Contemporary Style Interior Design

The Basics of Contemporary Style Interior Design

While modern style is as rich and varied as its traditional counterpart, there are a few things that most contemporary styled homes have in common:

Color Forget clashing patterns and garish patterns: contemporary homes are characterized by their cool, muted color palettes, featuring a lot of whites, creams, and darker shades including brown, taupe and mauves. Sticking to this very modern color scheme, however, doesn't have to be boring: try adding a splash of color to your white walls with a vibrant painting, or add a brightly colored chair of sofa to draw the eye. Accents of color can also come from cushions, rugs, throws or ornaments, which add interest to what could otherwise be a plain looking room.

Texture Shiny metal, polished wood and cool tile are the textures you'll most often find in the modern home. Floors are most often wood or tile, although rugs are often used to add both warmth and color to a room. Chrome finishing on furniture and fixtures – particularly in bathrooms and kitchens – also help create a very modern look, as does glass, which is used to great effect by many contemporary style interior designers.

To soften up this rather hard textural feel in your home, try adding some different textures: a faux-fur cushion, a velvet throw, or a set of silk drapes will make an interesting contrast to the rest of the look.

Surfaces Surfaces in the contemporary home are clear and uncluttered. Resist the temptation to litter your surfaces with pictures in frames, ornaments or other clutter: instead, a few, well chosen ornaments in striking colors will make the most impact against the clean walls and smooth lines of the modern home.

Making the Contemporary Home Liveable

One thing modern homes tend not to have is that "lived in" look we're so used to. In fact, some contemporary homes can look more like showpieces than family homes! Contemporary style interior design can create some challenges for the home owner to deal with, but try to remember that the whole purpose of contemporary design is to create a living space which is, above all, functional. Wood floors don't just look nice: they're also much cleaner than wall to wall carpeting. And while that uncluttered space can create a nightmare when it comes to finding storage space for all of your belongings, contemporary style interior design provides the answer to the problem.

Modern storage solutions include under-bed storage, attractive, stackable, storage containers, closet organizers and other wonders designed to help create that minimal look whilst providing storage space that's anything but minimal. Stores like Ikea are your best friends when it comes to contemporary style interior design, and are chock full of everything you'll need from clever storage systems to funky chairs and minimal style furniture.