Beginner’s Guide to Contemporary Interior Design
The most vital aspect of how people will conceive your interior is determined by the structure of the house or flat, as well as the layout of the interior space. This is your main canvas where you decide what kind of atmosphere and style your space will reflect your character and needs. There are countless ways how you can approach designing your home’s interior. Considering many styles that were popular and chic in their respective eras in the history of design, you can always choose to follow those retro styles.
Most people don’t want to live in the past, so from the standpoint of the present-day, modern contemporary interior design is always the best approach because it grows with you and your way of living and using the space. This does not mean that you should ignore elements of the past styles. On the contrary, many elements from the past are likely to be used, but in a different context and setting. This repurposing use of older furniture in a new setting is making their aesthetics feel renewed and timeless.
All this fits the philosophy of contemporary interior design and design in every industry in general that requires continuous evolution with the upcoming times. Building a new home for yourself and your loved ones is a challenging task. Fortunately, with our guide, you will learn the basics of implementing a contemporary approach to designing your interior space.
Aspects And Components Of Contemporary Interior Design
All design styles have rules and features that define a particular style’s foundation. So does contemporary design, too.
Let’s see what the defining factors are featured and what defines what we see as contemporary in this day and age.
Minimalism
“Less is more” is a phrase we all have heard. This phrase first came to light in the early 20th century with the major architecture movement called Bauhaus. One of the vital architects from this movement, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, said this famous phrase first. From then on, it became one of the staples of modern and present-day contemporary style interior design, too. This phrase is also the main concept behind the minimalist approach to design. What is the meaning of minimalism from an interior design view? In most simple words, this means using a few essential pieces of furniture in the interior that will introduce beauty and functionality.
This way, you can minimize rummage and chaos and let the space breathe, and everyone will direct their attention only to the essential bits in the interior. Of course, this does not mean you cannot spice up the atmosphere with a few art pieces, such as paintings and sculptures.
Neutral color palette
Colors such as beige, ivory, taupe, coal black, gray, and all the shades of white may seem as uninteresting colors to some people. But other people interested in contemporary and minimalist aesthetics see these colors, hues, and their respective undertones as a rich palette for their homes. These colors make up the calming homogenous atmosphere of contemporary interior design style. What is the best part of this type of palette is adding contrasting accent colors to the “canvas” of your home.
Neutral colors will guide the focal attention to the accent pieces of the interior that you want to stand out to visitors and give character and harmony to the interior, which maximalist homes always lack.
Patterns and shapes
Speaking of accents, we must mention patterns and shapes that those colors can envelop to bring said harmony.
Contemporary homes love geometric shapes because simple forms bring out the minimalist aspect and are an astonishing surface for displaying patterns. Patterns include abstract motifs or repetitive geometric graphics seen through paintings, cushions, and lighting.
Functionality
As we said in the minimalism paragraph, the contemporary design interior requires functionality to be on the highest levels. All furniture that serves just aesthetic purposes must leave.
But what to do with all the stuff we need that will cause visual clutter if we leave it out in the open? That’s why minimalist furniture has hidden storage compartments or a different approach where the furniture can be converted into other furniture. Examples are sofas with beds in them, wardrobes with drop-in beds, and modular tables.
Materials and finishes
Contemporary home interior design is not afraid of using materials not likely to be seen in their bare forms in private residencies. Metallic surfaces and concrete are usually used in public settings but can also be seen in contemporary interiors because these materials can be a great indicator of the character that you and your home have.
Of course, different kinds of wood and glass can also bring elegance and style to your home. Wood is a rather tactile material that, depending on finish and color, can bring out a range of emotions and atmosphere. Glass, throughout history, has always been a luxurious material. Even though production costs have decreased, it will always be a material with the most elegance.
You can even use it functionally to change the room visually. There are examples where strategically placed mirrors on the wall or ceiling can make the room feel bigger, longer, or taller, depending on the placement.
Accessories and Art
Furniture makes the room functional, but you can see the vibrance of the atmosphere through accessories and art pieces. As mentioned earlier, in a room full of neutral colors, accents are the key to achieving character and atmosphere that will reflect the people living and using the room.
You can achieve those accents with striking and original artwork on the walls or sculptures in the space. Art that we buy should not be just an expensive item to show our wealth, but it is a reflection of ourselves. Always be wary of what you want to show for your guests and how to present yourself.
Lighting
Depending on the space, lighting is the most influential factor in what kind of atmosphere will be present in the room. Different colors of light and their intensity will determine the room’s purpose and how people will behave.
In the contemporary space without a clutter of unnecessary furniture and items, a dominant factor of aesthetics is light.The shape of the light can also be a crucial factor of aesthetics. With different kinds of lamps and chandeliers, light can be perceived as an accessory or dominant figure in the space.
