Contemporary Furniture

From LoveToKnow Interior Design

Contemporary furniture is well known for its simple lines and distinctive color palettes. The phrase “less is more” definitely applies here. This modern furniture style is admired by those seeking an updated look as they transition from traditional design styles.

Up to Date Furniture

Contemporary modern furniture design grew out of industrial advances in materials and manufacturing techniques during the early 1900’s. Around this same time and into the mid-twentieth century, there were also very influential design trends coming from several movements:

• Arts and Crafts
• Art Nouveau
• The Secession
• De Stijil
• Bauhaus
• Le Corbusier
• Art Deco
• Scandinavian Style

New materials developed during the twentieth century have fueled the creativity of furniture designers. Contemporary modern furniture is often crafted from steel, plastic, molded plywood, acrylic, or glass components. There are still innovative materials being discovered for use in furnishings by today’s contemporary designers who increasingly look for green design solutions.

Types of Contemporary Furniture

Many contemporary furniture designs are inspired by mid-century modern pieces such as the Eames lounge chair. In general, this clean-lined furniture is free from decorative trim, detailed wood carving, tufting, or other embellishments.

Other celebrated contemporary furniture designs include the following pieces:

• Tulip or pedestal chair
• Pension chair
• Seconda chair
• Venturi chair
• Graves chair
• Argyle chair
• Zig-Zag chair
• Barcelona chair and couch
• Grand Confort chair and couch
• Wassily lounge
• Stickley chair

Contemporary furniture can be either formal or casual, depending on the upholstery materials selected as well as the accessories displayed in the room. Popular upholstery choices for contemporary rooms include leather, cotton, canvas, and linen. The colors of modern fabric and leather upholstery tend to be in neutral tones or bolder colors like red, yellow, or blue. However, a lot of contemporary furniture pieces can be found in black or espresso finishes.

Contemporary beds tend to be low to the ground and sometimes feature attached shelves for use as night stands. There is usually no box spring used, so the bed frame is designed as a solid platform or with short support legs. Often times there is either no headboard or a very low profile version made of wood or upholstered with fabric or leather.

Contemporary dining room furniture is often made of metal, wood, acrylic, or glass materials. One innovation worth checking out is the extendable dining table which has the flexibility of changing to different size configurations without the need for removable leaves. Modern dining chairs are very simple in design with straight or slightly curving backs. Common color palettes for contemporary dining sets are wood stains, silver metallic, and black leather.

Designing your Dining Room

Many homeowners want beautiful, functional spaces in their homes. Designing your dining room can be a challenge depending on its formality, the number of guests you expect to entertain, and the type of dining that will take place.

Designing Your Dining Room: Basic Considerations

Before picking out wall colors and ordering a new table and chairs, it is important to consider the basics of interior design

as they apply to a dining room. The basic room you have to work with as well as how you plan to use it are crucial factors when designing your dining room.

Size

The size of the room helps dictate the colors and furnishings that are most suitable. A very small dining room, for example, would feel cluttered and overcrowded when paired with dark, heavy furniture, dark walls, and heavy drapes. Large rooms, on the other hand, will feel empty if the table is tiny and there are no other furnishings, particularly if the window is bright and airy and the walls are light-colored. If the room is very small, consider adding an additional window or wall cutout to enhance the space – windows that open into the kitchen are especially valuable and efficient. To shrink a large room to a more manageable size, add tall plants, rich drapes, or additional pieces of furniture (a china cabinet for example).

Formality

A formal dining room meant for use only on special occasions needs different design consideration than an informal eatery. While candid family pictures may be appropriate for a casual setting, a formal portrait is a better accent in a formal room. Furthermore, a crystal chandelier is out of place in an informal room, while generic floor lamps are not suitable for a fine dining room. Choosing the formality of the room will help determine these basic interior design choices.

Frequency

Designing your dining room can be an expensive project, and before you choose to create an opulent formal setting, consider how frequently you will use it. If the dining room is pressed into service regularly for Sunday dinners, dinner parties, and holiday gatherings, it may be well worth it to seek professional advice, whereas if it is to be a casual or less frequently used room, your personal preferences may be all the design consultation you need.

Accessibility

One often overlooked consideration when designing dining rooms is accessibility. Naturally, there should be easy access to the kitchen, and if you plan on extensive entertaining it should be accessible to other gathering areas as well ( living room, home theater, etc.). Furthermore, the dining room should be near a bathroom for convenience.

