Sproost Blog

If you tuned in last week you know that we are all about ed-u-cay-shun. So we’ve decided to give you the down-low on different design styles. This week we’re focusing on the Contemporary style so pay attention! You might just learn something you can apply to your own home. And remember to check out our nifty design style quiz to find out what style suits you best.

So fresh and so clean! Antiques? No thanks! Vintage collections and clutter of any type? Not for you! You like your space new and sleek like this room by Christopher Dezille.

Each piece is chosen carefully as if it was a piece of art, and your love of minimalism is expressed throughout each room. This one is Matt Eastwood’s Pad in Sydney.

Now, since each piece of furniture is like a piece of art, you can expect to pay a pretty penny for some of your pieces. Contemporary ain’t cheap, my pretties. However there are some great manufacturers out there these days that have found a way to bring you cool pieces for less (think cb2, west elm, eurway, chiasso…).

Your furniture has clean lines and geometric shapes are preferred. You may also accent your furniture with any small white fluffy breed of dog, imported from Europe. Here’s another great room from The Contemporist blog.

Even though your room appears to be mostly neutrals, you’re not afraid of color. In fact bold color options only highlight the minimal items you choose for your home. But, the key is keeping it clean! This room by Roche Bobois is amazing.

To master the minimalist interior you not only have to be selective in the few furniture items you bring into the space, but you must also find a way to hide all of the real life items as well. This means you need hidden storage for things like toys, food, and the pool boy. This room is by Italian manufacturer Poliform.

With contemporary design, the material of the object is nearly as important as the object itself. Manmade materials such as acrylic, steel and plastic are often found in your spaces and chrome and glass can also fill prominent roles. These materials can often be cold to the touch, so adding plush carpets and soft accessories helps balance the space. Too bad your Contemporary style forbids you from owning a Snuggie. Another Roche Bobois room. (Does anyone else think that sounds like a French version of Ricky Bobby?)

Wood is also used, though the nature of the wood is rarely highlighted. Stains tend to be either very dark or very light so that the grains of the wood are minimized and only the color remains like these nifty shelves from Mobileffe.

Colors range dramatically from subtle neutrals to bright colors, though the one consistent element is the lack of clashing patterns and busy color palates. Good lord, it’s pretty.

Bright colors are used sparingly and intended to create drama and highlight a wall or piece of furniture. Many times the entire space will be neutral in palate and it is only the art and accessories that bring in color and drama. Ooh. Ahh. (That’s my drama face, folks.)

In this sense, the space literally acts as an art gallery intended to highlight only the items of utmost importance. I love the bold black and white. Very cool.

The feeling your rooms evoke should always be one of “less is more,” and your furniture tends to appear more as works of art than simply as a sofa or a chair. I could use a nap on that comfy leather couch now and I bet that rug would feel awesome on the naked toes. Actually, I’m all for running around the house completely nude at all times. Spectators be damned.

When planning a space, the focus is placed on finding the right pieces to give you enough seating for entertaining but never so much that the room feels cluttered. Who wouldn’t want to come home to this gorgeous sight every day?