Contemporary Furniture, Making More With Less - By: Tina M

With an interior design focused on contemporary furniture, inspired by the movement of fashion towards modernism, a single philosophy holds true; less is more. In a traditional setting, a room would be filled with elaborate furnishings, intricate designs and lots of wooden or faux wooden constructions. Contemporary furniture cuts down on all of these elements and brings around a more minimalistic, utilitarian function to the home, while infusing colour and metal with sleek design.

Think of an ergonomic office space. The lines are straight and the curves are smooth, everything is created with precision. It’s a break from the organic designs of traditional country influence where loose ends and bumped grains are the norm. Now consider modern art. The detail of older portraits and landscapes; oil and watercolour reflections of what are essentially colour photographs, has been mostly kept aside in favour of abstract and shape. Contemporary furniture is the blend of precision design and abstract art.

The concept of less is more defines modern living in a fast paced world where function is every bit as important as fashion. It is no longer the case that many household items remain on display. Discreet storage effects have come into vogue with contemporary furniture as represented by hidden refrigerators and walk in wardrobes, for example. The idea is to create as much space as possible by hiding the functional elements (or blending them in seamlessly so that one would not instantly think ‘oh, look a dishwasher’), without making the room feel empty. The room appears to be an element of art, design and expression, rather than utility, however the function of the room is only a flick, switch, slide or spin away.

So the question is ‘how do you prevent the room from feeling empty?’ The short answer is; a centrepiece. A contemporary living room will generally have everything close to the wall to allow freedom of movement and emphasis of light, however somewhere in that space, will sit an ornamental piece. This can be anything, literally. A coffee table with a cubic vase, a bookcase filled intermittently with modernist ceramics, a freestanding flueless fire... these are all good examples of contemporary furniture emphasising the fact that any one piece of furniture can pull the area together, making it a ‘room’ and not just a ‘space’.

Another way of doing this is to utilise contemporary colour schemes. Once again, contrast is the key to doing this effectively. Traditionally, colours would match and blend. Today, earth tones or monochrome black or white act as the canvas while a single bold colour gives the room its energy and atmosphere. Again, the design must be sleek and the separation must be established. One of the best examples I was ever given to introduce me to the concept was to imagine a room of entirely white. Then add in a black bookcase and coffee table. Finally, paint one wall purple and place a hyacinth on the table. Contemporary furniture and design exemplified beautifully.

About the Author

If the idea of a minimalist, contemporary home with contemporary furniture appeals go online for inspiration. A good place to start is the Go Modern website as they have a large range of contemporary designer furniture to choose from, including living, bedroom & dining furniture.

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