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Modern vs Contemporary Design Style

October 25, 2024Stephanie Hilton

While modern and contemporary are two styles of interior design with similarities, they have significant variations. Having this distinction, it is possible to better navigate the process of choosing what exactly to do in home decoration.

Defining Modern Design

It has existed since the early to mid-20th century when the world tended to depart from Victorian decorative styles. The hallmarks of modern style are sleek, plain, subdued, practical, and generally low on adornment.

Some essential qualities of modern design include:

  • Raw and elemental motifs are used here in shapes and primary forms.
  • A monochromatic color scheme is prevalent in such work, and it can be black and white or even grey.
  • Wood, leather, stone, and anything one can obtain directly from nature.
  • Loose building finishes like bare floors, concrete floors, or brick walls.
  • Big door and window to allow lighter to penetrate the building.
  • Open floor plans
  • Interchangeable, versatile furniture with minimal designs

Defining Contemporary Design

Modern style Desingn

Contemporary styles emerged alongside modern designs but with more emphasis on eclectic styles. Like the modern style of architecture, contemporary is characterized by clean, minimalist aesthetics, primary importance on neutral colors, and a focus on function – but deviates significantly from modernism in the way it treats form, shape, and uniqueness.

Critical qualities of contemporary design:

  • Textural, at times, edgy combinations of the components
  • Surprise and bold accent colors
  • Curvy forms alongside the forms of postmodernism
  • The integration of natural material with the industrial one

The Similarities of Both Styles

Modern and contemporary share an emphasis on:

Minimalism

Both styles include using vast public area, oversized windows, lack of decoration and graphic simplicity. Plain and bare is what the aesthetic of your home should be and they don’t possess anything that is not significant and practical.

Neutral Schemes

It looks best for those who prefer bright accessories as whites, grays and black are versatile in any of the presented styles. They arrange beautiful, quiet spaces.

Furniture Functionality

Essential features of both styles are that they are practical and mobile furniture for flexible use. Disc converts over time as do sectional sofas, ottomans and other convertible pieces.

Contrasting Characteristics Inherent between both Styles

While modern and contemporary share some significant picture values, divergences emerge in: 

Openness to Color

Modern percusses colors, contemporary embraces vivid and bright notes even if everything is monochromic.

The modern favors rectilinear, -box like shapes; the contemporary has the geometrical lines with irregular shapes, angles.

Individualistic Expression

Modern style therefore desires generic, open, and accessible objects; while contemporaries enjoy singular, individually produced objects with personality.

Interior Design

Interiors combine these styles depending on owner’s preferences, specific spaces and vision of designers in practice. An example of an integrated design concept based on the current principles might include using some pieces of modern-style furniture or paintings.

Applying the Modern or Contemporary Style

Modern Materials

Some essential materials that align with modern and contemporary aesthetics include:

  • Wooden wall covering, floor or furniture
  • Smooth also made of concrete or stone.
  • Metal or chrome finishing, Stainless steel, Glass works
  • Comfortable leather or linen upholsteries

Contemporary Textures

Mixing sleek and soft textures creates depth in contemporary interiors through:

- Shearling throws

- Velvet pillows

- Natural fiber rugs

- Brushed metals

Modern Color Choices

Color schemes adhere to a simplified, neutral modern palette:

- Black

- White 

- Gray

- Tan

- Off-white

Contemporary design

Contemporary design welcomes vibrant accent colors like:

- Chartreuse

- Sapphire blue

- Emerald green

- Crimson red

No matter the style, well-designed spaces share common principles:

- Consistent color flows

- Cohesive material mixes

- Repeated design motifs

- Combined sizes of furnishings proportional to the sizes of the rooms they furnish.

These design and create comprehensive element, integration, and cohesiveness, which are home-like and adaptable to a homeowner’s daily schedule.