There are so many kinds of styles when it comes to how to decorate your home. It can be overwhelming and mentally exhausting. You know what you like. You know what you would and wouldn’t buy. But knowing the terminology can really help when picking out pieces or talking to a designer.
Contents
Contemporary
Mid-century modern
Which would you pick?
Two of the most popular design styles these days are mid-century modern and contemporary. Wait — mid-century and contemporary? Aren’t those the same thing? Well, not exactly. Let’s dig into what the difference between modern and contemporary really means.
Contemporary
The contemporary style is sophisticated, simple, and clean. No clutter and smooth lines. In contemporary design, the space is on display, not your stuff. It’s about what is popular right now. Because of that, contemporary changes about every decade. It does not fall into a specific time frame, whereas mid-century modern does.
Contemporary is for those who love neutrals. If your closet is filled with black and gray clothing, you’ll like the look of contemporary style. For a touch of color and a pop of brightness, the accessories and furniture bring those in.
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If you love neutral or white walls, then you can play with brighter and clean pieces in the room. If you want one bold accent wall, then your accessories should be neutrals.
Shapes
Since less is more when it comes to contemporary, the lines of the room will speak up. Clean lines, no matter if they are horizontal or vertical, are what you are looking for. Even if you throw some curves and other shapes in there, they should be light and calming.
Textures
Furniture pieces should not be clunky or take up a lot of space. What you are looking for are simple pieces with smooth lines that serve an actual purpose. Chairs and other furniture with exposed legs, tables with reflective tops (like glass), and exposed hardware, wood, or brick serve as your focal points.
Mid-century modern
Now, mid-century modern gives a little bit away in its name. It refers to the times around the middle of the century, around the second World War. Mid-century and contemporary have a lot of overlap, though. So if you find yourself confused or feel like you are reading the same thing over and over again, we get it.
Colors
The color palette is probably the biggest difference between mid-century and contemporary. Mid-century leans more towards brighter colors. That’s not saying you have to have every piece a bright or different color. For example, all of your furniture doesn’t need to be subtle, muted pieces. You can have a bit of fun and make a bright orange couch your focal point of the room. The colors will be warm reds, yellows, oranges, and possibly even soft greens. Mid-century modern also incorporates a lot of brown woods, like walnut.
Shapes
You can get a bit crazier with shapes and lines in mid-century modern—geometric patterns start to pop up. The lines are still clean, but the shapes they take can be more organic and natural. It’s still about simple pieces and clean lines, but they don’t need only to be straight lines.
Textures
Natural woods are a big texture element in mid-century furniture. Those legs that look like the piece could get up and dash out of the room is the look you’re going for. Natural finishes on whatever pieces you use will be more prominent, and you will see a combination of natural materials mixed with handcrafted materials throughout the home. A bolder textile is okay to pop up in mid-century style as well.
Which would you pick?
In this mid-century vs. contemporary showdown, contemporary is our winner. While we love pops of color, geometric shapes, and funky table legs seen in mid-century, we love clean lines and the overall simplicity of contemporary. Mid-century modern’s use of multi-purpose pieces and more playful decorative pieces do have an allure, though. Maybe we would have to borrow a piece or two from mid-century in our mostly contemporary home.
No rule says you can’t mix the two. There are enough overlaps that they would definitely blend well together. They both share main features, but we can’t turn down a neutral color palette, and we love the metal and wood textures that are favored in contemporary. Whichever one you pick for your home, have fun with it and make it yours!
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Midcentury modern is minimalistic and features neutral tones, while contemporary incorporates more curvy furniture and decor with bolder colors. It can be difficult to mix the two styles together, as they are distinct opposites in design.
Contemporary design aesthetics do notably differ from that of modern and mid-century modern in that its colors tend to be starker and more saturated than the warmer, more subdued design colors of modern styles. It's also a bit curvier, as opposed to modern design's preference for straight lines.
Instead, they are filled with plenty of natural and warm neutrals. Contemporary interior design styles, on the other hand, have a bold starkness in them, such as monochromatic black and white, although it may also swing from one extreme to the other on the color wheel.
In the world of design, traditional and contemporary furniture styles are, in a sense, opposites. While traditional furniture is ornate and indulgent, contemporary furniture is simple and understated. Traditional furniture embodies elegance and romance. Contemporary furniture is subtle and gives off an urban appeal.
At their most literal, "contemporary" is the architecture being produced now, the architecture of the moment. "Modern" architecture breaks with the past — specifically the traditional styles of before the Industrial Revolution.
Contemporary designs often incorporate bold colors, geometric shapes, and modern technology. The style is more flexible and adaptable than Modern design and allows for more personalization. So the truth is that contemporary design will always be changing and the style reflects the trends of the day.
Contemporary style embraces minimalistic elements highlighting grays, beiges and shades of white. Sleek, thoughtful, hidden details emphasize an edited aesthetic. Contemporary style offers an 'everything in its place' interior featuring designs that are high on function and simplicity and low on collections and fuss.
Contemporary interiors are created to make the best use of available space, making it simple to move around and complete tasks. The use of technology in modern interior design is also popular, with smart home systems and automation making living spaces more efficient and convenient.
With its blend of clean lines, natural materials, and sleek silhouettes, mid-century modern interiors are defined by their simplicity yet sophisticated aesthetic. Incorporating this look into your home typically involves embracing neutral tones with pops of colour to add life to the room.
Mid-century design is an uncluttered style that combines clean lines, gentle and organic curves, and a poppy and fun color palette. It has a “form follows function” approach—aka, functionality is key when it comes to furniture and layout.
Contemporary and midcentury modern are very different designs. Midcentury modern is minimalistic and features neutral tones, while contemporary incorporates more curvy furniture and decor with bolder colors. It can be difficult to mix the two styles together, as they are distinct opposites in design.
While contemporary design is of the current moment, modern design is inspired by the early to mid-20th century, right around the 1920s – 1970s. A very popular subset of this design style is called midcentury modern, which is inspired by the 1950s and 1960s.
One answer is simple: time. Modern art came before contemporary art. Most art historians and critics put the beginning of modern art in the West at around the 1860s, continuing up to the 1960s. Whereas, contemporary art means art made in the present day.
With its blend of clean lines, natural materials, and sleek silhouettes, mid-century modern interiors are defined by their simplicity yet sophisticated aesthetic. Incorporating this look into your home typically involves embracing neutral tones with pops of colour to add life to the room.
Within the arts and culture, "Modern" refers to a particular era anchored around the 20th century - around 1880 through the 1960s or so. Some of these attitudes and approaches are replaced or challenged by postmodernism. "Contemporary" refers to culture that is of or relevant to the present day.
What Is A Contemporary-Style Home? A contemporary home is a house with design elements and features that reflect today's architecture style. Although similar to a modern home, contemporary houses come with common characteristics such as clean lines, natural lighting and a minimalist feel.
The century referred to in mid-century modern is the 20th, specifically the years immediately following the Second World War, from the mid-1940s to the late 1960s. During this time, North America enjoyed a booming real estate economy and a booming population.
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Introduction: My name is Amb. Frankie Simonis, I am a hilarious, enchanting, energetic, cooperative, innocent, cute, joyous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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