How To Incorporate Contemporary Design Into Your Home

When we think about our homes and what role they play in our busy lives, most folks would likely say that they want their home to be a refuge or retreat from the busy world. Others might see their home as a gathering place or most likely a combination of a place to relax and entertain. Regardless of your personal goals for your home, those goals can be greatly enhanced with your design choices! The wonderful thing about “design” as opposed to “decoration” is that design is about looks and function while decoration is purely decorative. Most of us don’t live in palaces that can afford to have spaces that are purely decorative, so thinking about design is crucial when it comes to making your house into the home of your dreams.

Since this article is about the pluses of contemporary design, obviously I am steering you in that direction, but let me explain why. Once folks lived in dwellings where keeping the home either cool or warm was the priority. Heat was generated with a wood burning stove or fireplace, coolness was obtained with thick walls and very small windows generally. Even those who lived in large homes did not have huge windows, as glass technology did not exist, nor did the idea of a non-baring window wall allowing glass from floor to ceiling. Do you see where I’m heading with this? Contemporary home design was developed together with contemporary architecture, and when designers/architects started developing ideas that focused on light and space and function a whole new way of living was born. Meaning houses could finally be used for much more than just surviving, because streamlining the furnishings means more room to live! And I must say, I am so very grateful to those original pioneers, as while I have been know to comb flea markets for my vintage everything collection, I truly love modern design as well.

Keeping all of the above in mind, lets take a look at some of the factors to consider when choosing a design direction for your home. And yes, dear readers, choose a direction, and even make an inspiration board, it will serve you well and help you from getting distracted by all the choices out there! You may want to learn about the history of modern design, which I highly recommend as it will make your choices that much more informed!

Should The Home’s Architecture Dictate The Design Direction?

While it is true generally that very decorative and heavy traditional furniture does not look its best in a bare bones modern home, the opposite is not the case. Historic homes and apartments with beautiful moldings or interesting details and high ceilings (hopefully!) actually look amazing especially when filled with quality contemporary furniture. If your home is neither modern nor historic, you needn’t worry about making any mistakes, just keep in mind the proportions of the spaces and what features you’d like to highlight and what features you’d like to downplay. Really bare bones modern furniture looks the best in a space that has character, so if you are like most of the world and your space really doesn’t have any architectural character, you’ll need to add that with the furnishings, lighting, and choice of wall decor. That doesn’t mean you need to pile on the furnishings. Look at your home as a stage set or blank slate and carefully consider how each piece can turn the space into something that feels like an amazing home. Speaking of architecture, and especially when you don’t have great windows, I have always found that curtains hung from the ceiling, and lots of them can really transform a place. I love simple white curtains, and use them to give the illusion of taller ceilings and larger windows.

How To Choose A Color Direction Or Scheme

Color, or lack of color is often one of the most visible elements in any design. Color can be used in many ways, so don’t assume that you need to go all out with color on the walls. I prefer neutral wall color with the color statements executed through furniture, throw pillows, art and objects that can be easily changed. Color is such a personal thing and can bring so much joy, so make sure to use colors that you love, but unless you are one of the brave few, don’t overdo it! Also, always, always, always when it comes to wall color, buy at three sample cans of a given color to test it first, as small paint swatches are just a suggestion of what the color might look like.

Also, before you choose the color scheme in your home, consider any collections of photos, artwork of even plants that are important to you, and choose the colors that will highlight rather than detract from your beloved items. The simplest way to choose a color scheme that you love is to find inspiration from photos of interiors. Do keep in mind that white/creme is the best color to keep a space feeling airy and large, and so if this is important to you, don’t listen to the folks that think white walls are boring, go with the large airy feeling! Okay, so you don’t have to go with white, but keep it light. Then, add other combinations of colors through soft furnishings, curtains, pillows, throws, etc. For the greatest feeling of harmony in a space it is a good idea to choose colors that work together rather than compete for attention. For example, if you love pops of bright yellow, make that the only really bright color in the room. If you add something that is bright red, the red and yellow might compete with one another, or if the space is large the dialog between the two can be fun and playful. Funny enough, I just found a photo (below) with a red couch and a yellow chair, and the effect is gorgeous. Of course the space is gorgeous, and the pieces of furniture are examples high quality Danish design.

Above: Just a few select pieces of furniture by Danish brand Fritz Hansen looks amazing in the spare space.

While there are so many ways to group color, here are some categories that might work for you:

• Warm colors include orange, yellow, red and any combination of these colors. They represent a feeling of warmth, like the sun and heat. They are said to invoke emotions of joy and happiness. Current versions of warm colors that are used in interiors are terra cotta, blush pink, caramel and mustard.
  
