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How to Recognize the ‘Whimsical Modernist’ (NMOP) Interior Design Style Personality

The Whimsical Modernist is a style personality that loves the sleek and clean lines of modern design, but with a playful and lighthearted twist. This style personality is all about calculated fun with decor.

What is a style personality? Our Design Baddie 8×2 Style method recognizes sixteen different personalities of style across the traditional, eclectic, and modern range of styles. We use key metrics to define visual types, similar to the way the Myers-Briggs Personality index defines personality types for people.

Curious to know more? We’ve got you! In this article, we’ll dive into the Whimsical Modernist style personality, a fun and playful take on modern design.


Style Personality Key: NMOP – Neutral/Muted/Ornamental/Patterned


Key Characteristics of the Whimsical Modernist Style:

Architectural Elements: Modern (at least 90%)

Overall Color Palette: Mostly neutral and muted, with pops of bold color or strong contrasting accent colors (at least 80% neutral throughout)

Furnishings and Decor Profile: Ornamental and playful (at least 60%)

Soft finishes characteristics: Patterned finishes with playful motifs (at least 35%)


The Whimsical Modernist is a style personality that loves the sleek and clean lines of modern design, but with a playful and lighthearted twist. This style personality is all about having fun with decor and creating spaces that are inviting and playful, without sacrificing the sophistication and elegance of modern design.

In terms of color palette, the Whimsical Modernist tends to go for mostly neutral and muted tones, but may include accents or pops of bold and bright colors. They love to add playful touches of color through decor and artwork, and often incorporate fun and quirky patterns and motifs into their soft finishes.



When it comes to furnishings and decor, the Whimsical Modernist loves ornamental and playful pieces that add character and charm to their space. They are not afraid to mix and match different styles and eras, creating an eclectic and whimsical vibe. They often incorporate unique and unexpected pieces such as sculptural lighting fixtures or statement furniture pieces.

In terms of lighting, the Whimsical Modernist may opt for playful and unconventional fixtures that add a touch of whimsy and charm to their space. They often incorporate colorful lampshades, unique pendants, or sculptural lighting fixtures to create a playful and unique atmosphere.


Overall, the Whimsical Modernist is a strong modern eclectic style and usually falls between Modern-Eclectic and Pure Modern on the Big Five style spectrum. Lovers of this style are all about creating a space that is both sophisticated and fun. They value modern design and clean lines, but love to add playful and whimsical touches that make their space unique and stylish.


Some existing interior design styles which often fall into this category include:

-The Modern Bohemian interior design style

-The Retro interior design style

-The Mid-Century Modern interior design style

Further reading:

The Eclectic Interior Design Style Genre
The Eclectic Traditional Interior Design Style Genre
Which Eclectic and Traditional Styles Are Similar?


Examples or famous interiors in this style:

The Selby’s studio apartment in New York City

The Saguaro Hotel in Palm Springs

We hope you enjoyed learning about the Whimsical Modernist interior design personality type. This has been 8×2 Style with Vonsassy and ChatGPT as my style assistant. All of the rendered images you see here were created with Mid-Journey AI.

If you’d like to learn more about how we use AI to create stunning interior renderings, about the science of interior design style, and get access to plenty of future freebies, sign up below.

Happy interior design styling!

Von Sassy

Got a suggestion or want to drop a line? Hit me up at hello@designbaddie.com

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