We\u2019re going to take a deep dive into the distinction between contemporary house design and modern style, with expert insight from designers and real estate agents who can help you define and decide if contemporary speaks to your taste and lifestyle.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do not think there is a difference between contemporary style and modern style. I think they are subjective. At its core, contemporary style is the fusion of interior and exterior design that flow together,\u201d says Brandie Kittle<\/a>, a top-selling real estate agent in Montana<\/a> who sells 81% more single-family homes than the average agent in her area.<\/p>\n Kittle says that her clients often use the terms \u201ccontemporary\u201d and \u201cmodern\u201d to describe the same style.<\/p>\n \u201cIn Montana, the modern farmhouse style<\/a> is popular, and people call it different names, including industrial farmhouse, modern cottage, and modern ranch,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n Kelly Sandidge, interior designer and owner of Hip Haven<\/a>, a line of home decor products, notes that contemporary style is \u201calways firmly planted in the present,\u201d and it can incorporate new ideas and influences beyond the minimalist style of Modernism<\/a>, \u201cI think of it as a fusion of Modernism and the styles of the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor me, Modernist design-proper more closely follows the principles that first defined it in the 20th century,\u201d she adds. \u201cIt is not necessarily stark, since it can have bold pops of color and rich textures, but the lines and shapes are simple and uncluttered, with a less-is-more aesthetic.\u201d<\/p>\n The widely published designer and artist differentiates Modernism as a movement in art, design, and culture, and the term contemporary as a certain style that can express Modernism ideals.<\/p>\n The consensus is that modern and contemporary design share certain characteristics \u2014 clean lines and streamlined, minimalistic looks. But the two terms diverge on the timeline.<\/p>\n \u201cModern design refers to a period of design that began after the Art Deco period<\/a> and spanned the \u201950s and \u201960s, as we start to see more futuristic-looking designs in interiors and furniture,\u201d explains Karin Dax, principal and design director of interiors at Aire + Partners<\/a>. \u201cContemporary design is everything from that point on and is an incredibly broad description for a period of design.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cContemporary style is generally defined by simplicity, combining sleek lines with thoughtful details that accent a room\u2019s aesthetic. Contemporary decor allows you to, essentially, pick and choose the best elements of other styles,\u201d says Ashley Pontius, home decor expert with CanvasPrints.com.<\/p>\n Confused yet? To better understand the difference between contemporary versus modern home design, let\u2019s break down their defining characteristics.<\/p>\n Floorplans that are light and bright and go with the flow define contemporary style. Fluidity is a primary characteristic of contemporary house design, manifesting as a flowing open floorplan<\/a> that seamlessly integrates the indoors and the outdoors.<\/p>\n \u201cContemporary homes merge form and function with a lot of natural light and open spaces that create a flow between the interior and exterior,\u201d notes Kittle.<\/p>\n Experts agree that the contemporary style is uncluttered and clean rather than overdone or embellished. The style looks easy, comfortable, and casual rather than contrived.<\/p>\n Contemporary spaces use simplicity as an opportunity to play with different decor accents that can be changed out over time. Open, uncluttered spaces make room to add personality and warmth to contemporary style.<\/p>\n \u201cContemporary decor allows you to pick and choose the best elements of other styles. You\u2019re essentially painting on a white canvas to create a room you love. The best part is that if your style changes in a few years, you can just as easily change it up with different design elements,\u201d explains Pontius.<\/p>\n Contemporary house styles use neutral color palettes as backdrops to infuse color and personality through decorative accents and materials.<\/p>\n \u201cThe color palette tends to be gray, black, or white, with a layering of artwork and objects for pops of color,\u201d notes Kittle.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll usually see a basic color palette of soft beiges and grays offset with pops of color in vibrant portraits and artwork or jewel-toned pillows. This balance ensures that even the simplest of rooms feel rich and inviting,\u201d says Pontius.<\/p>\n The contemporary home draws warmth from an interplay of pattern, texture, and sensory-rich materials.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m seeing a lot of steel, glass, concrete, and wood, especially in built-ins and beams in contemporary homes of my region,\u201d says Kittle.<\/p>\n She notes an interesting trend in Montana where some builders incorporate steel cargo containers<\/a> within the home structure. \u201cThese cargo containers are on each corner of the home and function as bedrooms,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Wood accents make a strong showing in contemporary house designs, typically mixed with neutral color palettes and pops of color to add personality to spaces.<\/p>\n \u201cContemporary style is by nature uncluttered, but more color, pattern, and texture are finding their way into the mix through things like wallpaper, flooring, textiles, and tile,\u201d notes Sandidge.<\/p>\n The National Association of Homebuilders<\/a> defines contemporary exteriors as having sloped roofs, clean lines, and expansive windows.<\/p>\n Inside, high ceilings, another defining feature, make rooms feel larger and brighter.