If there is one word that many homeowners would like their house to be described as it would be modern. Of course, what fits under this terms varies depending on who you speak to, but there are a number of features which people would happily categorise under the umbrella of this particular term. In this article, we will range from the simple to the complicated in our quest to help you create a more contemporary home. Here we go…
Bring More Light into Your House
Maximising the amount of natural light that flows into your home is something that everyone should be trying to achieve. After all, no one wants a place that looks dank and dingy. If you have the option to install bigger windows, particularly in the rooms overlooking the garden, this is a good one to take. You should also consult closely with your floor plan for effective methods that you can use including installing skylights, solar tubes and translucent glass. Of course, everything depends on which direction your house is facing.
Choose a Subtle Colour Scheme with Accented Features
Generally, a modern look consists of using more neutral tones for the main features including floors, furnishings and textiles. Greys, blacks, browns and whites are fairly standard choices. But this doesn’t mean that your rooms have to be boring. Metal details will shine through with much more prominence against a neutral background, and you can also experiment with your favourite colours on seat covers, appliances and decorative features to draw the eye.
Make Use of Natural Features Where Possible
It is always a nice idea in a contemporary home to make use of natural features as much as possible. Of course, it has become fairly common practice to buy wooden furniture and flooring, but there are plenty of other natural features that you can dot around including branches, pinecones, sand, rocks and water. Just a few of the other materials that you can utilise include slate, teak, cotton and wool.
Replace Heavier Items with Light and Airy Ones
Rather than bulky and heavy furniture, a contemporary home should utilise items which appear lighter and more casual. So, you should be looking at items which are easy to manoeuvre so you can update the look of your room whenever you feel like it. Also, you should be going for items which are lifted up off the floor which gives off a feeling of weightlessness. An item like a vertical double radiator is perfect for replacing your clunky old-fashioned version. Making your furniture seem lighter really helps to fulfil the purpose of giving your rooms an enhanced sense of space.
Bare Floors and a Minimalist Approach
In general, you should be aiming for a less cluttered approach to home decoration. Make ‘less is more’ your mantra. There is no doubt nothing categorises this approach more than bare floors in gorgeous finishes. Depending on the room, a few materials that you could try out include hardwoods, ceramics and porcelain. Of course, this leaves you free to add a more personal touch with area rugs and carpets to suit your taste.
Blur Your Room Boundaries
In days gone by, it was fairly standard practice to have clearly defined room boundaries, but there has been much more of a trend towards open plan living in recent years. So, this means going back to your original floor plan and looking at different ways that you can create a unified feel throughout your home. Is it possible to combine your living and dining areas? Could you potentially do the same with a kitchen and family room? Multifunctional spaces are all the rage right now so why not catch up with modern trends?
Attention to Detail is Everything
When it comes to stylish and modern home design, you don’t want to simply focus on the big features all the time. It is the smaller things that really add the finishing touches. So, look at details such as handles, mirrors, curtains, handrails, and light shades. Make sure that these are all in line with the overall look that you are trying to create. For example, instead of grand, ornate bannisters, you could instead look at innovative cables to create the desired effect.
Focus on the Hidden Details
Following on nicely from the last point, an area of contemporary design that people really care about is the hidden details. Technology plays such a major role in our modern lives that it should also play a big part in your home design. So, try to reduce the presence of unsightly wires with remote control options for electronics, heating and cooling, lighting and security. As robotic homes become more of a reality for more people, don’t sacrifice modern design when you are trying to keep up.
Don’t Forget About the Exterior As Well
There are plenty of architectural details which you can add to the exterior of your home that ensure that the outside and the inside fit together nicely. As you would expect, heavy ornamentation has largely become a thing of the past in the modern home. Instead, simple straight lines are the way to go. Different materials should blend together naturally, and you don’t need to go too bold or over the top.
Embrace Openness
If there are two points which have come up again and again when we have been talking about modern design trends, they are openness and minimalism. Rather than sticking to strict design trends, you should be looking for more ways in which you can create more space and return to the ‘less is more’ philosophy we have already talked about. And, of course, your home should always be a reflection of your passions and your lifestyle. With all these points firmly in mind, you are ready to start modernising your abode one feature at a time until you have the modern paradise that you have always dreamed about.
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