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Style Secret: Simple LinesRepeat after us: lines, planes, angles. Now make it your mantra. Contemporary design is oriented along a strong horizontal-vertical axis, from architecture to furnishings. The structure of a space becomes an integral design component on its own. But also consider... Does that mean everything in your home must have square corners? Of course not. Balance the look with a few curves; the key is to stay true to simple geometric forms: circles, orbs, cylinders, waves. Leave the scallops and curlicues to your more traditional friends.
by Rachel Paul
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Style Secret: Unadorned FloorsIf you're wild for the feel of bare feet on cool tile, you're in luck. Contemporary design eschews rugs and carpeting in favor of sleeker, harder surfaces: bamboo; blond woods such as maple or ash; stone; ceramic. Ebonized planks or dark-stained concrete can ground contemporary rooms (as long as you're prepared to make friends with your dust mop).But also consider... That's not to say you can't have a rug in a contemporary home; it's just a matter of choosing the right one. You wouldn't necessarily want to throw down a fringed Oriental, but a geometric design or a textural weave might be just the ticket. Or experiment with a grid of carpet tiles.
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Style Secret: Open SpaceContemporary design celebrates what isn't there as much as what is. Empty space takes on an almost sculptural quality, carved out by the strong architecture. Because of their openness, contemporary interiors are especially well suited to large-scale furnishings, art and accents. But also consider... Too much space with too little to anchor it makes a room feel lost and forlorn. Break furnishings into groupings to help divide up a large room. Chandeliers or pendant lighting can visually pull down a high, cavernous ceiling.
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Style Secret: Overscale ArtWalls in contemporary rooms don't usually have much in the way of adornment: no heavy moldings, no plate collections, no family photo groupings. So they're a perfect foil for large works of art that shine best amid gallery-style simplicity. Canvases should be framed very cleanly, if at all. Streamlined sculpture, black-and-white photography, glass and prints also work. And if you like your art a little edgy, it'll feel right at home.But also consider... Art shouldn't compete with an accent wall or another attention-stealing focal point. Torn between one or the other? In our book, art wins.
