3 Interior Trends We’re Eyeing Right Now: Spanish Colonial,Modern Folk & Googie

Maheshwari Raj
Jan 20
4 min read

Spanish Colonial, Modern Folk, and Googie reflect a growing desire for interiors that feel intentional, expressive, and rooted in culture rather than novelty.

Stylish bathroom with a copper bathtub, dual sinks, and plants. Sunlight streams through the window, creating a serene atmosphere. — A beautifully designed bathroom features a luxurious copper bathtub under a large window, surrounded by lush green plants. Elegant fixtures, dual sinks with a black countertop, and a chic pendant light enhance the serene and inviting atmosphere.

Spanish Colonial: Sun, Silence, and Structure

Spanish Colonial interiors are rooted in climate, craftsmanship, and restraint. Originating from Spanish colonial architecture across Southern Europe, Latin America, and parts of the American Southwest, this style is defined by thick walls, softened edges, and an intuitive relationship with light. It carries a sense of calm permanence, where beauty is built into structure rather than layered on top.

Spacious living room with white walls, wooden ceiling, and staircase. A globe light hangs overhead. Fireplace with decor, cozy seating, and books. — The living room at 2980 Belden Drive, a 1927 Spanish-style compound in Beachwood Canyon, highlights architect Robert Finklehor's expertise in enduring design, featuring rich wooden beams, a graceful staircase, and a tranquil spatial arrangement.Image credit: @takesunset; All rights reserved to creators

How to bring Spanish Colonial into your home:

Sunlit living room with white sofas, rustic table, woven decor, and potted plants. Large arched window and textured walls create warmth. — A spacious living room featuring a blend of rustic and modern design elements, with large arched windows allowing natural light to illuminate the textured walls and neutral-toned furnishings. The room includes a comfortable white sectional, wooden accents, and lush greenery, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.Image credit: @jeanjacquescolangelo; All rights reserved to creators

Colour Palette:Lean into warm, earth-led tones such as chalky whites, sand, clay, terracotta, and sun-faded ochre. Avoid stark contrasts. The palette should feel sun-washed and continuous.

Furniture & Accessories:Choose solid wood furniture with weight and presence. Look for pieces with simple silhouettes, visible joinery, and time-worn finishes. Wrought iron accents, carved wood benches, and heavy wooden tables ground the space.

Elegant foyer with wooden beams, glass table, ceramic vase, spiral staircase, and natural light. Warm, cozy atmosphere. — A beautifully designed room featuring rustic wooden beams, a glass-topped table with an elegant vase, and stylish modern decor, complemented by a staircase leading to an upper level.Image credit: @moderncaliforniahouse; All rights reserved to creators

Decor:Decor should feel architectural rather than ornamental. Hand-thrown pottery, ceramic vessels, clay lamps, and stone objects work best when used sparingly. Let negative space do some of the work.

Materials & Texture:Terracotta tiles, limewashed walls, exposed beams, and natural stone are essential. Texture replaces pattern in this aesthetic, creating visual interest through material variation.

Modern Folk: Contemporary Living, Ancestral Memory

Modern Folk is a meeting point between heritage and modern restraint. Drawing from vernacular craft traditions across regions, this style celebrates handmade objects, cultural motifs, and tactile materials, while maintaining a contemporary sense of balance. It is personal, layered, and rooted in storytelling rather than surface decoration.

Vintage dining room with wooden table, orange chairs, blue bowls. Wall art with tribal pattern hangs above rustic table and lamp. Calm vibe. — A stylish room featuring a rustic wooden table with vibrant blue bowls and leather chairs. The minimalist decor includes a vintage rug on the wall, a wooden side table with a lamp, and a modern pendant light, creating a cozy and eclectic atmosphere.Image credit: @derekfernandesm; All rights reserved to creators

How to bring Modern Folk into your home:

Colour Palette:Build from muted, earthy tones such as warm beige, clay, rust, olive, and soft charcoal. Accents can come through indigo, madder red, or natural dyes, but always in moderation.

Furniture & Accessories:Pair clean-lined furniture with handcrafted pieces. A simple sofa gains character when styled with handwoven cushions. A minimal dining table works beautifully with sculptural wooden chairs or stools.

Cozy rustic room with wicker chairs, a round table, chandelier, and decorative plates. Wooden furniture and open doors lead to a garden. — The Lindos, Greece home of designer Jasper Conran, where Mediterranean restraint meets a refined, lived-in sensibility.Image credit: @picnicforlunch; All rights reserved to creators

Decor:Introduce objects with provenance. Ceramics, baskets, textiles, and artworks that reference regional craft traditions should feel collected over time, not styled all at once.

Textiles & Pattern:Use folk motifs subtly. A patterned rug, an embroidered cushion, or a woven wall hanging is enough. The goal is warmth and intimacy, not visual overload.

Two orange ceramic vases on a white surface, draped with gray fabric. Dried flowers with textured heads lay beside them, casting soft shadows. — Minimalist ochre pottery pieces rest on soft, grey fabric, accompanied by a sprig of dried billy buttons, embodying a serene and artistic composition.

Googie: Optimism, Form, and Forward Motion

Googie interior design emerged from mid-century American futurism, where architecture and interiors reflected optimism about progress, technology, and movement. Characterised by bold forms, dynamic angles, and expressive silhouettes, this style brings energy and personality into the home without relying on minimalism or nostalgia.

Retro-futuristic room with orange and teal decor, circular windows, and a tufted sofa. Mood is playful and vibrant, with 60s style furniture. — An AI-generated image titled Space Age 60s Living Room, imagining a retro-futuristic interior through the lens of mid-century optimism.Image credit: @yewtreeroad; All rights reserved to creators

How to bring Googie into your home:

Colour Palette:Introduce confident colours such as avocado green, burnt orange, mustard yellow, turquoise, and black accents. Limit the palette to one or two dominant hues to maintain visual balance.

Furniture & Accessories:Look for sculptural furniture with curves, cantilevered forms, or graphic lines. Low seating, statement lounge chairs, and bold tables capture the Googie aesthetic without feeling themed.

Retro-futuristic room with circular window, orange hues, round table, white chairs, and vintage décor, creating a warm, nostalgic atmosphere. — A retro-futuristic interior scene generated via Midjourney, capturing the optimism and graphic confidence of Googie-inspired design.Image credit: @lilliegracie13; All rights reserved to creators

Decor:Choose decor that feels graphic and intentional. Starburst clocks, abstract wall art, and retro-inspired accessories reference the era while remaining contemporary.

Lighting & Surfaces:Lighting plays a central role. Use globe lights, statement lamps, or wall sconces to create drama. Glossy finishes, laminate surfaces, and glass details reinforce the futuristic sensibility.

Retro room with a circular blue sofa, orange tiled floor, and round skylights. Mid-century chairs and table in the background. Cozy feel. — Conjunto Satélite (1995), Mexico City, designed by architect Javier. An enduring example of how form, colour, and optimism define space-age thinking.Image credit: @merit_la; All rights reserved to creators

Why We Eyed these Trends?

These three aesthetics are connected not through visual language, but their shared sensibility. Spanish Colonial interiors remind us to honour time and the quiet beauty of spaces shaped by use and climate. Modern Folk design asks us to value the human hand, elevating craft, provenance, and material honesty. Googie interiors, in contrast, give us permission to feel hopeful again, embracing optimism and expressive form without apology. Together, these sensibilities point toward a future where interiors are less concerned with perfection and more focused on presence. They reflect how we want to live, rather than how we want to be perceived. This is not trend-chasing; it is discernment.