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The Difference Between Modern and Contemporary Style

Posted by Bernard Wade on
The Difference Between Modern and Contemporary Style

These are both sophisticated ways to style your interiors to achieve an appealing and luxurious aesthetic when you follow suitable styling tips. However, they are uniquely different and may cater to different needs depending on the desired style, budget, and other factors.


Modern design styles incorporate vibrant colors in different hues, while contemporary design styles have a more neutral color palette focussing mainly on nudes and bold colors. The modern interior design style is more chic and comfortable to style using various pieces and decor items, readily available in different colors, including shades of green, orange, and blues. Contemporary decor requires more attention to detail, with limited color alternatives to blend in with the overall theme. The prominent colors in this theme are shades of brown, gray, and black.


When styling any interior, there are a variety of materials to consider. Contemporary interior design styles use more glass, stone, metal, and other varied state-of-the-art materials to achieve the desired effect. It focuses on aesthetics with functionality and leaves out anything that is unnecessary. On the other hand, modern styling has a more earthly feel and uses more earthly pieces such as wood, plants, and plant derivatives such as jute, sisal, and others for styling.


Modern interior design is easily distinguishable as it revolves around strong and fine lines with natural, earthy hues. It does not change much, and its characteristics remain the same from the era the style idea was from. Contemporary design is more inclined towards trends and is dynamic depending on what is happening in the interior design world at that particular time. It adopts a few different design styles while still focussing on its main minimal characteristics uniquely and timelessly.


Homes and properties designed and constructed between 1900 and the 1950’s fall in the category of modern homes. They were very particular to detail, adopting almost similar architectural structures and interiors. The furnishings from this period were very distinct, and a good example is the classic Chesterfield chair. It is not as easy to pinpoint specific attributes of contemporary design styles as they are ever-changing. It is the aspect of design influenced by fashion and trends that come and go.

Tylko’s guide to modern and contemporary design helps distinguish between contemporary and modern interior design styles.