Modern Home Decor Style Guide
Modern style decor is really popular because it naturally creates an organized and calm feel with its clean lines and simplicity. But in the past modern interiors have gotten a bad rap because they can seem cold and lack personality.
However, when blended with other interior design styles, the characteristics of modern interior design are a perfect starting point to create a home that functions really well and feels really good.
Regardless of the style of your home, using elements of modern decor in your home will give it a fresh feel so let's dive into what makes modern style home decor unique.
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What is Modern Interior Design?
Since the term "modern" is a really broad term there are many variations of modern decor like, Scandiavian, mid century modern, and traditional modern.
In short, modern interiors are uncluttered and minimal, use clean lines, and focus on function.
Modern style interiors are the opposite of classic and traditional decor. Instead of using a lot of ornate details, modern design is very simple and streamlined.
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Characteristics Of Modern Interior Decor
- Modern style homes are simplistic in their design often with open concept living spaces.
- Modern design features the use of materials like concrete, smooth wood, metal, and glass, and exposed structural elements like beams.
- The layout of furniture and styling of accessories is intentionally asymmetric.
- The most common characteristic of modern decor is clean lines, simple shapes, and geometric patterns.
- Modern furniture and accessories have straight edges with little to no detail.
- Modern style house interiors are known for their intentional lack of window treatments leaving lots of natural light flowing into the room.
- Everything has a focus on function, including accessories so there are minimal decor items present.
- Modern color palettes are kept neutral with lots of contrast between very light and very dark colors.
Examples of Modern Style Decor
The clean lines in this living space scream modern style. Paired with the high contrast between colors and minimalism it's the definition of a modern interior.
Modern homes have large windows that are often left without window coverings so as much natural light as possible can flood in.
Modern style can also work in smaller spaces. In this modern condo the kitchen cabinets are flat and don't have any wood detail. The furniture in the dining room has clean lines and the color palette is kept soft and neutral.
How to Get A Modern Style In Your Home
To start creating a modern style in your home you'll want to...
- look for furniture pieces that have modern design features like straight lines: square sofa arms, block style table legs, and minimal details.
- place furniture asymmetrically and avoid pairs.
- keep your color palette simple and include wood elements that have been smoothed or without too much grain.
- if possible remove or keep minimal your window coverings to bring in as much natural light as possible.
Here are a few ways I've brought modern style into my home:
- IKEA DIY built in hack using IKEA cabinets and shelves
- I use a lot of modern patterns on fabrics
- I use an asymmetric furniture layout most of the time
Where to shop for modern decor:
To make it easy for you, I've rounded up some of my favorite modern decor finds from these stores and others.
To avoid a home that feels stark and uninteresting it's important to avoid a modern theme in interior design. Themes are for birthday parties, not your home decor so you'll want to layer in other styles to make sure your home reflects different parts of your personality and makes your home feel like you without feeling all over the place.
You can start with modern furniture pieces that anchor your space but to warm up your modern style you'll want to layer in other design styles as well.
