A New Era of Contemporary Design

Often confused with the Modern Style, Contemporary interior design is anything but. In contrast to the early-to-mid-20th-century styles that evolved with function and form as central tenants. The contemporary design stands apart from the warm woods and principal hues of old. Defined by its love of simplicity, sophisticated subtlety and clean, bold texture, contemporary design is deliberate and hard to ignore.

Contemporary Responsibility

While the minimalist approach still anchors contemporary interior trends. Eco-friendliness and an evolving color palate are seeing somewhat of a transformation of late. As creatives hone in on ways to bring their visions to life without exacting a heavy price on our planet. Sustainability and environmental awareness are governing what materials we use. While designers are paying careful attention to where their resources are coming from.

A Contemporary Generation

“Less is more” has often been tagged onto contemporary styles. But this adage sometimes misses the point of this simplistic, minimalist approach to interior design. The world of today is abandoning the over-indulgent, superfluous creations of a bygone era. From aggressive color combinations to over-the-top furniture and needless excess, we are leaving behind the last vestiges of the early 20th century’s identity crisis, replacing these tastes with cleaner lines, natural hues and a pragmatic approach to interiors not seen before.

While many contemporary interiors still do retain some vestiges of the Modern era – an antique cabinet, the classic Persian rug, or a restored tea table – by and large, they’re all but gone. Spatial efficiency and designed-for-purpose, clutter-free rooms have taken center stage, and should continue to do so for some time yet.

Where To From Here?

So, what defines contemporary design? Who decides what can be labeled ‘contemporary’ and what cannot? While no single ‘design authority’ dictates the evolution of interior design, artists, designers and creatives alike can all agree that contemporary design is a thing of beauty, characterized by minimalism and concision. Slated to influence our interiors for generations to come, contemporary design is re-shaping our ideas of sustainable, functional, beautiful interior spaces. With technology playing a fast-growing role in how we live our lives, a new era of cleaner, smarter contemporary design is about to dawn.