The emphasis of line, structure and space distinguishes contemporary room design, which evolved from the post war era through the end of the 20th century. And while sometimes thought of as being cold or bare, a well planned and executed modern room will, in fact, feel inviting and comfortable.
As people have discovered that an uncluttered interior with modern aesthetics is quite appropriate in many spaces such as restaurants, office buildings and other commercial spaces, it has also become increasingly popular in modern apartments, lofts and residential homes. Read on to learn how you can create a contemporary living room interior in your home or apartment.
Neutral tones like black and white are often used to create a contemporary interior. This neutral palette is then accentuated with minimal use of much brighter, bolder colors. If you want a sleek, simple living room that feels inviting, yet modern, then you’ll want to start by choosing neutral tones for your wall colors.
By neutral, we do don mean to imply they must be white; you can select subdued, yet interesting shades like a beige green, soft yellow or warm-tone gray for instance. The key is to use subtle tones that cast the hue you wish to pick up on throughout your living room decor.
Modern and contemporary design typically integrates furniture with sleek lines and a contrast of natural materials like wood against the more geometric shapes and finishes of metal.
Emphasize Focal Point, Structure and Lines
By setting the design of your living room and its furnishings in neutral tones, you are free to select a few unique accent pieces that can then take the center stage. This creates one or, depending on the scale of your room, perhaps even several focal points that will immediately attract the eye, without being distracted by brightly colored or textured walls, ornate patterns in fabrics or other design cues found in a more traditional setting.
If the interior architecture of your room features structural details such as columns, pillars or high ceilings, these can be left bare, exposing wood beams, metal ductwork or other similar features often found in the modern decor.
In the contemporary living room, furniture will be arranged for maximum use of the space, giving the room as open and airy a feeling as possible, while also making it inviting and comfortable.
Minimalist Window Treatments and Bare Floors
For a window treatment, use something simple yet elegant, such as a light-colored bamboo shade or perhaps a Roman shade that uses the color hue of your wall in a different shade or with a subtle pattern in the fabric like wide stripes in a medium shade of that color.
If privacy and control of natural light are not critical, you may even leave the windows bare or select simple roll up or Venetian blinds that can be raises neatly and hidden from site within a simple valance or blinds head unit. Ideally, you will want to pick a smooth material for your flooring, such as a wood laminate, tiles of natural, light-colored stone or even a bamboo flooring product to add natural color and warmth in your modern living room decor.
This bare floor may be easily softened with an area rug to add texture and dampen noise levels, which can be problematic in a modern room decor with too many hard surfaces.