<\/p>\n Contemporary style tends to embrace a bit of retro with midcentury modern<\/a> influences and accents. Kittle notes that midcentury modern front doors are popular in contemporary house styles in Montana.<\/p>\n \u201cThe changes I see happening in contemporary design right now are making it look increasingly like midcentury modern design, my favorite style,\u201d says Sandidge.<\/p>\n Many contemporary homes mix styles in a modern-day fusion of influences. Kittle sees influences from Scandinavian, Balinese, and Japanese styles in contemporary homes, with a concentration of natural elements such as wood and stone.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you are a fan of Mediterranean influences, you could bring this into your space with green plants and rich jewel-colored textiles,\u201d says Pontius.<\/p>\n In 1923, the first prototype of a modernist house, a spec home in today\u2019s terms, took up residence in Weimar, Germany. Haus Am Horn<\/a> was part of an exhibition by the Bauhaus, a revolutionary school of design that planted the seeds of present-day Modernism.<\/p>\n The cube-shaped, flat-topped structure, with strips of windows on the facade and inside rooms centered around a living room, became the prototype for no-frills, affordable, utilitarian housing fulfilling the needs of its occupants.<\/p>\n In the United States, modernist architects, including Frank Lloyd Wright<\/a>, interpreted modernism in the signature Prairie style of low-slung homes that merged with the landscape. These homes were \u201ccontemporary,\u201d reflecting people’s prevailing wants, needs, and desires; however, they were also \u201cmodern\u201d because they embodied the latest building materials, technology, and mindset.<\/p>\n Modernism is a movement in art, design, and culture with origins in the Bauhaus school in Germany in the 1920s. The Bauhaus School promoted a mindset that form follows function and put forth the idea of the home as a machine for living, embracing the latest materials and technologies of the emerging industrial age.<\/p>\n World War Two catalyzed the spread of these ideals as many Bauhaus teachers and thinkers fled war-torn Europe for the United States and other parts of the world.<\/p>\n \u201cIn early and mid-20th century Modernism, design accents were not bland, but they were non-traditional and unfussy. They used the best of traditional materials and methods, combined with new materials and technologies, to create completely innovative architecture and interiors. This is what has made architecture and objects from the era so valuable today,\u201d notes Sandidge.<\/p>\n Today, the Bauhaus ideals resonate in modernist architecture, with regional interpretations embodying local building materials, climates, landscapes, and prevailing architectural vernaculars.<\/p>\n \u201cModern style, despite the name, dates way back to the 1930s. This decor utilizes a simple, monochromatic palette, but there is almost zero decoration, unlike contemporary style. Contemporary spaces use simplicity as an opportunity to play with different fun decor, portraits, and other accents that can be changed out over time,\u201d explains Pontius.<\/p>\n Today, \u201cmodern\u201d style means a move toward minimalism, with simplified lines and abstract shapes and forms. A modern house design can carry the stereotype of sterile, white box structures. To debunk that myth, let\u2019s break down some of the defining characteristics of a modern-styled home.<\/p>\n Modern house design<\/a> tends to use less of everything in terms of color, decor, and furnishings. The look is sleek and minimal, with a pared-down aesthetic.<\/p>\n The National Association of Homebuilders describes the modern architectural style as having flat roofs with white-washed facades that tend to create low, horizontal lines with symmetrical elements.<\/p>\n Modern style architecture draws curb appeal from rectangular forms and boxed shapes of various heights and depths.<\/p>\n Modern decor typically lacks color, skewing toward a more monochromatic palette.<\/p>\n Ornamentation and embellishments are absent in the decor of modern-styled homes<\/a>. Spaces tend to look more austere, with sharper angles, geometry, and edges as opposed to the softer lines of contemporary decor.<\/p>\n Natural light floods modern-styled homes from large expanses of glass. Large windows often dominate the facade and rear elevations of a modern-styled home.<\/p>\n The latest building materials and technology advancements show up as honest expressions in a modern home. Envision steel columns and trusses, concrete blocks, and stained or exposed concrete floors.<\/p>\n\n
Contemporary homes merge form and function with a lot of natural light and open spaces that create a flow between the interior and exterior.<\/q>\n
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![\"Brandie](\"https:\/\/media.homelight.com\/uploads\/agent\/picture\/2954230\/492a478c-53f2-4daf-992c-a684d4f9eea0.jpeg?width=121\")
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Elements of contemporary house design<\/h2>\n
Floorplans that flow<\/h3>\n
Uncluttered and clean<\/h3>\n
Neutral color palettes<\/h3>\n
Combination of textures and materials<\/h3>\n
Sloped roofs<\/h3>\n
Midcentury modern influences<\/h3>\n
Style fusions<\/h3>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/contemporary-house-design-666x381.png\")
<\/a>The evolution of modern design<\/h2>\n
The difference between modern and contemporary house design<\/h2>\n
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<\/a>Elements of modern house design<\/h2>\n
Flat roofs<\/h3>\n
Boxy elevations<\/h3>\n
Monochromatic palette<\/h3>\n
Lack of adornment<\/h3>\n
Large glass windows<\/h3>\n
Latest building materials<\/h3>\n
Open floor plans<\/h3>\n
![\"a](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/contemporary-house-design-3-666x381.png\")
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