Contemporary style is an easy living style but is it what fits your personality best?
Your home should fill your needs so you can go about your daily life, performing at your best, feeling good, resting. It is the place where you replenish yourself, therefore it should reflect you. This series of articles explores the different styles to help you define which fits you best.
The dominant material in contemporary style is steel. Easy of care, and solid, steel lends itself to any shape or form. Contemporary style is synonymous with living with high tech.
A contemporary styled home has predominantly lines that are pure, solemn, sensible, and that merge functionality to design. In the last decade technology has moved at an incredible pace, which have given designers opportunity to create amazing decorative objects, appliances and furniture that are both beautiful, functional and innovative.
Contemporary style : materials
As stated the dominant material is steel. Steel can be shaped or formed in the most exigent ways. In furniture legs, steps, lamps, decorative items in the kitchen or the bathroom, steel can be found anywhere. The other ubiquitous material is glass, which is transparent and gives a feeling of openness and light to space. It is often perceived as being an opulent high-end or up-market material. Natural materials like wood or leather are not excluded, they are added as accents when they fit in the scheme of the design.
Contemporary style : colors
The colors most often used are neutral, white, beige, coal, black. These colors can be played-up with stronger colors depending on the circumstances. Vibrant colors are often brought in as accessories, or as marking areas, for example using a bright color for trim against a neutral wall, or the opposite a strong color wall trimmed with a contrasting white trim, and toned down by using neutral accessories.
Contemporary style : forms
Forms are basic and simple. "Form follows function anything else is anathema" was the battle cry of architects and designers of the 30's. To this end contemporary decor is minimalist, there is nothing that is not needed. The line is the most defining element of form. Geometric shapes dominate, empty spaces are not seen as empty but as negative space that serves a function. Every structural element can be used to accentuate or diminish another.
Contemporary style : furniture
Contemporary kitchens and bathrooms are often in one dominant color. Kitchen appliances, and bathrooms fixtures follow the basic rules of sobriety and cleanly defined lines. White and gray are the preferred colors.
Furniture is simple and uncluttered, lines are straight without ornament. Statements are made with the contrast of colors or light and shadows. Fabrics are natural or at least look natural, wool, linen, cotton as well as silk and jute for textures is often used.
