Is Contemporary Style Decorating for you?

Contemporary = It's Modern - It's Current - It's Now!

Contemporary style decorating is using a strong color contrast- against a neutral, black

and white background, geometric shapes and clean, sparse but impactful adornments. It

should not be a cold, empty look but it is definitely not lace, flowers and ruffles.

#####%%%%%#####%%%%%

Unlike "Period" decorating styles for instance "Louis XIV" - which can be identified by its

extremely ornate French furniture and specific colors scheme-
and which has the same "Look" using it today as when it was used twenty or thirty years

ago.

Contemporary design is always changing.

What was the Contemporary "Look" in the 70's =

Shag carpeting in vivid contrasting colors of blue/green or orange/brown or

red/yellow
Avocado Green appliances
Modular furniture in bold patterns
Egg shaped Chairs

Was not "The Look" in the 80's, 90's and certainly not today.


Well, actually the "egg" shaped chairs are still being used in the modern contemporary

furniture, and you can still see shag carpet, but it is now a neutral colored area rug.
Today you see more floors of wood or laminate, ceramic or marble tile.
with area rugs that have large geometric shapes, stripes or imitation zebra.

Choose Furniture with clean lines in solid colors usually black, white - sometimes a

textured fabric in a solid neutral can be used.
(Skip the ruffles, trim, skirts) Adding a chair in a bold color gives the room some "Wow".

Another way to achieve that would be to paint a section of wall, or an architectural

feature (if you have one) in that bold color.

Windows are often left "naked" but blinds or neutral, textured neutral, light colored fabric

drapes may be used to cut down on glare or weather extremes.

Accessories should be few but big and bold, (none of those cutesy little figurine

collections)and well lit for dramatic effect. This could be a sculpture, a large plant or even

an artistic lamp.

Glass, metal or stone tables and fireplaces. If wood is used, it would have straight lines -

no curves, trims or fancy handles.

Clutter, though never encouraged may be tolerated with some decorating styles but would

be an absolute no - no in the Modern/Contemporary room.

Recessed or track lighting works well with this type of look - well placed to provide light

without glare.

If the area is multi level, stairways are usually open, "hanging"- sometimes painted to be

an accent.
+++###+++###+++###+++###+++

Walking into a well designed Contemporary room should give you a "Feeling" of "Clean,

Blended Comfort" - with perhaps one or two "Wow" accents.


If you enjoy the topic of decorating as much as I do, visit my website www.Decorating-Secrets.com