if you need professional assistance to design your neoclassical home, write to us today!

If you enjoyed reading about neoclassical interior design ideas, also explore modern classical interior design ideas.

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Mehnaz Farooque is a content writer at designcafe

Mehnaz Farooque

Mehnaz is a creative content writer at Design Cafe who is often found obsessing over Ghalib's Urdu poetry or J.K.Rowling's books. She believes in this world of social assumptions and opinions, memes are the only way to make life better. Her love for detailing inspired her to write about interior design. If not working on a blog or binging on her favourite show F.R.I.E.N.D.S, she's dreaming about spending time in the mountains.

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