Modern and contemporary are design styles that a lot of people confuse with one another, but these refer to different design periods in time. In this article, you can find descriptions of the differences between modern and contemporary styles in interior design that can assist you in achieving a harmonious interior design of your home.
What is Modern Design?
Modern design can be defined as a decorative style that originated in early- to mid-1900's which denotes the period between 1920's and 1950's. It promoted the use of simple, often austere geometry and featured against the excesses of the preceding styles.
Some key characteristics of modern design include:
- Geometry shapes and simple lines.
- The simplicity and absence of decoration and ornament made them ideal.
- Advantages of the use of new manmade materials such as plastic fiberglass and plywood.
- Open floor plans
- Practicality and usability above visual design.
- It was noted that the most prominent colors for the neutrals were black, white, beige, and grey.
- Materials such as wood, leather, ceramic, and stone are used in producing the rug.
- Use of technological improvements and adaptations.
Modern manifested the ideas of the newly emerging industrialization of the whole world and the concepts of functionality and accessibility of design.
What is Contemporary Design?
Contemporary design is also known as the late 20th-century design or the current design that has characterized the current design in our interior décor. It encompasses postmodernism concepts and new trends in art, culture, and society, especially today's world, its focus on sustainability, and advanced technology.
Characteristics of contemporary interiors include:
- Geometric lines are incorporated together with organic curves.
- Examples include color schemes that use neutral colors with bright or contrasting colors.
- Textured fabrics like wool, linen, jute, rattan, unfinished wood.
- Sculptural decoration and artful surprises.
- Contemporary high-tech lightings and electronics.
- Furnishings that feature storage space built into the piece.
- Spacious living arrangements that provide an open layout connecting each area.
- Adoption of the modern technology and environmental sustainability.
Modern Vs. Contemporary: What's the Difference?
While modern and contemporary styles have distinct characteristics, they share some commonalities including:
Clean Lines
The elements of both styles prefer straight lines and geometric shapes of an apparent angle rather than elegant curves and carvings.
Neutral Colors
Sleek and simple, the colors of these minimalist designs lean towards whites, blacks and earth tones. Splashes of color also add to the décor but as accents.
Textures and Materials
Metal, glass, leather and wood are essential to inject visual interest in modern and minimalist houses and 1950s-inspired interiors.
Form Follows Function
The purpose, practicality and usefulness inform the design of these styles more than mere ornament.
Technological Incorporation
The use of updated materials accompanied by the constant development of lighting and electronics as well as the improvement of manufacturing techniques is typical for modern and contemporary interior design.
Fundamental Differences between Modern and Contemporary.
Aesthetic
Modern design relied solely on functionality while keeping décor minimal and either white or neutral in color while contemporary design allows for more expression and even incorporation of color, texture, and global design influence.
Era and Influences
Modern design derived its inspiration from early twentieth century modernist artists and contemporary takes its inspiration from today's art and popular culture combining old and new.
Floor Plans
Newer floor plans are more open with less doorways barriers that isolated rooms in the functional spaces of modern homes.
Mixing Modern And Contemporary Furniture: Tips & Tricks
Some designers combine mid century and contemporary styles in a way that creates a hybrid between two distinct times. Ways to fuse modern and contemporary include:
- Hang large realist and impressionist paintings on stark modern geometric cream walls.
- Pick modern table lamps next to vintage armchairs with the 1950s-inspired look.
- Add texture with a new rug and lighting with Nelson bubble lamps for clean modernist lines.
- Select a fireplace design from a modernist brick or concrete with a wood or metal material surround.
In conclusion, the main difference between modern and contemporary design is that both are based on functionality and do not use excessive decorative elements, but modern dictates strict geometry in the details, while contemporary is more dynamic. Contemporary was inspired by recent developments such as environmentalism and technology whereas modern was more pure with lines influenced by the machine age.
Understanding the modern vs. contemporary interior design difference ensures that we have the ability to actively select the rooms we want based on our preferences and mix different periods of time or stick to one specific style. This guarantees that your abode reflects your styling and design preferences.
And so whether you like the straight and clean lines of mid century modern rooms or the natural and irregular ambience of today's contemporary rooms, understanding the fundamental differences between the two enables you to be more conscious about the way you decorate your home.