The differences between modern and contemporary design style
…with a rant as a side dish
(5 min read) A couple of months ago I wrote a little piece about the differences between interior designers and interior decorators. I tried not to be too harsh on the decorators, but the article could be summed up in one sentence: Anyone can be an interior decorator, but not anyone can be an interior designer. However, the key point of the article was that people who are not into interior design or decoration have no idea about these differences, which makes them an easy pray for money-hungry scammers. The article was written for an online publication, so I won’t repeat myself here, but I cannot stress enough how important this “word plays” can be if you are building your home interior from scratch.
Anyway, at this point, you are probably thinking: “What TH does this have to do with the title?”, but hang in there, I’ll get to it. So, that whole thing with the article got me thinking how lightly we throw some words around and most of us are unsure of what half of those words even mean, let alone what exactly they represent. That brings us to our point: decorator vs. designer, monochromatic vs. muted, industrial vs. steampunk, modern vs. contemporary, etc. You are not so sure what the differences are, right? Luckily, I’m here to do the research for you.
Most people think that the terms “modern” and “contemporary” are synonymous, and I’m not talking just about interior design. As an avid reader and bookstagrammer, I can say for certain that both of these terms are often misused in regard to literature as well. So, let’s determine the differences once and for all.
Modern
Modern refers to the time period ranging from the early to mid-twentieth century and its key figures were Florence Knoll, le Corbusier, Ray Eames, and Charles. One of the primary characteristics of modern design was and still is its focus on block colors. If you come across a minimally decorated, but not quite minimalistic room, with lots of industrial materials colored in primary hues, chances are it is designed to fit the modern style narrative.
Defining modern interior design can be challenging simply because its reign as the favorite design style of many lasted for more than one century. From boujee royals to wives of blue-collars, everyone wanted some modern in their homes.
Essentially, modern interior design is all about clean lines and simplicity. It includes lots of modern art, abstract lines, concrete, and steels, with strong pops of primary colors. The movement itself was founded on rejecting the artificial, so modern paralleled its approach to beauty with its approach to functionality.
Contemporary
Unlike modern, contemporary design isn’t attached to a particular time period. Contemporary design constantly evolves and adapts itself, aiming to reflect a variety of presently popular styles. It will take from Art Deco, minimalism, rustic industrial, eclectic, coastal. farmhouse chic and many others, but it will remain its own thing.
Although, contemporary style is almost completely ambiguous, there are some distinctions that can help us define it. One of the main characteristics of contemporary design is exposed to construction and materials. Bare structures and sculptural lighting are always a good indication that you are in a room done in a contemporary design style.
Contemporary art on the walls, lots of earthy and natural hues, and an open plan with lots of space are also some of the main elements of the contemporary design style. Because the style itself is evolving, it can be tricky to pin-point all of its key figures. Fernando Mastrangelo, John Lawson, Lily Kwong, and Jorgen Hovelskov are just a few of the maestros of contemporary interior design.
So this post was a trip, amirite? We’ve determined how important terminology can be, AND we now know the difference between modern and contemporary interior design styles. In this age of political correctness, it is good to be on fleek with the terminology because you never know how people around you will interpret what you said if you don’t word your thoughts properly.
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57 Comments
I definitely lean more towards the contemporary side for most of my home. But, in the office, I prefer a more modern look. The Earthy hues living room and the beach one below it are gorgeous!
What a great post! I love contemporary styled homes. This was so informative!
My friend and I were just talking about this. I always thought the two styles were very similar.
I’m definitely more into contemporary, but I do like both features. Thanks for the info!
Those vaulted ceilings are all I want in design life! Love this so much
Both styles look supper pretty, but I prefer the modern one more! Thank you for sharing this with us!
I personally prefer a more contemporary interior design, over the modern look. I do like modern design, just not for my own living space/
Thank you for making me understand the difference between the two. If I were to choose, I’d go for the modern style. I think that suits my personality the best. I like things to be simple but functional.
I would fall in the contemporary style out of the two but I am definitely BOHO all the way
oh wow these designs and ideas sounds interesting and so lovely..glad you shared this with us..great work though..
I am loving the contemporary design and styles more than the modern look, as to me it is more pleasing to the eyes
I think I prefer contemporary. The modern is too cold looking for my taste. I like color and comfort.
I love both design styles but I lean more toward contemporary for my own home.
