Elements of Contemporary Home Design

by Lauren Busser The House Designers’ Contributing Writer

There is no doubt that modern design is slowly creeping into everything we see and touch. Cars, appliances, computers; all are getting sleeker and more stylized, and so is today's home. The world of architecture and home interiors is starting to slant towards transitional and contemporary interiors. These terms simply refer to a relaxed break from traditional norms of interior design. Sometimes modern can refer to a design style referenced from the 1920s to 1950s, but whether you are going for vintage style or just a more modern appearance, here are a few simple ways to add contemporary design into your new home.

Let There Be Light!

At the top of the list of modern design is light. We don’t mean lamps or chandeliers—though they can make great accents, we mean daylight. Contemporary homes have airy rooms with lots of light. If this is the kind of feel you want, choosing an open floor plan will go a long way toward that goal. The lack of walls and obstructions means that there will be fewer barriers for light to bounce off of and coupling this with windows like Simonton® DaylightMax will let the light flow through your space.

This living room from LAMPS PLUS® uses distinctive lighting to brighten up the space while also adding a dash of color to break up the white. The use of simple lines against a few well chosen ornate accents makes this a prime example of contemporary design.

Keep it Subtle with Bright Accents

Keeping your color palette light and airy will be helpful when it comes to creating a contemporary feel for your home. That doesn’t mean that you have to forego color entirely though. Focus color in area rugs, lighting and textile upholstery. Brightening up these elements combined with polished metal fixtures will give you an eye-popping design that you can easily change at a later date.

Use Natural Materials

Don’t reserve your use of natural materials to just wood furniture. A contemporary home can use organic and natural materials in outside decking, leather furniture for interiors, and simple decorative elements that you display throughout your home. Look for design elements made from materials like rock, slate, teak and other raw woods. Cotton, wool, linen and other gorgeous textiles work well in modern furnishings.

This Bellawood® Natural Maple flooring from Lumber Liquidators® is the perfect flooring for a contemporary design.

Less is More

One key design element that should always be on your mind when you are creating a contemporary space is that less is more. Much of what you'll find today in furniture stores reflects this. Heavily ornamented design elements are being replaced with clean and simply lines that make contemporary homes feel lighter, more casual, while maintaining an elegant motif.

Bare floors are also a feature here. To help create the lighter, airy appeal, select a simple flooring with a gorgeous finish. You can look to flooring materials like hardwoods, ceramic, and porcelain tiles. Keeping your flooring simple gives you opportunities to use area rugs to warm up an area and add a splash of color and texture.

Open Floor Plans

One of the best elements of contemporary design is the open floor plan. The iconic feature of a contemporary house plan is the Great Room, where the lines are blurred between living spaces like the kitchen, living room, and dining room, for example. An open floor plan is also ideal for creating a unified design aesthetic throughout your home.

Savant Systems uses Apple® products in order to automate everything from your lighting and energy management, to security and media integration.

Streamlined Exterior Details

The exteriors of contemporary house plans are free of heavy ornamentation or historical influences. However, they often have distinct rooflines and expansive windows. The materials of the exterior also blend in harmoniously with nature around the home.

Hidden Technology

Remember the days of the wall safe hidden behind the painting? Lots of smart technology is available now that exist as hidden details in your home’s design. Wireless and remote access controls for electronics, heating and cooling systems, lighting and security can all operate in the background behind a beautifully designed home.

These contemporary design ideas can brighten your home and create a relaxed and cozy feeling. While it might be a minimal take on design you can still inject your personal style into every aspect of your home. Take a look at our collection of contemporary house plans to begin the search for your new dream home.

The Hummingbird-H3 house plan is a perfect example of contemporary exteriors.