CONTEMPORARY STYLE: INTRODUCTION
The contemporary style in today’s furniture is one of the most loved. Essential lines, neutral colors and a minimal decoration are three of the basic precepts to follow.
However, the risk of those who opt for this style is to create an environment that is too cold and therefore not very hospitable.
Furthermore, contemporary style is preferred in many furnishing projects due to the fact that it follows the current trend topics with interest.
In fact, it is a style in constant evolution, always ready to update itself with the latest interior design news and allowing continuous evolution without ever tiring.
This is not an easy way to fill the house with furnishings and accessories that may prove to be useless, while leaving space open to personal tastes and easy future renovations.
MAIN FEATURES
The contemporary furnishing style denotes a colorful set of ways of understanding furniture, inspired by today’s life, innovation, changing times and, in a word, contemporary taste.
The objectives are simplicity of use, comfort, aesthetic beauty.
Other “subcategories” of styles are also part of the contemporary furniture style, such as the minimal style or the hi-tech style or the “loft” style or the industrial style.
In particular, in the contemporary furnishing style, much attention is paid to materials and appliances, in line with innovation and technical and technological progress.
But let’s see in detail what are the characteristics of the contemporary furniture style.
CHARACTERISTIC ELEMENTS
A certain style of furniture can be recognized by looking at some elements, usually visible at a single glance, but which can also concern more hidden details. The elements that determine a style are:
- coating materials;
- furniture materials;
- colors of walls and furnishings;
- shapes of the furnishings;
- location of furnishings;
- presence and arrangement of accessories;
- presence and arrangement of decorations;
- functionality of furnishings and accessories;
- presence or absence of advanced household appliances and electronic devices;
- systems used in a home.
MATERIALS
As for the materials of the coatings that can be considered typical of the contemporary furniture style, we can find:
- floor cement;
- floor resin;
- plaster on internal walls;
- stoneware and porcelain stoneware tiles in the bathroom;
- single fired tiles;
- innovative materials, designed to be practical, easy to clean and resistant to all stresses.
Instead, as regards the materials of the furnishings, in the contemporary furnishing style we find:
- first of all, glossy and matt lacquered surfaces;
- screen-printed surfaces;
- in addition, steel surfaces, especially in the kitchen;
- innovative materials, such as corian or silestone especially in the kitchen.
COLORS
In contemporary furnishing style, colors can play a fundamental role.
In fact, alongside the “classics” black and white, which never lose their charm even in the contemporary world, there can be very decisive colors, also combined in sharp and strong contrasts.
Certainly pastel colors are not part of this style, the preserve of other styles such as rustic.
We often try to follow the rules of chromatic sensations. In fact, you need to choose warm and energizing colors for the living area, cold and relaxing colors in the sleeping area.
But the rules in contemporary style can also be subverted, and it is one of the characteristics that distinguishes it from other more “rigid” styles such as the classic style.
Thus we can find objectively pleasing contrasts, such as white and red, white and orange, white and purple, or even unusual combinations, such as purple and acid green, purple and red, etc.
In general, however, in the contemporary style with the colors you can dare, but without leading to a too wide range of colors in the same environment, as it could happen with the pop style.
SHAPES
The contemporary furnishing style is recognizable because it makes geometry its election. In fact, clean lines are preferred, where decorations are banned, which are inspired by all forms of geometry, in all their declinations.
From square shapes, typical of the minimal style, such as rectangles, cubes, squares and right angles, to rounded shapes, with curves, circles, semicircular, elliptical, oval lines.
The intersection of all these shapes, can create absolutely unusual lines, in which the vaunted geometry is very little recognizable.
In fact, choosing shapes that are often inspired by the pop style, but which in general are innovative, proactive, often overbearing and which together with the colors can give life to furnishings that are absolutely protagonists of an environment.
FURNISHINGS
Let’s see how best to understand the trend and offer some ideas, ideas and examples of contemporary style for the different rooms of the house, especially in order not to fall into the error of making the home excessively bare, cold and inhospitable.
LIVING ROOM
Fundamental to when furnishing a contemporary style living room is prioritizing features such as width, air and cleanliness. Be careful to calibrate the light sources (natural and otherwise) well with the furniture elements chosen for this room.
It might be a good idea to include a rug or some design elements with bright and vivid colors inside the furniture. Or, if you feel like indulging in colors, you could try painting a wall or using fabrics that contrast with each other. In such a way as to create a strong visual effect that is impossible to ignore. The advice is, as always, not to overdo the contrasts!
Transparencies help to give a sense of airiness: a glass table, transparent vases or large mirrors will give an ethereal touch to the environment.
OFFICE
Especially in this time of smart working for many, it becomes essential to organize your office in the best possible way to avoid going crazy before the end of the pandemic. The contemporary style, with its rigor and love for order and spaciousness, is the style for you!
In a contemporary studio, the walls should be light and bright, decorations reduced to a minimum (also to avoid distractions!), and it should be equipped with all the technology useful in this environment, for example, a Dimmer lighting to adjust the intensity of the lights.
Choose upholstered furniture in black, white or neutral tones, in natural fibers such as wool, cotton, linen, silk. To give a touch of colour, choose cushions with geometric fabrics. Furniture and chairs should not have trim, fringe or tassels, but be very minimal and smooth.
SLEEPING AREA
The bedroom should be a relaxing environment, and when choosing furniture and colors you should only be guided by functionality, but also choose from a layout that conciliates sleep and relaxation.
Here too, white and neutral tones such as grey and ivory are used. Keep the size typical of this style especially in this room, and keep the decorations to a minimum.
As for the bed, the heart of this environment, choose one with an upholstered headboard and structure, or stay with a minimalist model with an essential design. So discard any models that are either too classic or too modern. To follow the dictates of practicality typical of this style, you can also purchase a space-saving bed with storage unit, which will make the room even more functional and comfortable.
Finally, for textiles, opt for plain colours and natural fibres such as linen and cotton, while discarding patterns.
KITCHEN
The kitchen is a room that is technically not perfectly in line with contemporary style. Considering that the latter prefers tidy, airy and clean environments, in the kitchen you might have a few too many problems in inserting this style of furniture. Yet, if you furnish in a contemporary style with strong references to the minimalist style and, therefore, to a few furnishing elements, well ordered and with well squared lines and shapes, the kitchen becomes a perfect environment for this style.
A few tricks, the most important of which may be to get a kitchen island and, in general, furniture tending to white and with very geometric shapes.
CONCLUSIONS
The contemporary style goes well with the types of homes typical of the present. In fact, it is good for city apartments, which must be functional and practical, lofts, open spaces, with large spaces available.
In addition, the contemporary style may also characterize some areas of houses outside the city, but it does not adapt to country or mountain houses.
Having said that, it is still a type of style that allows you various furnishing possibilities. In fact, thanks to its numerous sub-styles it also gives the possibility to create interesting and unique mixes.
With the contemporary style you can, without overdoing it, give free rein to your imagination, using our advice in this article as a guide. You won’t go wrong!
LEAVE A COMMENT
If you found the article interesting, leave a comment with your considerations.
Finally, if you need a personalized guide in choosing the style of furniture for your home, send an email to valeriadesign@casaomnia.it!