Not only does a dining room need to be accessible to other parts of the house, but it should be roomy enough that guests do not need to vacate their chairs to let other people pass or to retrieve dishes from a cabinet.

Furniture

The first consideration for dining room furniture should be the number of necessary chairs. Nothing will destroy a carefully designed dining room more quickly than importing folding chairs when extra seats are needed. Table size is also a factor: be sure to leave at least 24 inches of clearance around the perimeter of the room (while the chairs are in place around the table) to allow guests to move about freely.Additional furniture in a dining room is a matter of personal preference. Many people choose to incorporate china cabinets into the décor to highlight fine china and crystal, and a wine rack would certainly not be out of place. When adding these extra pieces, however, always consider the available space and whether they will make the room uncomfortably crowded.

Lighting

Lighting is a crucial consideration when designing your dining room. Guests should have adequate light to appreciate the food without squinting, but the light should not be so harsh as to glare off a white tablecloth or dishes. Chandeliers are common fixtures in dining rooms, and they can be purchased in a variety of designs and styles to match any level of formality. When choosing lighting fixtures, take into account the presence of natural light: if you plan on hosting dinner parties, avoid western-facing windows that would focus the setting sun into your guests’ eyes.

Modern simple dining chairs design – contemporary furniture from Walter Knoll

Luxury, modern and simple design of  dining room furniture. Gorgeous dining room chairs with a beautiful design. This modern dining room table and chairs is simple yet very very elegant. Made from hight quality materials and the Walter Knoll dining chair is realised through sophisticated precision. A modern dining room is the perfect place to see the “straight line” concept on display. Tables and chairs have very little to no curvature, and feature dark wood or glass construction.

Exotic dining room with luxurious interior decorating ideas

The dining room is increasingly used only for formal dining with guests or on special occasions. Modern dining room furniture will create bold unique style which will transform home in present time. Furnish your dining room with solid wood dining furniture that complements your living space and adds warmth & elegance to the dining area.

Dream of a glamorous dining rooms

Reinvent forlorn dining rooms with suitable furnishings, paint, and fabric. The right table — set on a bright area rug or centered on a window — can be your anchor. A round table, the favorite for conversation, softens a boxy room; a small square table does well in tight quarters; long farmhouse-type tables work best in rectangular rooms. And for ambience find a stunning electric or candle-holding chandelier.

Warm colors stimulate conversation. Paint walls a soft red, or cover them with a richly textured or patterned wallcovering. Soft contemporary hues like hydrangea-purple and pistachio-green teamed with crisp white moldings will imbue the room with a Monet-garden air. Slipcover dining chairs, or add simple seat cushions in a contrasting color or a pleasing floral pattern.

Whether you dream of a glamorous, modern, traditional, or romantic look for your dining room, this article has the decorating tips to help you achieve your goal. On the next page, learn how to make your dining room gleam with glamor.

Do’s and Don’ts for a dining room

The dining room is one of my favorite places to be with family & friends. Those walls have embraced lots of love, laughter, and even tears over the years. You might argue that most dining rooms are only used on holidays and special occasions, but it’s not a room I would give up.

Here are some Do’s and Don’ts for a great room:

* Do consider a round dining table. If you have a room that is more square; round can be great for conversations. The new styles have some creative solutions to expand for larger parties.
* Do place an area rug under the table, whether you have hardwood or carpet, it can really bring a room together. Make sure it’s big enough so that chairs are fully on the rug when seated and when the table is fully extended.
* Don’t get a a light fixture that is too small or large for the scale of the table and room. A rule of thumb is to choose a chandelier with a diameter that is 12″ less than the width of the table. Hang it approximately 30-34″ from the top of the table. If your ceilings are higher, add 3″ for each foot over 8′. Personally, I like to go lower than higher. Just make sure you can clearly see your guests across the table and that you don’t see any exposed bulbs when standing if it is a chandelier with indirect lighting.
* Don’t forget the ceiling. Add interest with color, faux painting or a fabulous medallion above the chandelier.
* Don’t hang pictures too high. The majority of time spent in this room is while seated, so make sure that when sitting, the art is hung at eye level.
* Don’t be afraid to mix and match chairs, fabric, and even China; it can give an interesting flair to the room. Especially, if there is a story behind the china.

Finally, embrace your new Dining Room. Why is it only used for dinner parties and holiday get togethers? Break away from habit and occasionally share a candle lit dinner with that special someone or make the kids feel really special with dinner and candles just “because”. Have any other tips? We’d love to hear from you!