Modern vs Contemporary Home Designs: Here’s What to Know

When you’re considering various styles for your home, you’re likely to come across two popular terms: modern and contemporary.

Modern home design styles have origins in the early and mid-20th century and are characterized by bold lines and natural color palettes. The contemporary style, as its name suggests, is characterized by more recent design trends.

This guide will help you learn more about modern and contemporary home designs and help you decide which is best for your home.

What is contemporary home design?

A contemporary home design is one of the most popular house styles. It’s characterized by clean lines and natural light. Contemporary homes often have open floor plans and minimalist designs that include neutral color palettes.

A key feature of contemporary home design is that it is adaptable. The clean, neutral elements of this design style make it easy to add pops of color or elements of other design styles.

Contemporary home design is certainly not new – it’s been around since the late 20th century – but it has adapted over time to keep up with current trends.

What is modern home design?

Despite its name, modern home design isn’t particularly modern. Instead, it dates back to the 1920s and remained popular through the late 20th century.

Like contemporary designs, modern home designs are characterized by open, minimalist spaces. They have clean, often asymmetrical lines with more structure than contemporary homes, making the style less customizable.

In addition to elements of minimalism, modern home design also includes some distinctive elements, like wood grain, earth tones and decor styles that include subtle patterns. This style also emphasizes warm tones and natural materials.

Differences between modern and contemporary architecture

Modern and contemporary architecture have a few distinct differences that make them easy to identify and differentiate.

Aesthetics

Contemporary and modern home designs have some distinct aesthetic differences. For example, contemporary design has a trendier aesthetic, combining its minimalist, open spaces with other popular design styles. Modern styles, however, have a more fixed aesthetic, which tends to include wood and warm, earthy tones.

Colors

Another notable difference between contemporary and modern designs is their color palettes. As we’ve mentioned, modern designs focus on warm, natural tones, which pair nicely with the wood that these homes frequently have. On the other hand, contemporary styles typically have light, neutral color palettes, allowing for pops of color from interior design elements.

Functionality

Functionality is another important difference between modern and contemporary home designs. Modern homes place an emphasis on functionality over aesthetics, making it an ideal choice for homeowners who want a space that works for them.

That’s not to say that contemporary homes aren’t functional; they just place more emphasis on aesthetics and design trends than on functionality.

Lines

Both contemporary and modern home designs are characterized by their lines but in different ways. Contemporary homes are known for clean lines that let other elements of the home shine. Modern homes, on the other hand, often have asymmetrical designs and geometric shapes that draw your attention.

Similarities between contemporary and modern homes

Despite their differences, contemporary and modern homes have some key elements in common. Because of this, the two styles may attract many of the same prospective buyers.

Minimalism

Both contemporary and modern homes are known for their clean, minimalist styles. Though their minimalist styles may be for different reasons – it’s often an aesthetic choice in contemporary homes and a functional one in modern homes – both styles can help promote a minimalist lifestyle.

Open spaces

In both contemporary and modern homes, open spaces and high ceilings are key features. However, the addition of each style’s distinctive design elements, like lines and color palettes, can make these open spaces look very different.

Furniture designs

Modern and contemporary styles tend to favor furniture that is simple, sleek and functional. Both styles reflect a minimalist, elegant approach to interior design using quality materials such as wood, metal, leather and high-quality fabric in their furniture designs. One notable similarity between modern and contemporary furniture is the use of exposed legs, which can create a sense of lightness in the spaces they adorn.

Modern vs. contemporary: Which home design is right for you?

Modern and contemporary are two of the most popular home designs, so don’t be surprised if you find plenty of each when you’re buying a house. There’s not necessarily one style that’s better than the other; you could appreciate either of these styles if you like open, minimalist spaces.

But depending on how you feel about other architectural and design elements, including colors, materials and functions, you may prefer one style of home over the other. It’s up to you to decide which home design best suits your personal style.

The bottom line

Contemporary and modern home styles have some big similarities, but they also have some important differences. With the help of this guide, you can easily differentiate contemporary and modern home styles and decide which one feels the most like home.