Contemporary vs Modern Interior Design
The terms “modern” and “contemporary” are often considered the same. In the design world, however, these are vastly different topics. Let’s see the differences:
The Modern design style we mentioned earlier in the text through the likes of the Bauhaus school and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Modern design was a prominent design philosophy born between WW1 and WW2 when Europe was reduced to rubble. There was a need to get back on their feet quickly and build new buildings.
So even though Contemporary design has its roots in the Modern era, it strives to achieve new forms and creative ideas that will differ from past design achievements and lead us to the future of living.The style differences can also be noticed since Modernism strived for a homogenous color palette without accents, while contemporary design bravely disregards these unwritten rules by experimenting with contrasting colors and accents.
The difference in materials is seen in much widespread use of materials that were very expensive in the post-WW1 era and adding innovations and technologies in making and treating those materials for a better living.
Tips For Bringing Contemporary Design To Your Home
So now you have seen what contemporary design is in all of its aspects, and you want to make your living space in the spirit of its philosophy.
We will show you what you can do through examples of our Singapore interior design studio Space Factor, and our best contemporary interior designers and how to refine every room of your house.
Contemporary Living Room Interior Design
Living rooms are the heart of every home, so living room design is one of the most important things you should think about. It is the space that is most used and where people gather every day. It is the area you will use the most and where people gather every day.
Space that has this purpose must be an aesthetic highlight of every home.All furniture experts design in the contemporary spirit we described earlier, using simple geometric shapes and lines.
Since the sofa is traditionally the biggest piece of furniture in the living room it should be
simple and cozy, with a neutral color palette since its size is already a big attention grabber. Most accent colors are on the centerpiece (coffee table), small accessories, and art pieces on the walls.
All of these color and form features give the room an elegant and weightless feel, which is the most vital aspect of the room, whose purpose is to gather people and make them feel comfortable.
Contemporary Design In Living Rooms
Living rooms are the heart of every home, so living room design is one of the most important things you should think about. It is the space that is most used and where people gather every day. It is the area you will use the most and where people gather every day.
Space that has this purpose must be an aesthetic highlight of every home. All furniture experts design in the contemporary spirit we described earlier, using simple geometric shapes and lines.
Since the sofa is traditionally the biggest piece of furniture in the living room it should be simple and cozy, with a neutral color palette since its size is already a big attention grabber.Most accent colors are on the centerpiece (coffee table), small accessories, and art pieces on the walls.
All of these color and form features give an elegant and weightless feel to the room, which is the most vital aspect of the room, whose purpose is to gather people and make them feel comfortable.
Contemporary Kitchen Design
The dining area is another room where people gather, so you should use similar principles here, too. Whether it is incorporated into the kitchen or living room, or as a separate room, the dining area should have furniture with simple lines.
Because it is a room with the most repetitive furniture in a small area (multiple chairs and dining table) to avoid it feeling cluttered chairs should be as simple as possible. You can find accent colors on the walls in the shape of artistic pieces, and/or on the center dining table to keep it clean and elegant.
The kitchen is often disregarded in terms of design since it serves almost specifically practical purposes. But the kitchen is the space we use almost as much as a living room daily, so it should have as much attention in the design sense as any other room.
Since kitchen elements are used practically for spices and food, all these should be hidden in cabinets of simple lines and a modest look. You can add accents in the shape of small accessories, but the key is to keep the kitchen looking as clean as possible. Because of these principles, the kitchen is often the least ornamented room in the house.
Contemporary Design In the Bedroom
The bedroom is a private room used exclusively by its owners. Because of that, it should be made to utilize owners’ taste and comfort completely.
Luckily, many bedroom interior design tips can help you make your bedroom look as pretty as other parts of your house. The biggest and most important piece in the room is, of course, the bed. Every design aspect of the room revolves around the bed, and so are the accents.
The color and material accents are often added to the bed, so it can differentiate from other furniture. Other furniture, such as makeup tables and wardrobes should be kept with fewer details and made low-profile so the person can rest their eyes without any powerful focal distractions.
Contemporary Bathroom Design
The bathroom is the most private space in the house, just like the bedroom. But its function is also purely practical, just like we mentioned for the kitchen.
So what can you do in terms of aesthetics for the bathroom? The key feel is clean and uncluttered.This means the lines should be as simple as they can be, and the surfaces geometric for easy cleanup to keep neutral colors neat and clean.
You should separate the shower area so the water doesn’t spray everywhere, but not at the cost of making the bathroom seem visually tinier than it has to be. That is why most experts make the divider out of glass.
So, in the end, we hope you have learned valuable lessons about modern contemporary interior design in Singapore and how you should implement its principles in your home for unmatched aesthetics and atmosphere.
If you need more inspiration about contemporary interior design tips, vintage interior design tips, or similar design styles you can always contact us for advice.
We have some of the best experts in interior design Singapore has to offer, and they will happily help you make your home the perfect image of your taste and your character. For more inspiration about other interior design styles in Singapore such as Balinese interior design, Colonial interior design style and rustic design style or any other guidance and expert advice regarding interior design, contact Space Factor today.