Bauhaus Style

Gropius and his followers created classical forms without extraneous ornament. They stressed the search for solutions to contemporary design problems in areas like urban planning, housing, and utilitarian mass production methods. Proportion, clarity, and honest construction were celebrated: what you see should be what the object is, and how it’s made should feel inevitable.

The Bauhaus school also offered courses in music, drama, and particularly painting. Thus the Bauhaus was rooted in the Arts and Crafts movement but with vision firmly set on the requirements and opportunities of its day—where art, craft, and industry could work as one system. Color theory, geometry, and composition weren’t “decorative extras”; they were tools for shaping daily life with discipline and purpose.

The Bauhaus principles quickly caught on in the international design community, becoming strongly influential in architectural design. Bauhaus buildings, with their various workshops, studios, school, and administrative offices, helped establish the principles of the International Style—an expression of the machine age as the Europeans of the 1920’s wished to see it. The floor plan was designed as a series of cells, each with a specific function, becoming a direct expression, in glass, steel, and thin concrete, of the use of the building (that is, the function – hence form follows function).

The feel of a Bauhaus interior is contemporary and modern—calm, bright, and deliberately uncluttered. Plain white walls with no moldings and narrow baseboards are de rigueur. Window frames should be simple. Huge picture windows, even walls of glass, are emblematic of this style. The floor plan should be as open as possible, and the space divided with modular furniture, low cabinets, bookcases, or perhaps a partial wall made of glass bricks.

Furniture

Furniture in a Bauhaus interior is defined by clean geometry and visible structure. Think of seating with taut upholstery and purposeful lines—chairs with tubular metal frames, cantilevered silhouettes, or slim wooden frames that feel almost architectural. Sofas tend to be low and linear, with firm cushions and squared arms. Tables are spare and balanced: round tops on simple pedestals, or rectangular surfaces supported by steel legs with no unnecessary flourish. Storage is modular and efficient—stacking cabinets, open shelving, and built-ins that visually “disappear” into the room rather than dominate it.

Lighting

Lighting follows the same logic: functional, graphic, and often sculptural in its simplicity. Pendant lamps are typically globe, dome, or cylinder forms—frosted glass, opal glass, or enameled metal—hung with disciplined spacing over dining tables or work surfaces. Floor lamps read like diagrams: slender stems, adjustable arms, and a clear relationship between the switch, shade, and beam of light. Wall sconces are minimal and purposeful, washing light across a white surface to amplify brightness and shadow. Whenever possible, natural light does the heavy lifting—Bauhaus rooms feel best when daylight is treated like a material.

Materials are honest and modern: steel, chrome, glass, lacquer, and smooth wood surfaces. Floors often lean toward simple planks, polished concrete, or restrained tile—quiet backdrops that allow form and light to stand out. Textiles are plain but high-quality: wool, felt, canvas, and tightly woven cottons in solids or subtle weaves. Instead of ornate patterns, Bauhaus favors bold blocks of color used with intention—like punctuation in an otherwise neutral sentence.

Objects and decor

Objects and decor are curated, not accumulated. A Bauhaus room might feature one striking poster-style graphic, a geometric textile, or a single sculptural vase rather than a gallery of small knickknacks. Wall art often emphasizes abstraction, grids, and strong typographic forms. Everyday objects—ceramics, desk accessories, even tableware—should feel designed: simple profiles, clean edges, and a sense that each piece has a job to do. If you add plants, keep the containers minimal—matte ceramic cylinders, squared planters, or simple terracotta used as a neutral form.

Color is typically restrained: white, black, and grays form the foundation, with accents chosen deliberately. Classic Bauhaus accents include primary red, blue, and yellow, plus occasional muted greens. The key is restraint—one or two accent colors repeated across the room (a chair, a poster, a cushion) rather than scattered like confetti.

To create the Bauhaus feeling, focus on clarity: an open plan, strong geometry, purposeful lighting, and furniture that acts like a toolkit for living. Remove what doesn’t earn its place. Let structure show, let daylight lead, and let a few well-chosen objects carry the personality.

Bauhaus Style architectural details and ornamentation!

Ceiling medallions, cornices and moldings. Authentic Period and Historic Home architectural ornamentation.

All crafted in genuine plaster. For commercial and residential environments.

more ornamental plaster medallions.