Contemporary vs Modern Home Design: 4 Key Differences | Sustainable9 (2024)

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Contemporary vs Modern Home Design: 4 Key Differences | Sustainable9? ›

Modern homes are structured and balanced, while contemporary homes offer more flexibility and allow architects to take greater artistic liberties in adopting a freeform approach. Although modern designs can be innovative, contemporary homes tend to be more unique in terms of their shape and aesthetic appeal.

THE MAIN DIFFERENCES

Contemporary is, by definition, what's happening in design at this very moment in time. This definition makes it more fluid and hard to pin down. Modern design, on the other hand, has a distinguishable aesthetic that emphasizes crisp lines, warm neutrals, and balance.

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.

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.

Modern homes are structured and balanced, while contemporary homes offer more flexibility and allow architects to take greater artistic liberties in adopting a freeform approach. Although modern designs can be innovative, contemporary homes tend to be more unique in terms of their shape and aesthetic appeal.

The word "contemporary" can be defined as "happening or beginning now or in recent times." Historians generally divide the study of history into major periods according to political, social, and technological events. Modern history is usually defined as beginning in the 15th century and continuing through the present.

The design principles include the following five points by Le Corbusier: Pilotis (pillars), roof garden, open floor plan, long windows and open facades. Basically, Le Corbusier called for a radical change in architecture.

Compared to traditional architecture, modern structures effectively utilize building materials that are relatively affordable and faster to produce. Contemporary designs promote the smart utilization of space, are more functional, and exude a casual and relaxed ambiance than traditional settings.

Modern art is a movement, like Impressionism or Cubism. It refers to work done between 1860 to about 1970. “Contemporary” refers to when an artwork was made. “Traditional” refers to whether the technique used to create the art was passed down through generations.

Modern homes take full advantage of this, featuring large windows and skylights for an abundance of natural light. This makes their relatively modest interior space feel open and airy. By comparison, traditional homes usually have smaller, symmetrically-placed windows of a similar shape and size.

What's the difference between modern and contemporary art? ›

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.

What Are Modern and Contemporary Styles? Modern style is firmly rooted in the early to mid-1900s and involves strong lines with natural colors. Contemporary style involves the trends of the here and now.

Modern home design emphasizes clean lines and geometric shapes. No more are features such as arches, ornate columns, window shutters, or any outlandish ornamentation. In place of these features that at one point spoke of luxury and wealth are simple shapes and intentional asymmetry.

Contemporary homes are often built with sustainability in mind, using eco-friendly materials and aiming to blend in with the surrounding environment. This contemporary ranch-style home combines natural materials, including stucco, wood, and variegated stone, to integrate the building with the landscape.

Modern home design emphasizes clean lines and geometric shapes. No more are features such as arches, ornate columns, window shutters, or any outlandish ornamentation. In place of these features that at one point spoke of luxury and wealth are simple shapes and intentional asymmetry.

Modern refers to the art direction at the beginning of the 20^th century while contemporary refers to the method of construction that goes hand in hand with a specified time period. Read on to find out how these two styles differ and what 21^st century houses have adopted from the legendary modernism.

In both cases, the materials and finishes used for a Contemporary home are many times commercial-grade, which is naturally more costly than traditional home building materials. Another defining characteristic of Contemporary homes is the low roofline - most typically either flat, very low gables, or hipped roofs.

Contemporary design is informed by modernism, but it doesn't take on a specific period or era in time. It's constantly changing with the times and pushing the boundaries of what we think design can be. As with modern design, the contemporary style can be considered minimalist, taking a less-is-more position.