- Clean Lines: The design styles that preceded modern design were Gothic, Renaissance, and Victorian. They included heavy textures, patterns, and lots of dark, dramatic elements. Modern design has abandoned these aspects in favor of clean, straight lines, uncluttered spaces, and a general lack of fuss.
- Neutral Colors: White, beige, and even some shades of black make up the main color palette of modern design (with a few exceptions). While colors can be used as accents, these colors tend to be earthy tones. Since modern design places a lot of emphasis on natural materials, keeping the color palette more neutral is key. “Clean lines over curves. Neutrals and natural materials take precedence over bold hues, synthetics, and patterns,” says Myers.
- Natural Materials: The era of modern design ushered in new materials for furniture. Steel, molded plywood, and plastic were used both in place of and alongside wood. The goal of modern designers was to find a balance between pure functionality and aesthetics. Furniture had to be practical, yet attractive. Materials, however, varied by region. While designers Charles and Ray Eames experimented with plastic in America (creating the iconic mid-century modern Eames lounge chair) and Marcel Breuer used steel in Germany to create the iconic Wassily chair in 1925, modernists in Brazil, for example, used local natural wood for much of their furniture. Low and Long Furniture: Modern furniture is characterized by a low and long profile. The Eames lounge chair is a prime example. Made from molded plywood and leather in 1956, it was inspired by the English club chair and the comfort of wearing a baseball glove. Furniture was also simplified, such as Eero Saarinen’s Tulip Chair. One of the most popular modern furniture pieces today, the chair featured only one leg in the center, made from fiberglass-reinforced resin. Saarinen’s goal with the design was to clean up the “ugly, confusing world” created by traditional chair legs. His solution was a streamlined approach that defined an era.
- Pen concept floor plan: Contemporary design favors as few walls as possible. Furniture, on the other hand, delineates spaces, such as a kitchen counter that visually distinguishes it from a living room or dining room.
- Natural Light: Plenty of natural light is also essential to making a space feel airy and open, so windows are not an adornment.
