26 terms, by kind
Movement15
A declared movement with an art-historical record behind it. A disagreement about its edges is a disagreement about that record, and is settled by meaning it.
Minimalism
Minimalist interior defined by what has been taken out: unbroken wall planes, no skirting or trim, concealed frames and fixings, storage vanished into flush joinery, empty surface treated as a material rather than as space left over
Modernism
Modernist interior with the plan running free beneath its frame, columns standing clear of the walls they no longer carry, a window banding horizontally across a facade holding no load, volumes cantilevered out over open ground, ornament argued out of the building rather than simply left off
Mid-Century Modern
Mid-century modern interior with teak and walnut furniture, Eames chairs, organic curves, warm wood panelling, terrazzo floors, statement pendant lights, Scandinavian influence, bold geometric textiles, open shelving, vintage design classics
Neoclassical
Neoclassical interior governed by the orders: engaged columns and pilasters carrying a full entablature, dentil and egg-and-dart enrichment, a pedimented overdoor, compartmented or coffered ceiling, rooms set out to whole-number proportions and mirrored about a central axis
Gothic
Gothic interior with pointed arches, rib vaulting, tracery, vertical emphasis, stone mullions, stained glass, structure expressed as ornament
Art Deco
Art Deco interior with stepped geometric forms, lacquered surfaces, brass and mirror inlay, fluted detailing, marquetry, bold contrasting stone, 1920s and 1930s luxury materials worked into machine-age shapes
Brutalism
Brutalist interior with board-marked in-situ concrete left as struck, heavy monolithic massing, deep window reveals, exposed services, raw unfinished surfaces treated as the finish
Critical Regionalism
Critical regionalist building with modernist form inflected by local climate and craft, locally quarried stone or timber, deep shading responses, tectonic expression resisting placelessness
Postmodernism
Postmodern interior with historical quotation used knowingly, oversized classical mouldings in unexpected color, laminate and terrazzo, split pediments, ornament readmitted as commentary
Deconstructivism
Deconstructivist interior with fragmented geometry, non-parallel planes, apparent structural instability, sharp intersecting volumes, surfaces that refuse to meet at right angles
Parametricism
Parametric interior with continuously varied surfaces, ruled geometry, seamless composite panelling, no repeated module, form generated by rule rather than composed element by element
High-Tech
High-tech interior with exposed structural steel and services celebrated as the architecture, industrial precision, gantries and trusses, glass and polished metal, engineering as finish
Rationalism
Rationalist interior with strict geometric order, typological clarity, travertine and plaster, repeated square openings, Italian interwar and Tendenza discipline
Constructivism
Constructivist interior with dynamic diagonal composition, exposed structural drama, primary color on structural members, industrial glazing, early Soviet avant-garde geometry
Organic Modernism
Organic modernist interior with continuous curved walls, cantilevered planes following the site, board-formed concrete meeting rough stone, timber ceilings, building and ground treated as one material idea
Market idiom7
A category the trade converged on, defined by resemblance to central cases and by nothing else. There is no manifesto to appeal to, and asking for necessary and sufficient conditions misunderstands it.
Contemporary
Contemporary interior with clean unornamented lines, flush cabinetry, large-format tile, neutral palette with a single accent, recessed lighting, current rather than period-referencing
Industrial
Industrial interior with exposed brick walls, steel beams, concrete floors, factory windows, metal shelving, Edison bulbs, leather furniture, raw surfaces, converted warehouse or loft space, utilitarian aesthetic
Maximalism
Bold maximalist interior with rich colors, statement art, mixed patterns, velvet upholstery, lacquered surfaces, decorative objects, gallery walls, patterned rugs, brass accents, eclectic furniture mixing periods and styles
Eclectic
Eclectic interior mixing periods and idioms by intent, a mid-century chair against a Georgian fireplace, contemporary art over antique joinery, the mixing itself legible as the method
Transitional
Transitional interior with period silhouettes stripped of ornament, a shaker-fronted kitchen in a flat color, classical proportion in contemporary materials, the deliberate midpoint between traditional and contemporary
Japandi
Japandi interior with low platform furniture in pale oak and black-stained ash, paper and linen shades, a single ceramic vessel on a plain shelf, walls in warm off-white lime, floors in light timber, and every surface left with its natural grain and no pattern
Bohemian
Bohemian interior with layered rugs from several traditions, collected textiles, low seating, plants at every level, macrame and rattan, mismatched cushions, objects accumulated rather than chosen as a set
Tradition4
A vernacular practice, defined by what is done rather than by what was declared.
Traditional
Traditional English country house interior with layered patterns, chintz fabrics, antique furniture, oil paintings, floral wallpaper, faded Persian rugs, built-in bookshelves, deep sofas, collected objects, William Morris influence
Rustic
Rustic artisan interior with rough-hewn wood beams, stone walls, handcrafted furniture, terracotta tiles, wrought iron, woven baskets, farmhouse table, copper pots, dried flowers, Mediterranean or Provencal influence
Vernacular
Vernacular building made from what the place supplies, local stone or timber, roof pitch set by the local weather, details carried by regional trade practice rather than by drawing
Wabi-Sabi
Wabi-sabi interior with visibly repaired ceramics, uneven hand-applied plaster, weathered timber, asymmetry left uncorrected, patina and age treated as the value rather than tolerated
Terms
One rule per link to a term on another axis
| Term | Links to other axes | Usage | Reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimalism | 0 | occasional | 30 Aug 2026 |
| Modernism | 0 | – | 30 Aug 2026 |
| Mid-Century Modern | 1 | – | 30 Aug 2026 |
| Critical Regionalism | 0 | – | 30 Aug 2026 |
| Organic Modernism | 0 | – | 30 Aug 2026 |
| Contemporary | 1 | dominant | 30 Aug 2026 |
| Traditional | 0 | dominant | 30 Aug 2026 |
| Neoclassical | 0 | – | 30 Aug 2026 |
| Gothic | 2 | – | 30 Aug 2026 |
| Art Deco | 1 | – | 30 Aug 2026 |
| Industrial | 1 | – | 30 Aug 2026 |
| Brutalism | 1 | – | 30 Aug 2026 |
| Maximalism | 0 | – | 30 Aug 2026 |
| Eclectic | 0 | common | 30 Aug 2026 |
| Transitional | 0 | common | 30 Aug 2026 |
| Rustic | 0 | – | 30 Aug 2026 |
| Vernacular | 0 | – | 30 Aug 2026 |
| Wabi-Sabi | 1 | – | 30 Aug 2026 |
| Japandi | 2 | – | 11 Sept 2026 |
| Bohemian | 0 | – | 30 Aug 2026 |
| Postmodernism | 1 | – | 30 Aug 2026 |
| Deconstructivism | 1 | – | 30 Aug 2026 |
| Parametricism | 1 | – | 30 Aug 2026 |
| High-Tech | 1 | – | 30 Aug 2026 |
| Rationalism | 1 | – | 30 Aug 2026 |
| Constructivism | 1 | – | 30 Aug 2026 |