MODERN STYLE: ORIGINS
The modern style combines a set of rather “hybrid” characteristics, since it is a macro category, within which different “niche” styles can be understood.
In any case, a modern style clearly differs from a classic or rustic one, but it can also differ from the so-called “contemporary” style, since it is characterized by less aggressive details.
The modern style was born from a revolution in the world of architecture between the two wars where every design and aesthetic criterion was rethought.
It is still considered today as one of the most important movements in the history of architecture. The essence of modernism is functionality, or the need for each designed space to obtain the best possible utility.
The movement has crowned many masters still considered among the best ever, such as Le Corbusier with his ideas of social urban planning and Frank Lloyd Wright and organic architecture without forgetting the institution that has become the Bauhaus.
In 1936 in America the movement was also called International Style, precisely because it had revolutionized the whole world a little.
For a young, single couple or for those who intend to give a complete renovation to the furniture, the choice of modern style for home furnishing is one of the most natural options because it allows the greatest compromises in the available budget and in the amount of furniture to buy.
After all, modern style often flows into minimalist style.
Setting up a modern home does not necessarily mean placing an object of design or a contemporary piece of furniture in some corner: it is necessary to choose to create an environment in which to feel good.
MAIN FEATURES
So what does modern style mean in the context of furniture?
However, it remains a concept very tied to the architecture of the house that has evolved over the years. The link between beauty and purpose is indispensable, nothing can be beautiful if it is not functional.
The current modern style has inherited the concept of original modernism but has slowly merged with the idea of minimalism of shapes and spaces, very representative of our current contemporaneity.
The materials used to furnish in a modern style are simple, often shiny and polished.
The spaces are calibrated in the right way between open space and furnishings and the colors tend to be neutral or dark, always solid color.
The modern style is therefore characterized by the use of modern materials and furnishings, that is, obtained with techniques different from those of the distant past.
For example, even in modern style, as in the classic one, wood is widely used, but the treatments to which it is subjected are different, making it more resistant and sometimes even aesthetically different.
Furthermore, the lines of the furnishings can take on different shapes, even irregular ones and without decorations.
The aim of the modern furnishing style is to free itself from the “weight” of large furniture, full of decorations and not very functional.
The goal is to lighten the environments and make them more practical, for cleaning and for daily use. For these reasons, technology is also widely used in modern furniture style.
The modern style can be softer and give feelings of calm and relaxation, or it can be cheerful and lively, with very accentuated touches.
CONSTITUENT ELEMENTS
So, let’s see specifically what are the constituent elements that make a home truly in line with the definition of “modern”:
- very simple and often linear lines and shapes;
- brightness;
- glossy or transparent surfaces;
- functionality;
- white but not only;
- practicality and simplicity;
- quality instead of quantity.
The features that most distinguish the modern style are the functionality of the space and an elegant simplicity. That said, there are many other elements that contribute to making a home in true modern style:
- Shapes: in modern style there is no rigidity of shapes as perhaps it is more evident in minimal style. In this style the shapes tend to be clean and simple, even irregular but always remain very calm;
- Colors: white always tends to be there in modern homes, but not only. The most used colors are white and black with all their various shades but it is becoming more and more common to see modern houses full of color;
- Natural light: just because modern houses are often very tied to the architecture of the building, natural light is usually always abundant. Modern houses tend to have very large windows, which allow light to pass through and illuminate the space;
- Materials: in the modern style a lot of bright, smooth materials are used, treated in luxurious ways;
- Technology: modern design is becoming increasingly technological. Technology begins to be increasingly part of our way of furnishing.
MATERIALS
In the modern furniture style, the most used materials can also be the classic ones, but treated differently. In fact, together with them, there may also be newer materials suitable for the functionality of a modern home:
- As for the floors, we find: ceramics, terracotta, carpet, wood or laminates;
- For the coatings, however, we have: even colored plaster, wall papers, tiles in the kitchen and bathroom, also decorated;
- The furnishings, however, range from wood to glossy or matt lacquers, up to the use of metal for some details;
- At last, for upholstered items: suitably treated leather, but above all fabrics are the most used materials.
TECHNOLOGY
Systems and technology in the house furnished in a modern style are very important, given the fundamental role that is given in this style to functionality, practicality and comfort.
In the modern house, appliances with good performance and energy saving are mandatory, modern systems, such as cooling with air conditioners and the underfloor heating system or with a condensing boiler, strategically organized electrical system, gas or electrical system for the kitchen.
Finally, audio-video systems must be integrated and sometimes well camouflaged in the furnishings, but they cannot be missing: televisions and stereos are in fact inevitably part of the modern outfit.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MODERN AND MINIMAL
Many wonder what the differences are actually between these two styles.
In fact, with the passing of the years modernism has surely approached the concept of minimal, indeed, minimal style was born as a facet of classic modernism!
The differences between these two styles are not always so obvious. In essence the minimal style is a type of modernism, in fact, the modern style tends to be less rigid on the choice of colors and materials.
A house can be very modern and have materials such as wood, for example, which is never used in minimal style. The minimal style is more restrictive on materials that are always linear, geometric, always tend to white.
In the minimal you can see very few colors, only shades of black and white and the style reduces the furnishings to the minimum aesthetically necessary. The modern style instead is more based on the structure of the house and the function of things.
In the minimal style, the size is reduced as an aesthetic choice, in the modern one as a functional requirement.
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Finally, if you need advice or a personalized guide to make your home suitable for the characteristics of modern style, send an email to valeriadesign@casaomnia.it!