Such great styles in these rooms. I really love the colorful hanging lights
Colorful contemporary is probably my favorite. Thanks for explaining the differences between contemporary and modern. I was using the terms interchangeably for a while.
These are all great examples and helpful. I like the mid century modern style. 🙂
This all makes perfect sense to me! Thank you for helping to make the different terms clearer. Upon reading this, I am definitely more contemporary and less modern!
Seems amazing. Mosaics are super cool!!
Wow! This modern and contemporary designs looks all so fabulous. I think i am gonna decorate my house after this pandemic.
Nice one and I really learn from reading this article. I can now differentiate what designs they use once I visit one place. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing. This is something I always wondered about but never took the time to research.
I love the contemporary with pop up colors style.. It made it look like a happy place.
I love the contemporary with pop up colors style.. It made it look like a happy place.
So informative ….!! definitely going to take these informations for my home build. Its all about mixing and matching different style to suit your taste.
This is such a lovely post, the pictures are gorgeous and you really educated me on the differences between them.
I never knew the difference between the two before reading this post. Modern style is definitely more my thing. Thank you for clarifying!
Ooo this is food for thought never even realised that there was a difference between the two x
Both styles are absolutely beautiful! But I do find myself more attracted to the modern design, it looks really neat and just the kind of design I’m into, thanks for sharing this info with us!
Those are some great tips to keep in mind. Never been into decorating but I think I prefer the modern type with minimalistic designs.
I definitely like both, but I keep being drawn back to the colorful contemporary. Such a gorgeous style.
that is very helpful. A lot of people (me included) often get issues with these two styles, easy to mess up
Very interesting piece and worth remembering. My last home was a mid century modern home with mainly modern decor with eclectic touches. Reading this brings back memories of my home.
The different drop lights kept getting my attention. They are simply gorgeous.
I love this post. “Modern” vs “Contemporary” is difficult to define; as it is in the art world that I live in, too. The definitions used in the post were succinct and spot-on. I loved the sample photography, also.
This idea is so amazing and these designs looks so lovely and beautiful..glad you shared this with us..great work though…
Such fun rooms your shared! For me, I don’t particularly prefer a modern or contemporary look – I just love minimal colors and not a lot of clutter!
Thank you for sharing, I really didn’t know the difference modern and contemporary design.
I used to think that modern and contemporary is almost the same until now. I really liked this luxury modern.
. Apparently, maybe I am fond of modern designs.
I never knew the difference, thanks for educating. I like both contemporary and modern, but I lean a lot more towards modern.
I love the clean look of the contemporary design, especially the exposed beams and naked large windows. Totally my style
Such a amazing design inspo! I want to redecorate my whole house after reading this. Lol.
Spectacular!
What else dare I say?
How fascinating. I had never really thought about the difference of these terms, maybe because I feel so drawn to the modern style (and that’s how my home looks, with a dash of that more natural less artificial feel) that I hadn’t even given the contemporary style much thought. Now I know.
Wow they both look so amazing. I’m definitely a fan of both styles of design. I’ll likely model my home like this one day.
I had not thought of the differences between these styles but can see that eclectic modern is closest to my vibe. Thanks for providing the examples!
Lovely contrast between the two. My house is also a mix of the 2 styles, gives it a unique personality!
We enjoyed and appreciated reading your articles as part of a designing style. Modern design refers to an era that has passed, while contemporary design is all about the present and the future. Thanks.
this modern vs contemporary style sounds quite interesting and amazing one..glad you shared these designs with us they looks so lovely and great one..
You are so right about people misusing words. Right now in my neck of the woods, Modern is all the rage (even though many people say they want contemporary).
I am oriented towards the contemporary design! I didn’t know there’s a difference between interior designer and decorator, will check out that article! Thanks for sharing this informative article 😊
Great post with lot of information about Modern vs Contemporary. The pics are beautiful.
While I like elements of both, I think I’d rather contemporary for my interior.
A very eye opening post! I always thought contemporary and modern was the same too but I learn something in this post and I can distinct the song too!
What a great post! This was so informative!
Super article with engaging points.
I love how you went through the differences of these two styles in such a simple way. I love interior design in general, but personally, my style leans more towards modern designs.
Wow, I love how the contemporary style of a home is something that boasts an exposed look, such as using sculptures or wall art. My friend is looking for ideas on how he could change the look of his office space. I’ll go ahead and recommend that he start by purchasing contemporary art from an art gallery.