The contemporary design style is often regarded as a crossover between many different styles all in one. For this reason, all of the options can be a bit overwhelming. How do you distinguish between rustic style and modern style? Country and chic?
Don't worry! This post will show you how to lay out your home according to contemporary design elements without breaking your budget. All you need to do is understand the basics.
Focus on Colour
The main theme behind contemporary home design colour. Unlike other styles, there are few bold choices; colours in a contemporary home follow more neutral hues and provide a more relaxed atmosphere. Look for beige, taupe, grey, and white. These neutral colours make accent walls more effective if you decide you want to spice up a room. If you don't want to paint an accent wall, you can use an accent piece like an area rug or a colourful bit of artwork. Just make sure to focus on the simplicity of your design and avoid cluttering the room with too much decor.
Use Metals for Accents
Since contemporary is all about a clean look, metal is the obvious choice for fixtures. Look for chrome, stainless steel, and nickel for your faucets, towel racks, and doorknobs to bring the home together and give it a finished look and feel. You should also try to get stainless steel appliances in the kitchen.
Think with Texture
Another aspect of interior design that people often overlook is the effect of texture on the overall feel of the home. Consider: if you're going for a modern look, do you want shag carpeting or hardwood? Contemporary is no different. You should stick to four main fabric choices: silk, crushed velvet, linen, and wool.
These types of fabric and their patterns help counter the clean lines and metallic accents. Use area rugs, large pillows, and other small items when you need to make a big statement.
Vary Your Wood Colours
Contemporary design often incorporates wood in a variety of different ways. For example, you can use light wood cabinets offset with dark stains and brown-black hardwood floors to create a sophisticated look and feel. Just make sure the lighting in rooms with dark hardwood floors is adequate, or it can make the room feel small.
Another way you can bring wood patterns into your home without using hardwood floors is to incorporate wooden flowerpots, picture frames, and end tables. Just make sure you remain consistent with the style you choose so the home does not look cluttered.
Keep Lighting Small
When it comes to lighting choices within a contemporary home, there are a few main options. You want your lights to have the same sleek look and feel as the rest of the home, and the easiest way to achieve this is through options like track lighting, pendants, and floor lamps. You can also consider recessed or ambient lighting. Off (or soft) white hues for the light bulbs themselves create a soft glow that can offset the sometimes clinical look of a contemporary home.
Getting the Look for Cheap
One of the easiest ways to obtain a contemporary look is by purchasing a home that already includes those elements, like the Nuvista's Abbington model. This 1801 square foot home has dark wood and stone elements throughout the exterior and interior of the home. Several other floor plan options from NuVista also boast contemporary elements. If you're going to purchase a home and you want that contemporary look and feel, it's far easier to pre-purchase than to renovate later.
If you already own a home and are looking for ways to make it look more contemporary, one of the easiest ways is through paint. If your home has bold colours, you may also need to invest in primer to ensure you need just one to two coats of paint to cover the entire area.
Another idea is to use pillows. Over-stuffed pillows for the living room couch and chairs give a plush, elegant feel to a room. You can also update your window treatments to silk or linen. Just make sure to choose neutral colours for the look.
A contemporary design for your home doesn't have to break your budget. With a few small changes you can make a big impact on the look and feel of your home.
