Contemporary design is, contrary to what many people believe, an entirely different style of interior design than modern style choices and has a distinct look that’s desirable both in small apartments and larger houses alike.
With that said, continue reading to learn about the four key features of contemporary interior design.
1. Crisp Lines & Basic Shapes
First and foremost, at the heart of contemporary design is simplicity in the context of the shapes used as the basis of furniture, artwork, and indeed the basic design of the house itself, as well as crisp, straight, and no-nonsense lines.
Fortunately, if you’re looking to redecorate one or more of your interior living spaces in a contemporary design, crisp lines and the aforementioned simple shapes and styles are fairly easy to achieve.
Essentially, keep every item of furniture pushed back to maximize space, stick to traditional woodwork for cupboards and cabinets, and let the walls do the talking instead of cluttering them up with too many pictures and photographs.
2. A Natural Aesthetic Quality
Another overarching feature of contemporary design and the fundamental difference that sets the style apart from other popular themes is that contemporary design relies heavily on natural aesthetics peppered with industrial focal points.
Although not an exhaustive list by any means, the following components come together to create a typically contemporary room:
- Neutral and muted color scheme
- Similar textures layered on top of each other
- Geometric shapes
- Metal accents
- Carved and ornate wooden furniture
- Jute and other woven materials
- Open spaces
- Pendant lighting
3. Oversized Floor Rugs
Rugs used to be purely a functional addition to the home, either to make wooden flooring considerably less slippery or to protect the carpet from mud and spills.Now, however, contemporary design has taken the simple yet potentially room-changing rug and made it its own. There’s now a huge selection of beautifully made and visually stunning contemporary and modern rugs to suit any home and décor theme.
Interestingly, the humble rug can also be used to point out the core differences between contemporary design and modern design.In contemporary design, a rug is placed on the floor, usually in the middleof a room, and in modern design, you’re more likely to see it hanging on the wall.
4. Open Plan Rooms
The fourth and final main feature of contemporary-designed homes, whether thatis a smaller and more intimate apartment, or a sprawling mansion in the countryside, is to do with the layout of the space itself.
Open floor plans are a striking design decision and reflect a preference for a contemporary design framework. Even though it may seem impossible to achieve this open space in your own home, there are ways that you can emulate it. See whether it is possible to open up the entire downstairs of your home, leading the lounge into the kitchen and dining area. If you can’t, look at other ways to make it feel more like an open space. This is by doing everything you can to maximize the volume of natural light in the kitchen, for example, by removing any blinds and making sure the windowsillsare free from clutter and debris.