Activate the practical mode
Timeless and effective, the contemporary style is created to make your daily life easier and more comfortable. For this reason, it opts for intelligent storage, capable of hiding in the most unsuspected places, so as not to alter the aesthetic order of the room; believe in saving space and exploit every square inch to your advantage.
The floor-to-ceiling bookcase takes advantage of the vertical, designs an ideal layout and makes the most of every corner: under the window, behind the door… Do not hesitate: functionality is an essential requirement.
Believe in the power of light
And spread it around, like in this Cassina environment. Contemporary décor is inseparable from bright interiors, open to the outside or lit by lamps and accessories in sufficient quantity, without going into fair mode (‘of course’).
To achieve this, design openings in your rooms; replace blind wooden doors with others with glass; choose curtains that let the light in; say yes to unique spaces, without divisions or with glass partitions; plan a lighting project that does not leave corners in shadow…
Be moderate
In this decorative style, excess is always an enemy. This is an elegant style, both in terms of design and volumes and colors, do not throw it away with excess and do not be fooled by the immediate effect of many objects and decorations.
Play with a maximum of three colors per room and incorporate furniture and basic pieces, which seek subtlety and functionality. Remember, if you want to give a touch of warmth, why do you have to fill your beautiful sofa (this one from B & B Italia) with cushions?
Use the color to your advantage
This ‘deco’ style likes discreet but effective colours, among which neutral and relaxing colours (white, grey, beige and even anthracite black) dominate without any doubt. To give personality to the whole, he reinforces the contrast by facing black and white or dark grey and beige, for example.
And if you want to emphasize a decoration or a piece of furniture, use the bright tones. Remember to take into account the colour of the furniture and fabrics as well as the walls.
Take precautions
Characterized by rigorously clean pieces with no nooks and crannies, contemporary decoration also means easy maintenance and trouble-free cleaning. So, whenever you can, choose textiles that can be washed, furniture that can be cleaned without problems or floors that look like new in one go.
Even design pieces, such as Jaime Hayon’s Fred armchair for Fritz Hansen, have a trick, as their removable fabric or leather covers allow you to always look perfect and change your look easily.
Combines classic and contemporary elements
One of the keys to your success? Its ability to adapt to all interiors and all tastes. Based on simple principles (design, comfort and sobriety), the contemporary style adapts to all types of homes, including the oldest.
So, in a classic setting with a fireplace and mouldings, Knoll’s chairs and sofa (in Domesticoshop) fit perfectly into the room, bringing a dose of freshness and personality.
Run away from…
In a contemporary interior, furniture is more comfortable with minimalism, straight lines and smooth surfaces, sometimes shiny, but always unadorned. In every room, the decoration must be clear, nuanced by precise brushstrokes.
Flee from useless adornments and avoid fringed carpets and fabrics with a lot of texture or excess glitter, as in this atmosphere of Gunni & Trentino, where the personal touch is given by the mustard-coloured pouf and the armchair with a black and white print.
Integrate the technology
This is a style that, in addition to being comfortable and functional, goes hand in hand with modernity and new technologies, always creating intelligent interiors, which find in home automation a faithful ally.
Sanitary fittings that incorporate cleaning and heating, electrical appliances that are programmed from the mobile phone, curtains that go up (and down) by themselves… At the same time, televisions and speakers look for their place in the house, integrating themselves naturally.
Invest in design and quality
We are dealing with a decoration that lives on the fringes of fashion, but at the same time is always close to trends. Besides, as it is timeless, it needs pieces that always look their best.
That is why, if you do not want to confuse your contemporary rooms with designer furniture, as in this atmosphere of Capo d’Opera, and strong and warm materials: from wood to steel or glass.
Make it yours
It has to comply with the rules, be able to seek a balance between the different elements, even when they are from another era, try not to let one material prevail over another and always avoid excesses.
But, in addition to all this, it is mandatory that it is yours, that it allows your personality and your tastes to be reflected in some of the details, as the pickled Chinese sideboard does in this Batavia atmosphere.
Look for the ‘two for one’.
With functionality raised to maximum power, dual-purpose furniture becomes a way to make profitable not only the meters of a room but also to bring out the facet closer to our daily life.
From tables with drawers, beds with storage space or bathtubs with shelves to shelves, like the one that appears in this Muuto environment, which with its design is not only intended to house the largest number of books but also to contribute its decorative grain to the style of the room.
Sometimes, get your ‘wow’ side out
From time to time, it shouldn’t always be either, be daring and break the rules with some element that departs from what is established by this type of decoration.