Pinterest Says These Are the 20 Most Influential Cities in the World For Design

Here at Bed Threads, we love updating you with all the latest and greatest interior trends from around the world so you can make your home a place that reflects your personality and brings you joy.

To provide you with more inspiration, research from money.co.uk revealed the world's best cities that are ripe with interior design. Money.co.uk analysed nearly 34,000 Pinterest boards dedicated to the home styles of 130 cities around the world to find out which cities are providing the most decor inspirations. 

So, whether you're here to gain inspiration for your home's decor or you're looking for places to travel to, here are the world's most influential cities that boast a lavish amount of history and style. 

20 Most Influential Cities in the World For Design

20. Istanbul, Turkey

Pinterest boards: 177

Istanbul has obtained a reputation for being a cultural and ethnic melting pot with a plethora of outstanding mosques, churches, palaces, castles and towers. 

19. Vienna, Austria

Pinterest boards: 181

This city by the Danube River boasts a mixture of architecture representing many periods and styles, ranging from Baroque-era monuments to 20th century high ornamentations. 

18. Hong Kong, China

Pinterest boards: 186

There is a heavy emphasis on contemporary architecture in this bustling city, especially Modernism, Postmodernism and Functionalism. Although few buildings remain in the urban areas of Hong Kong due to the lack of available stable land, some pre-colonial Chinese architecture still survives in the hinterlands.  

17. Cape Town, South Africa

Pinterest boards: 218

The city is famous for its beautifully intricate Cape Dutch architecture, with prominent features like grandiose rounded gables, thatched roofs and whitewashed walls. 

16. Savannah, USA

Pinterest boards: 220

The city was once a playground for architects to explore with different designs from various influences to find a style that best reflected the city it resided in. As a result, the city is now a Historic District with a taste of all the finest architecture in the world. 

15. Boston, USA

Pinterest boards: 225

You would associate Boston as the home to buildings like the Revere House and Old State House. The city was founded by Puritan Settlers who brought architecture from England and morphed into colonial-style buildings when mixed with other styles like Georgian architecture. 

14. Lisbon, Portugal

Pinterest boards: 227

The city has a deep, rich history rooted in Roman Empire, which is reflected through its architecture. It's become a destination rife with discovery, from a convent-turned-tile museum to a building covered in thousands of small diamond-shaped pyramids. 

13. Singapore

Pinterest boards: 248

There's an abundance of different styles from different places in this one city, including hybrid forms of the colonial period to contemporary architecture. It's never-ending maze of glorious finds and lush greenery.

12. Athens, Greece

Pinterest boards: 268

Having Athens on this list is a no-brainer — the sprawling metropolis is made up of historical concrete blocks that makes it one of the most unique cities in the world.

 11. Delhi, India

Pinterest boards: 283

The city of Delhi has been the centre for art and architecture, and is the result of several great empires over thousands of years. 

 

10. Madrid, Spain

Pinterest boards: 291

Like many of the cities here, Madrid is also a combination of different styles that have evolved over time. For example, the Metropolis building is built in French style, the Edificio Grassy is eclectic and the Telefonica Building is a fusion of art deco and baroque. 

9. Montreal, Canada

Pinterest boards: 296

Montreal is characterised by the juxtaposition of the old and new — the outcome of two successive colonisations by the French and British. There are many factories and warehouses as the city served as the industrial and financial centre of Canada for over a century and a half. 

8. Chicago, USA

Pinterest boards: 308

Globally known for its unique architectural styles  and originality as opposed to antiquity, the design of Chicago's buildings reflects the history of American architecture. From Chicago Bungalows and Two-Flats to the skyscrapers of the Loop and the city's sacred Polish Cathedrals, Chicago is a plethora of inspiration.

7. Paris, France

Pinterest boards: 320

The city can be divided into four architectural periods— Roman, Medieval, Renaissance and Classical — which can be seen through the majestic and dominating historic buildings. The insides of apartments are adorned with scalloped wood panelling, curved walls, sandy tones, curved shelves and any other shapes and forms that make your heart melt. 

6. São Paulo, Brazil

Pinterest boards: 335

The architecture in this bustling city is made up of unusual contrasts, from the mixture of modernist design to horizontal housing and mirrored skyscrapers. 

5. Mumbai, India

Pinterest boards: 400

Mumbai has the second largest number of Art Deco buildings in the world (after Miami). The city's architecture blends Gothic, Victoria, Indo-Sarancenic and Contemporary styles. 

4. Sydney, Australia

Pinterest boards: 584

Sydney isn't characterised by one style, but a combination of old and new architecture that has evolved over the city's 200-year history. Between the historic Queen Victoria Building and modern day skyscrapers in Barangaroo, you'll also find nuggets of beauty in the suburbs. 

3. Toronto, Canda

Pinterest boards: 646

The combination of 19th century Georgian architecture and 21st century postmodernism is what makes Toronto, well, Toronto. Simply take a trip through Downtown Toronto and front, right and left you'll be graced with three different architectural styles.

2. Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Pinterest boards: 707

Although known for the city's modern architectural wonders (most notably the Burj Khalifa), Dubai is also the home to original watchtowers, mosques, souks and houses that were all built with simplicity, functionality, durability and suitability for the hot climate.  

1. Los Angeles, USA 

Pinterest boards: 1,000

Los Angeles is an architectural visual feast and has long been the place of experimentation. It's dotted with mid-century homes scattered along the hills and contemporary and glorious buildings designed by the world's best architects. 

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