Defining Style: Is It Modern or Contemporary?

It is a subject of much debate: Is this style modern or contemporary? Many use these two style terms interchangeably, making it confusing on where to draw the line. In my opinion, "modern" is a style of its own, while "contemporary" can encompass many different styles that are current or en vogue. I view modern design as timeless and iconic, like the work of Eames and Saarinen. Contemporary designs may appear current today but may be very dated in 10 years.

Historically speaking, modern was "form follows function" of the Bauhaus, open floor plans and clean lines. Modern is always forward thinking and innovative as it started as a radical opposition to popular decorative movements of the early 19th century.

Contemporary seems to reflect a catch-all term for any design that is current and not directly referencing historical design styles.

Terms and styles you may find when discussing this topic include the following.

Art Deco: Popular decorative design style of the 1920s and 1930s. The name is taken from the exhibitions of Les Arts Decoratifs, where such work was first exhibited. Cubist painting and African and Native American art influenced the development of Art Deco, but the polished, dynamic forms of modern machinery and aircraft were most inspirational. The style is characterized by stepped forms, rounded corners, triple-striped decorative elements, and the use of chromium and black trim.

Mid-Century Modern: Mid-century architecture was a further development of Frank Lloyd Wright's principles of organic architecture combined with many elements reflected in the Bauhaus movement. Mid-century modernism was organic in form with a style characterized by clean simplicity. This style reflects structures with ample windows and open floor-plans with the intention of opening up interior spaces and bringing the outdoors in. In this style, you will find post and beam architectural design that eliminated bulky support walls and introduced walls made of glass.

Bauhaus: German school of design that, in the 1920s and 1930s, became the leading intellectual and creative center in the development of modernism. Emphasis was placed on factory-produced designs that were simple, functional, and industrial. The egalitarian philosophy espoused by the school embraced clean designs in basic materials, and this philosophy permeated all types of design, from furniture to textiles to applied art.

Check out how I have identified the following photos and see if you agree with my modern and contemporary picks!