These Are the Most In-Demand Design and Architecture Styles Across the United States

Whether in fashion, art, or design, trends, by definition, come and go. Though sometimes received with a bad connotation, there is both a genuine beauty and an innate necessity in the phenomenon that is fads: they define eras, illustrate values, and help catalogue human history. When it comes to architecture and design, it’s hard to separate the flashy, ornate Art Deco aesthetic of the 1920s from the surging economy and mass consumerism that birthed it. Likewise, social change of the ’60s encouraged a rebellion against traditional, more simplistic styles and brought bold, colorful, and graphic interiors into vogue.

All of this begs the question: How will our current age be remembered by future generations? What styles best summarize our present tastes, and what do those demonstrate about the period we’re living through? Using Google search data from the past five years, AD recently surveyed the most-searched architecture, design, and decor styles across 27 major cities, providing a look at the aesthetics currently capturing the attention of Americans across the country.

Despite a name rooted in the past, the midcentury modern style continues to prove it’s anything but dated. “The warmer color palette and forms that are influenced by nature—organic yet streamlined and sophisticated—continue to be well received,” says Smita Sahoo, founder of Asaya Design, a Chicago-based luxury architecture and interior design firm. Originating in the mid ’40s, the aesthetic is characterized by clean lines, flat planes, and minimal ornamentation. Though it’s been nearly 80 years since its arrival, it’s still highly coveted.

“The reintroduction of midcentury modern is refreshing,” Sahoo says. While some may argue that the midcentury look never really went out of style, Sahoo hypothesizes that a change in workplace culture could be supporting the present-day resurgence. “Hospitality and residential styles are actively being integrated into workplace design,” Sahoo explains. The clean simplicity and abundant natural light, integral to the midcentury style, lend themselves well to an office space, creating a pleasing bridge between a homier look and a corporate one. “The style soon found its way into entertainment venues and the hospitality sector after its rise in the workplace,” she adds. 

Of course, there could be another reason for the aesthetic’s modern popularity: “It’s easy to match,” says AD100 designer Raymon Boozer. If only buying furniture or decor solely inspired by or from the era of Corbusier, Saarinen, and Breuer, it’s easier for the amateur to know everything will, for the most part, look good together. “I think it’s the most obvious style,” Boozer says. Spun from pandemic lockdowns, the desire for a well-designed home became more apparent, and midcentury is a way for many to achieve it without the help of a professional designer.

›While midcentury was notably well-loved, minimalist, modern, art deco, and Victorian architecture also captured the attention of many. In most of the cities surveyed, these styles ranked among the top five searched styles, though the order varied slightly from place to place. “The new generations respect clutter-free, sustainable, and ethical environments,” Sahoo explains of the interest in some of these styles, noting that Victorian, however, was a bit of surprise. “This style is very ornate and decorative in nature, so executing Victorian design in modern times needs to be carefully done and can be very time-consuming.”

Generally, current decor preferences are much broader, though there is a fairly strong representation of different traditional-leaning aesthetics like craftsman, farmhouse, Cape Cod, and country. However, boho, without a doubt, was the most widely popular decor style.

Often described as “eclectic,” boho is best understood as an amalgamation of different time periods, textures, colors, and cultures. It can be bold and vibrant, and an exciting opportunity to create something wholly unique. However, without many hard-and-fast rules, it’s also easy to slip into something that looks inharmonious or without perspective. Because of this, Boozer doesn’t find it all too surprising that people are researching the look. “It’s kind of a hard thing to do on your own, but, at the same time, it’s easy to experiment,” he says.

In 20 or 30 years, these styles could easily be remembered as trends erupting from a pandemic or the social media age, but Boozer cautions against using them as a base for one’s personal taste just because they’re widely admired. “I think people make a mistake when they search for things that are popular and they want to fit in, but I think they should try to figure out what their personal style is,” he says. “The most important thing you can do in design is to have a point of view, even if it’s not popular.”