What is a Contemporary Home?

There are a lot of different interior design styles that define homes, and contemporary is one of the most popular. Contrary to what it might sound like, a contemporary home isn’t just one that’s up to date in terms of style, although that’s a large part of it. Contemporary is its own subset of design, and refers to a specific point of view with specific features—including some that, at least in the current moment, overlap with modern and minimalist/Scandinavian homes.

If you’re styling a new home from scratch—or if you’re just trying to figure out what your personal interior design style is—understanding the ins and outs of contemporary homes could be helpful. Here’s what to know about this popular home style, as well as some tips for bringing it to life in your space.

What is a contemporary home?

A contemporary home is one that reflects the current style, which in this case would be 21st century architecture and design. It’s evolutionary, meaning it changes and grows as we do, constantly adapting to what’s new, intriguing, and trending in the world of home design.

Because the concept of a contemporary home is so fluid, it often overlaps with other interior design styles. For example, today’s contemporary homes present with many similar elements of modern boho, farmhouse, and mid-century modern design—serving as a testament to the trending nature of these styles.

Key to note is that a contemporary home isn’t just about adopting the most popular trends from other design styles. Equally important is pushing the boundaries of what’s new, and in today’s contemporary homes, that often means a widening focus on sustainability and smart features, including eco-friendly building materials, energy-efficiency, and smart home products.

Contemporary vs. modern homes

It’s easy to get the two confused, but contemporary and modern homes are not the same thing.

Modern architecture refers to a design style that emerged throughout the United States and Europe in the 1920s and 1930s. It was one of the dominant styles for many years, particularly in the years following World War II and through the 1980s.

Defining elements of modern homes include clean lines, minimal color palettes, and a reliance on materials like glass, steel, and metal, as well as an overall simplicity that invokes minimalistic design. You’ll find a lot of these features in contemporary homes too since modern design elements remain incredibly popular.

Another key difference between modern and contemporary homes is that the latter tends to evoke a lot more warmth. By design, modern homes are stark and almost industrial in their simplicity, whereas contemporary homes borrow elements from other design styles that prioritize features like comfort and functionality.

How to design a contemporary home

Because contemporary design is by definition of the moment, you can often learn a lot about what elements to include in a contemporary home simply by looking at what’s trending in home décor magazines and on social media.

That being said, there are some broad features of contemporary design that you can adapt to your own home if you want to bring it more up to date. Here are some of the big things to keep in mind.

Let there be light (and lots of it)

  • Focus on window treatments. Your window treatments can make all the difference when it comes to how much natural light penetrates into your space. Opt for sheer or neutral shades, blinds, and curtains, and keep them open during the day to let the light in.
  • Ambient lighting. Ambient lighting is the lighting you don’t normally think too much about, such as can lights, flush mounts, track lights, and anything else that serves the main purpose of simply making it so that you can see in a room. If you’re lacking in ceiling lights, use floor lamps to illuminate more of your space.

Use color wisely

Bring your floors up to date

Dally in décor

  • Plants, especially large ones
  • Artwork in non-ornate frames
  • Metallic or glass accent pieces
  • Use of natural stone
  • Multi-colored prints like plaids and paisleys
  • Heavy drapes and tasseled window treatments
  • Shabby chic elements like lace and distressed wood

FAQS about contemporary design

We’ve covered a lot of the basics above, but here are some answers to other common questions that people tend to have about designing contemporary homes.

What’s the difference between contemporary and traditional homes?

Traditional homes are rooted in a specific time period—such as Victorian, French Colonial, or Neoclassical. A contemporary home, on the other hand, is of the moment. Aside from adapting features that are popular now instead of in the past, this also means that contemporary interior design evolves with time, while traditional designs remain true to their historical elements.

Can you mix contemporary with other styles?

Yes—and no. There is a lot of overlap between contemporary design and other popular styles like modern, minimalist, and mid-century modern, and you’re inherently going to see a mix of some of these styles’ notable features in a contemporary home. But other styles, such as vintage and traditional, don’t have much of a place in contemporary interiors, and might seem out of place or imbalanced if they’re used too heavily.

What are some quick ways to make a traditional home more contemporary?

You don’t need to clear out a room and start from scratch in order to bring in contemporary vibes. If you’re starting with a traditional space, you can use some quick updates to bring it up to current times, including clearing out clutter, updating your paint colors, and removing dated pieces like fussy prints and ornate artwork and window treatments.

Do contemporary homes sell?

Absolutely! One of the big benefits of the contemporary style—aside from just being in tune with current times—is that it’s clean and simple, and thus has much broader appeal with home buyers than many other home styles. In fact, even if contemporary isn’t your primary style of choice it couldn’t hurt to work in some of its design elements prior to listing your home if you’re planning to put it on the market soon.

Ultimately, the style that you choose for your home should be based on what sparks joy for you, rather than just what’s trendy in the moment. And while it’s certainly true that some contemporary fads come and go pretty quickly, there are a lot of timeless elements that make contemporary homes a great choice—and possibly the right choice for you.