ONE LOOK THROUGH our Décor Archives and you will notice immediately that there are very few contemporary interiors and a thorough fondness for maximalism. We’ve always favoured traditional or new traditional styles to anything modern, being drawn instead, to ornamentation―gilded mirrors and chandeliers, toile and boiserie and crown canopies. The closest we’ve ever ventured to the modern or minimal is ornate austerity.
Lately, however, we’ve been finding ourselves warming up to contemporary spaces, mostly because these modern interiors are warming up as well. Rather than being cold and minimalist with too much use of black as an accent colour, the spaces we’ve been falling in love with, while being uncluttered, are still welcoming and comfortable.
Contemporary interiors are often defined by simplicity, clean lines and the use of texture, with a focus on space rather than on things. The bare spaces on walls, or between pieces of furniture are as important as the areas filled with objects. A distinctive element of a contemporary style is use of strong visible lines―straight vertical or horizontal, or curved shapes, the line is found in architectural details, colour blocks, in ceilings and windows, and geometric shapes in sculpture and in wall art.
Neutrals, black, and white are the main colours used in modern spaces with black often used for grounding and defining. The spaces we’ve rounded up here, however, do not use black, but rather, use warm brown tones found in wood and leather, ceiling beams and rustic coffee tables. There is also marble to add a little glamour, and as well as natural grasses, dried flowers and wicker for texture. Scroll through for our take on contemporary style with this beautiful compilation of subtly sophisticated spaces…
