With all the different voices out there in the world, it may be hard to differentiate what right and wrong. Because of this problem, many people think that Modern home décor styling and Contemporary home décor styling are the same. I am here to clear this confusion and help you understand that they are not the same. They both have their beginnings and their main design features.
Modern Design
The modern design started way back in the 1800s with a German design school. It really became popular in the 1920s and onward. It’s easiest to remember that it is based a lot on the art movement called modernism. It is much simpler and cleaner than its predecessors, the Gothic and Victorian styles.
Modern design uses a lot of straight clean lines. Plywood was a popular wood of choice because of its simple focus. It also focuses on natural or neutral colors. These were meant to be cozy and not stand out. Yet, sometimes bold colors were used as accents, like throw pillows or a lamp, to give some color to the room. The furniture was usually made with long legs that held the furniture, sofas, and chairs, off the ground. This created an airy, open feel to the room.
The design centered on the use of metal, or plain colored wood. In many furniture pieces, you can find exposed, polished metal or natural looking wood compliments. The main idea was to reduce clutter and open up the feel of the house with simple colors, lines, and hardware. The modern design is still popular today with many people.
Contemporary Design
The word contemporary means “belonging to or occurring in the present.” Meaning that contemporary design is what is being created right now. Contemporary design is ever changing, in five years what is considered contemporary will probably different than today’s standards. The design is meant to reflect what people want now, what is being created or produced now in today’s time.
Many times contemporary design can incorporate different styles. Modern design is sometimes used in contemporary design because of its clean lines, which is a central point to contemporary design. So just because a part of modern design may be used in a contemporary design, doesn’t mean they are the same. Many times contemporary design fluctuates from one end of the color spectrum to the other all in the same room, while doing the same with furniture.
Just remember that modern design is what some would see as old, or maybe even vintage. While the contemporary design is what is in the now. It is occurring right now, and always will be. Now that you know the differences between modern design and contemporary design you can have fun noticing the differences and maybe even trying out a little bit of both in your own house.
If it’s still not super clear to you, don’t worry about it. Just decorate how you like and let everyone fight over who is right with their opinion of the two designs. If you would like to know more, stay tuned for more articles on design styles or go and do some more research to become a master at home design styles.
