People often struggle to define contemporary home design because it takes so much inspiration from different styles and eras. Unlike modern design, contemporary design isn’t a design movement; rather, it is simply ‘of the moment’. When working towards a contemporary home design, it should break away from traditional thinking, and be specifically tailored to today’s living. Here’s what defines contemporary home design today.

What is contemporary architecture?

This style of architecture has simple lines, planes and angles. Dramatic, large, open-plan spaces create an almost structural quality – an integral component of the overall design – and large, undressed windows are in abundance. Other structural features include high ceilings and geometric shapes.

What is contemporary interior design?

‘Less is more’ definitely rings true in contemporary interior design. Bare spaces can be just as demanding in a contemporary home than the furniture or art that fills them, for instance. Contemporary style uses neutral colours – think cream, white, tan and black – so that the lines and shapes of the architecture itself and the decor that fills it can take centre stage. Surfaces are sleek and often high-shine, helping to bounce light around the space.

What is contemporary furniture?

Contemporary furnishings are high-impact, but with minimal fuss – again, think clean lines and little to no decoration. As mentioned previously, contemporary design borrows from other styles, and so classic furniture pieces are forever updated under this style. Take the Bentwood chair, for example. This furniture design, which is more than 100 years old, now comes in a two-tone effect and has, in turn, become a popular contemporary dining chair. The spacious, open-plan nature of contemporary homes also makes them well suited to large-scale furnishings.