Style and fashion change every year, which means something new to try when it comes to decorating your home will always come around. If a lot of open space and neat, even lines appeal to you, then you might want to give your home a contemporary design. From a new coat of paint to a complete remodel, you can revamp your home in several ways. Whether you’ve been dying to create that contemporary look or you just want to experiment with something different, we explore nine ways to modernize your home’s style.
Open Space
Modern design is all about open space. If you’re on the market for a new home, or you have the budget to renovate, open floor plans are extremely popular. A kitchen, living room, and dining room that share the same space can make your home seem larger and more welcoming. However, you can do a few things to increase the space of a room, and those don’t include knocking down walls. You can simply play around with how you arrange your furniture. The extra floor space makes the room more stylish, while the open, obvious paths through the room create an inviting atmosphere for you and your guests.
Minimalism
A modern home is a minimalist home—at least when it comes to design. Sleek designs, simple furnishings, and a lack of clutter work together to create a neat and pleasing style throughout your home. When purchasing and setting up decorations, look for strong shapes with flat, even lines. Minimalist decorating principles encourage you to carefully consider what you put in your home, where you place it, and how it goes with other pieces. This is a great way to get intentional and meaningful with your decorations. Another way to go minimal is to conceal clutter. Organize your cords and cables, and tuck them behind furniture and out of sight. Store remotes, books, and any other items that live permanently in your living room in table drawers or baskets you can tuck away. Try to do the same in other rooms of the house—such as in your kitchen and bathroom—by storing items in cabinets and keeping your counters clear.
Neutral Palette
A fresh coat of paint can update any home in an instant, and neutral colors are essential when it comes to contemporary spaces. Lighter colors such as white or cream help reflect light, and they make a room seem brighter and more open. You can combine your neutrals as well. Warm or soft colors, such as reds or browns, work well in furniture to offset the whites of your walls or rugs. You can also throw in darker elements to create a pleasing contrast. Sleek black against bright white provides the crisp, clean lines that are so popular in modern design.
New Furniture
If it’s time to update your home’s style, it might also be time to update your furniture. Couches or beds draw the eye, and they become the focal point of a room. This means your furniture has a huge effect on the style of your home. If you want that contemporary upgrade, keep an eye out for simple designs, straight edges, and colors that complement the rest of the room. You don’t have to fully refurnish your home. Removing or replacing a single piece of furniture can often completely change a room by opening up the space or introducing a new style.
Let Your Decorations Pop
While neutral colors are key, a splash of bold color can make your room pop. Colorful throw pillows, lamps, or wall art provide subtle ways to transform a room. You can also consider updating your old paint job with a bold accent wall. Stylish wallpaper or an attractive backsplash in the kitchen or bathroom will also work to create that dash of color in your space.
Polished Surfaces
Similar to light colors, polished surfaces reflect light and make a room seem larger. Hardwood floors—a staple in modern design—work exceptionally well for this. Stainless steel kitchen appliances, gleaming backsplashes, and other metal elements can make your kitchen shine. Glass surfaces also work well for this, and they have the added benefit of disappearing into the room and making the room seem bigger. Another reflective addition you can make is, of course, mirrors. A large or stylish mirror can add a touch of something unique to a room while making a space seem brighter and more open.
Handles and Knobs
Even the little touches can transform a room. One of the simplest upgrades you can make to your home is replacing the handles and knobs on your cabinets, drawers, and doors. Warm metals such as bronze and copper can complement a dazzling white kitchen, while stainless steel and chrome offer a cool accent to darker colors. Since these are such subtle add-ons, there are no strict rules about what works with what. Feel free to experiment to see what makes your home pop.
Windows
Replacing your old, outdated windows is one of the best ways to modernize your home’s style. The narrow frames and larger glass surface area of Milgard Tuscany vinyl windows, for example, help more natural light enter a room. This gives it the brighter and more open appeal of a modern style. There are other ways to give your windows a more contemporary feel. New curtains or shades give you an opportunity to add a splash of color or another unique element to a room. Transparent or light-colored curtains also help more light enter a room.
Plants
Another way to add a bit of color to your home is with plants. From flowers to herbs, a potted plant or two can liven up a room and make any space feel homier. There are also plenty of ways to decorate with plants, so you can match a room no matter what style you want to achieve. A vase of carefully arranged flowers provides a colorful addition, while a larger potted plant can draw the eye and create a good focal point for a room. You can also use terrariums or hanging pots to grow plants while keeping with a minimalist, modern style.
You don’t have to completely change your home to give it an update. Start small, find what appeals to you, and create the design that makes your house feel like a home.
