Apartment in contemporary style: design features
Content:
- How did the contemporary style appear?
- Color solutions for contemporary style
- Materials used in contemporary style
- Furniture
- Home lighting
- Selection of textiles for the interior
- Room decoration
Translated from English, the word “contemporary” sounds like “modern”. Indeed, this is a relatively recently emerged interior design style. Meanwhile, when decorating an apartment, the emphasis is not only on modern style solutions - first of all, it is their combination with convenience.
Contemporary style can be compared with conventional interior design, generally accepted in our time. Does everything seem simple? Not at all - without knowing the subtleties and features of the style, it is easy to spoil the overall impression of it. To prevent this from happening, it is better to study all the features of the contemporary style in advance, even before planning the interior.
How did the contemporary style appear?
In the 1950s-1960s, most people around the world lived, surprisingly, in similar environments. The apartment was furnished with whatever we could find. The furniture was mass-produced, decorative items were also the same for many families, because it was extremely difficult to get something unique. No one pretended to be individual - it was important that life be comfortable.
The contemporary style was born in a combination of features of minimalism, constructivism and Scandinavian style. At the same time, it combined elements of modern, classic, high-tech and other styles. The interior could also contain antiques that were obtained by chance or if they were passed down by inheritance.
The spread of the contemporary style was facilitated by the Bauhaus school, which existed in Germany from 1919 to 1933 - more precisely, its graduates. They began to convey the idea that humanity needs universal furniture that will suit any room. Of course, such furniture had to be affordable and stylish in appearance. As a result, in the 1980s-1990s such furniture was everywhere. Vivid evidence is kitchen units created in the same style, or living room walls that are familiar to everyone.
Color solutions for contemporary style
The color palette of the contemporary style is based on cold, natural shades - a tribute to high-tech and minimalism. There are no bright colors or ornaments, but just remember how quickly they get boring after renovations! As a rule, preference is given to black, gray, white, milky, brown and white colors.
This interior does not seem boring - the emphasis is on textures. The finishing contains both glossy and rough surfaces, and materials with their own texture. Decorative elements also add variety - bright accents in the form of pillows on sofas, fresh flowers, colorful photographs and curtains dilute the overall atmosphere.
It is important not to overdo it - if you add colorful notes to a contemporary style interior, there should not be too many of them. It is better if they all refer to one or two primary colors. Then visually the room will not create a feeling of chaos.
Materials used in contemporary style
One of the principles of contemporary style is the availability of interior design from a financial point of view. For this reason, artificial materials are often used when decorating premises. Is it possible to use natural materials? In the contemporary style this is acceptable - the main thing is that the interior ultimately corresponds to the general concept of the contemporary style.
The furnishings may include forged parts, leather, thick textiles and wood. The decoration of the room should also be appropriate and as natural as possible - stone, wood or even concrete.
For interior decoration, choose environmentally friendly and safe materials - this is especially important if animals or children live at home.
Furniture
The choice of furniture also has its own requirements. The most important thing is that it must be functional. In addition, remembering the sources and reasons for the emergence of the contemporary style, it is important to remember that this should be mass-produced furniture - it is not difficult to find on sale, and it costs relatively little.
What can we offer today as an example of furniture for decorating a room in a single contemporary style? You can choose transforming cabinets, modular and built-in storage systems. Folding tables and dining sets also meet the requirements of contemporary style. And multifunctional armchairs and sofas with hollow armrests and drawers for storing linen have long become classics in interior design!
In terms of materials from which furniture is made, wood, glass, metal, stone, as well as artificial materials - laminated chipboard, MDF, eco-leather and mixed fabrics are welcome.
Home lighting
Home lighting often becomes a problem when decorating rooms. Remember the general rule of contemporary style - the more light in the room, the more voluminous the space appears. But before choosing lamps, it is important to take care of natural lighting.
Contemporary style involves large windows that let a lot of light into the apartment. They cannot be covered with thick curtains. You can frame the windows with curtains or, if bright light interferes with comfortable life in the apartment, choose a lightweight option - blinds and thin, barely noticeable curtains.
Of course, natural lighting is not enough - you will have to think about lamps. Install a large, bright chandelier in the central area of the room, but remember that its style should be laconic. It is necessary to use additional lighting, especially in functional areas - food preparation areas, rest and work areas, wardrobes, etc. Use floor lamps and sconces, hidden spots and hanging structures.
With the help of a clearly planned direction of light, it is easy to achieve complete zoning of space - this technique is often used by interior designers. You can allocate a place to work, a relaxation area or a space for hobbies.
Selection of textiles for the interior
Textiles allow you to diversify the contemporary style environment by adding bright colors. Choose fresh shades, any patterns and designs. But you shouldn’t buy bed linen, blankets, table napkins, decorative pillows and rugs in radically different colors - give preference to one color that will decorate the interior. Of course, its shades may differ. Not enough brightness? Choose two of these primary colors, but no more.
From the point of view of textile material, it is better to choose natural fabrics. These are more pleasant to use, look better, and are easier to care for. And if you play with the contrast of textures of the elements, you can get an even more interesting effect! For example, the strict geometry of lines inherent in a contemporary style interior is successfully complemented by soft long-pile carpets, making the room more comfortable.
Room decoration
Contemporary style is an ideal option for any apartments and premises. Its features allow you to transform the apartment and bring the situation to a common denominator. It is suitable even for a small-sized home - thanks to such details as furniture with built-in drawers, compact storage systems and transformable cabinets, it is easy to organize the space in such a way as to create the feeling of a large area.
How to arrange rooms according to contemporary style so that the whole house looks harmonious? Here are a few examples.
- Living room. Place furniture so that there is plenty of space for comfortable movement around the room. The windows should be huge, and decorative items should be kept to a minimum. Furniture should have clear lines, but at the same time be simple. The sofa is the main element of the living room, and it is important that it is large and comfortable. For the living room, it is better to consider a comprehensive lighting system.
- Hallway. Stick to a light color scheme (usually the hallway is small in size), choose compact cabinets and small banquettes.
- Kitchen. It is better to leave a minimum of details here - only the most necessary. Everything should be done in muted tones; the kitchen fittings are hidden, but the dishes can be purchased in bright colors to create the necessary contrast. In modern apartments, the kitchen is often combined with the living room - you can separate the zones using a bar counter, a screen or even a sofa.
- Bedroom. As in the case of the living room, the bedroom should be spacious and modern - a minimum of details, and the furniture should have simple and clear forms. In terms of color, you can go wild here - choose a couple of contrasting shades or buy a bright chest of drawers.
- Bathroom. The bathroom should be light and maintain an airy feeling - plumbing fixtures are placed in the corners, leaving free space in the center. Remember that the floor, walls and ceiling here must be moisture resistant.
- Children's room. The main rule is the choice of safe finishing materials. Give preference to light colors, because there will already be a lot of bright things here - posters, drawings and toys.
- Office. Creating a full-fledged office is popular today - if there is no separate room, you can convert a loggia or storage room into it, and in combination with contemporary principles, this is easy to do - choose simple but functional furniture.
You can decorate one room in a contemporary style, but the interior of the entire apartment, created in a single contemporary style, looks as impressive as possible. If you decide to limit yourself to one room, for others choose similar styles - minimalism, constructivism, Scandinavian, etc. When choosing a contemporary style for decorating the entire home, try to take into account the main thing - laconic lines and furniture, muted natural colors and bright decorative aspects . Remember that everything should be simple and functional, and you can easily achieve the intended effect.
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