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De Stijl
Modern

De Stijl

De Stijl, Dutch style, Neoplasticism, Mondrian style

Black lines, primary colour planes and asymmetric balance.

Colour moodboard
Bright whiteLine blackVivid redDeep yellowCobalt blue
Material moodboard
Vivid red paintDeep yellow paintCobalt blue paintBright white paintBlack line paintYellow tinted glassPainted plywood

Origin: A Dutch art movement begun in 1917, associated with Theo van Doesburg, Piet Mondrian and Gerrit Rietveld

De Stijl means "the style" in Dutch. The movement reduced everything to vertical and horizontal lines and planes of red, yellow and blue set beside white, grey and black. Compositions are asymmetric yet balanced, as in Mondrian paintings or Rietveld red and blue chair.

In Vietnam it works best in moderation: one wall, a rug or a cabinet front divided into coloured panels is enough. Use moisture-resistant paint, solid-colour laminate and tinted glass for light slots, and keep colour blocks small on west-facing walls so the room does not feel hotter. Leave the rest a clean white.

De Stijl
De Stijl

Materials

  • Moisture-resistant solid-colour paint with crisp edges
  • Solid-colour laminate or acrylic for cabinet fronts
  • Tinted glass or film-laminated glass for light panels
  • Painted plywood for loose furniture

Furniture & forms

  • Chairs built from square timber slats with painted flat planes
  • Cabinets divided into multi-coloured rectangles
  • Simple block coffee tables
  • Grid bookshelves with alternating open and closed cells

Lighting

  • Tube or LED bar lights fixed along horizontal and vertical lines
  • White cylindrical or box pendants
De Stijl
De Stijl

How it differs from similar styles

Minimalism
De Stijl vs Minimalism

De Stijl uses strong primaries and black lines; minimalism leans on neutrals and empty space.
Bauhaus
De Stijl vs Bauhaus

De Stijl is flat composition of black lines and primary colour blocks; Bauhaus is broader, covering tubular steel, industrialisation and teaching.
Memphis
De Stijl vs Memphis

De Stijl is rigorous and orthogonal with only red, yellow, blue, black and white; Memphis is whimsical with curves, dots and loud pastels.
Colour blocking
De Stijl vs Colour blocking

De Stijl follows an orthogonal grid with black lines and a fixed few colours; colour-block pairs colour fields freely with no palette limit.
Pop Art
De Stijl vs Pop Art

De Stijl is abstract and purely geometric; Pop art draws on consumer images, comics, bright colour and mass-culture icons.
Functionalism
De Stijl vs Functionalism

De Stijl is a visual language of abstract ideals; functionalism starts from use rather than composition.

Best for

  • People who love painting and graphic design
  • Studies, children rooms and reading rooms
  • Small apartments that want a strong accent on white

Home types

ApartmentTownhouse

Typical finishing level

Standard

Estimate building cost at this level

Common mistakes

  • Covering every wall in colour blocks so the room becomes a painting copy
  • Adding curves or patterns, which breaks the geometric abstraction

Care & northern Vietnam climate

Solid colours need a mould-resistant, moisture-proof coat so the blocks do not stain in the humid season; prefer wipe-clean surfaces.

De Stijl
De Stijl

Reference photos

De Stijl
De Stijl
De Stijl
De Stijl
De Stijl
De Stijl
De Stijl
De Stijl
De Stijl
De Stijl
De Stijl
De Stijl

Styles in the same family

Modern
Modern

Modern

Function first: straight lines, clean planes and honestly used materials.
Minimalism
Modern

Minimalism

Less is more: keep only the essential and let light and space do the decorating.
Contemporary
Modern

Contemporary

The style of now: soft, flexible, mixing curves, new materials and technology.

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