• Cool colors include purple, blue, green and anything in between. They bring a soothing and calm effect to any environment. They are associated with the sky or bodies of water. While one could paint a small powder room in a cool aqua or peacock green, stay away from strong versions of these colors as they can steel the show entirely, not to mention not look all that great.
  
• Bold colors include green, yellow, dark red, blue and dark purple. These colors exude confidence, and give the space an upbeat feeling, but it is best to use them sparingly. It is true a really deep tone can look great on one wall, or in a tiny space, just be very sure about that dark color before you paint, as covering  it later is quite a job.
  
• Pastel colors are very light versions of any color, and give a soft, calm feeling. Pastels can give a vintage vibe (like when used in the kitchen for the fridge or toaster, etc.) or look very contemporary when paired with black and white or other neutrals.
• Neutral colors are white, grey, beige and all the shades in between. They create a soft back drop for patterned ethnic accessories, pottery and a collection of black and white or sepia photos, or a small jungle!

Above: Linge Roset sofas are the design!

How To Choose Furniture

Furniture can be an important part of your design, or not. If you prefer big open spaces try to limit the furniture to the bare basics, and choose furniture that has a light profile visually. Fill corners with tall plants, and hang a large textile or piece of art on the feature wall. Don’t forget to include gorgeous modern lighting that pulls the look together. If conversely you want to create your look via the choice of furniture, you will want to make sure to choose items that really work together. That is of course where inspiration photos as well as furniture showrooms can come in handy! In addition to your personal likes and dislikes there are several important issues to keep in mind when choosing furniture:

• Who will be using the furniture? If you have kids or crowds of friends gathering at your place regulary do avoid that light colored couch, unless you want to become a slave to it. The same goes for rugs, unless you have a no shoes rule in your home. If you have young children you may want to choose furniture with covers that can be laundered, or choose a material that can be easily cleaned. When it comes to choosing dining room chairs, consider how much wear they will get and be aware that inexpensive chairs will not only wear out quickly but can be dangerous. If you have a number of regular guests that are very tall or large, consider mixing and matching your chairs and getting something sturdy for them. We have lots of guests and often shuffle around the chairs (without anyone noticing) to provide sturdier chairs to those who need them.
  
• Do you really know the exact measurements of your space and what size couch (for example) is the best fit for you? A couch that is either too large or too small can throw off the proportions of the whole room, so make your decisions carefully.
• Are the entrances to your home/building/apartment large enough to allow for delivery of the furniture. Believe me, you don’t want to have to remove windows and hire a crane to get that new couch into your apartment!
• Is this your “forever home” or will you be moving in the not too distant future? Unless you don’t mind spending lots on moving, don’t invest in huge pieces of furniture. They are difficult to move and may not fit into your next place after you’ve gone through all the trouble to move them, yikes.
• What is your actual budget? Can you splurge on a few really classic high end design pieces to pair with some lower cost items, or maybe just buy fewer pieces of quality furniture that in themselves are like works of art?

Where To Buy Furniture

Furniture stores generally specialize in creating specific themes and designs, such that customers can buy a complete “look” or just one piece that works with furniture they already own. Showroom settings where one can actually try out the furniture are ideal, but sometimes ordering on-line is the only practical thing to do. When shopping for classic modern design furniture or accessories from well known manufacturers shopping on line is great, just make sure you are not getting knock-offs. Do keep in mind that any reputable on-line merchant has sales staff to help you, so you can still ask questions and even get a design consultation by sending photos and dimensions of your space.

Since furniture is difficult to return and sometimes not returnable, do your research and make your purchases in such a way that there is no surprise factor, except for how great your space looks! When shopping for contemporary furniture look for an establishment like Aria shop, which sells a wide range of quality items by  well known designers, and is one of the leading contemporary design furniture shops in London. You can click here to browse some of the contemporary collections Aria offers, including a variety of furniture for the living room, veranda, outdoor, washroom, storage and even the office.

Arias products are unique, competitively priced and most importantly will truly help you turn your house into the home you’ve been dreaming of. Truthfully I was sold when I saw that they offer a line of furniture designed by Sir Terrance Conrad as well as the classic glass tulip vases designed by Alvar Aalto, one of the pioneers of contemporary design. And then I took a closer look at the sight, and swoon, the lighting is amazing, and I saw so many of my classic favorites calling my name. Just saying.

Above: Vases designed by Finnish design great Alvar Aalto, now made in frosted and colors!