Designing a Contemporary Living Room

Wanting to make your home showroom ready with the latest design trends? Here are four contemporary trends that will make guests jealous, and as a bonus, you don’t have to worry about them going out of style anytime soon.

Make Use of Natural Materials

A trend that shows no sign of slowing down? Designing with natural materials, such as wood and stone. As technology continues to develop, the urge within human beings to double down on their relationship with Mother Nature is becoming increasingly more evident.

Achieve a similar look with a natural edge wood coffee table; the uniqueness of this piece will make it the center of attention without it needing to be oversized. Alternatively, if you prefer the clean cut lines, as shown above, go with a smooth table highlighted by gold table legs and accents.

A simple bookshelf with houseplants, a neutral couch, and a soft woven rug top off the look, making this living room a cozy spot to snuggle up with a book.

Add One (or Several) Pops of Color

Design is placing more emphasis on the individual, and one way we’re seeing this play out is the bold use of color to liven up a space. When we picture blue, yellow, and red lined up next to each other, we tend to think of kindergarten classrooms and color wheels. Here, however, the primary colors are strategically placed so the room comes alive without feeling like a chaotic finger painting.

A blue couch draws the eye and gives it somewhere to focus so the brain isn’t overwhelmed by all the color. Alternatively, go with a neutral colored couch and make your rug the focal point by selecting an abstract pattern of the primary colors. A gallery wall is perfect for showcasing different pieces of art that are important to you, whether you’re going for a colorful addition like above, or a minimalist look with simple line art pieces. Add some curtains in a muted shade of one of the primary colors to bring the room together!

Add Some Drama to Your Walls

I know color is getting a lot of attention, but it’s a really versatile element and can be used in a very specific ways, such as painting walls a dark, moody tone. Often, we want rooms to be “light” and “airy” but a contemporary trend is to add a flair of dramatics by painting your walls – or perhaps just the trim and doorframe or door of a room – with a color that might sound too dark or dreary at first introduction. As we can see above, though, a dark grey doesn’t do anything to make this room feel unwelcoming.

Dark greys tend to be a common choice, but don’t feel like you need to stick with the neutrals here. A deep, calming green is perfect for an accent wall, or for an entire room – the subtle color won’t visually overwhelm. A warm mahogany (“That is mahogany!”) is another option if greens aren’t really your color, as is this deep purple. Regardless of what you decide, avoid pastels and go for strong, deep colors.

Make People Stare (at the Art, at Least)

Another popular theme you may have already noticed in the above photos is the use of abstract art to decorate a space. This is part of the bigger trend of giving your eyes something to focus on – whether that’s an accent wall, a bright couch, or a particularly leafy ficus – so that rooms have a more cohesive appearance.

You can go with a single large piece as a standalone or central focus to your gallery wall, or a few smaller pieces that complement each other. Let the wall serve as a single pop of color or tie it in to the rest of the room with matching accessories and accents on furniture.