Modern home design is not only a collection of buzzwords that people like to throw around when discussing architecture. There are real trademark elements of modern design that we can point to.
If you are thinking of remodeling your home, you may also be wondering if implementing a modern design scheme makes sense. Could going in that bold new direction lead to the creation of something special? Could it make your home better than before?
We will discuss what modern home design is about in this article. We will also highlight certain ways to modernize your home décor and come up with your answers to the previous questions after we talk about those important topics.
What Is Modern Design?
Let’s start by going in-depth on modern design.
As we mentioned in the introduction, modern design is not an indefinable concept. It is an approach to modern design that has been refined over several decades.
According to Masterclass, modern design started to become a thing back in the early to mid-1900s. It is a design movement born out of the desire to marry form and function. The pioneers of it wanted to establish the value of functional design, and they succeeded in doing so.
Modern home design also benefited from the advent of new technologies. That much is obvious when you notice how they integrated certain elements into modern home décor.
What Are the Trademark Elements of Modern Design?
How can you tell if a specific home features modern décor? Looking for specific elements is key. Let’s talk about those trademark elements of modern design in the section below.
Minimalist Design
Minimalism is central to the idea of modern design. That should come as no surprise since this is an approach to interior décor that prioritizes functional design.
However, this does not mean that you will find next to nothing inside a home that follows modern design. That is not what it is about. Instead, this approach aims to reduce unnecessary clutter.
If a certain element is in your home for visual interest, they will likely remove it. It has to be important in some other way for it to remain featured in your home.
Open Spaces
Modern design also emphasizes the need for open spaces.
If you are implementing modern design, you want to shy away from placing too many items inside your home. Try to limit your furniture arrangement to the pieces you use regularly.
Even walls are not necessarily needed all the time for modern décor. You can remove them to create living rooms that flow seamlessly into open concept kitchens. Indicating where one room ends and where another starts is not important.
Pieces of Furniture with Clean Lines
When figuring out how to furnish your modern home, you need to think of clean and simple lines.
Avoid pieces of furniture that feature an abundance of ornate decorations. You also want to steer clear of curvy pieces. Sofas and tables with clean lines are what you need to prioritize while shopping.
Do not worry about your options being limited. Although the need to pursue pieces of furniture that feature clean lines may seem restrictive, that is not the case. Expect to find numerous options available while you are out shopping for new furniture.
Usage of Certain Materials
Look at examples of modern homes, and you will notice a pattern. That pattern is related to the materials used.
The materials commonly featured in modern home design include chrome, concrete, glass, steel, and wood. You can also use pieces of leather furniture to decorate modern homes.
Why are those materials so commonly associated with modern architecture? The way they present them plays a significant role in that.
Instead of those building elements being covered up, they are left exposed intentionally. The appearance of those materials is for design purposes. They enhance the appearance of a modern home.
When it comes to metals, in particular, designers will even seek out shiny pieces to use in their projects. Those lustrous building elements can add a new dimension to your home décor.
Neutral Colors
You also need to be mindful of which colors you choose if you intend to feature a modern design scheme inside your home. Sticking with neutral colors is recommended if you want to feature modern home décor. Like with the pieces of furniture, your choices remain abundant despite those seemingly restrictive rules.
Black, white, and gray are not the only colors you can use in your home. Certain shades of red, blue, and even red can work fine in a modern design scheme. You simply need to choose the muted versions of those colors.
Check out this article from House Beautiful if you want to learn more about your color options.
Natural Light
Lastly, modern homes are also known for relying heavily on natural lighting. It is common to see features intentionally built into a modern home to increase the presence of that kind of lighting.
It also helps that those features are in line with other modern design principles. The increased reliance on natural lighting also helps reduce your energy bills.
The Different Ways to Modernize Your Home
Now that we know more about modern design and its core principles, we can start discussing the ways you can modernize your home. Keep our suggestions in mind if you want to see how modern design looks on your property.
Replace Your Windows
How can you modernize your home? Replacing your windows is a great place to start.
Chances are that the windows you currently have installed are not exactly suitable for pushing the modern design you are looking for. Replacing them will be necessary if you want to try something different.
Windows play a huge role in helping foster the modern design aesthetic. Remember that minimalism, openness, and natural light are all core elements of modern design. Your new windows can help out greatly with that.
Install Black Windows
Of course, you need to be selective if you are installing new windows with the intent of following modern principles. Choosing the right color for your new windows is especially important.
Black windows will blend seamlessly into your new design scheme. That neutral color is easy to work with. You can complement that with all kinds of other pieces and not worry about potential clashing.
The black frames of your windows also work well to define space. If you do not want to line your home interior with a lot of walls, those windows can work in their place.
Carefully Adjust the Windows
There is a fine line between establishing modern design and creating a type of home décor that simply mimics its core principles. That kind of thing tends to happen when homeowners add elements that work more as flourishes over anything else.
That is a big part of the reason you should choose to install customizable windows.
They can adjust customizable windows until they match your design preferences exactly. Swap out the frame material, choose a different color or even go frameless if you feel that doing so makes more sense for the exact décor you wish to create.
Your options are plentiful if you are working with customizable windows. Make sure you are using them while you are putting together your modern home.
Choose a Specific Style of Window
Not all window styles work for modern homes. Choose the wrong style, and you may end up with windows that badly clash with the rest of your décor.
You want to steer clear of more traditional window styles here. Double-hung, cottage style, and Victorian style windows are among the styles you want to avoid.
If you want to feature modern window styles, go with sliding, casement, or bay windows. Customize those windows further to fit into your desired design scheme even better.
Those are not your only options regarding window styles that work with modern design. As long as the style is simple enough, it should pair well with your preferred scheme.
Remodel Using Window Walls
Are you willing to go all out to feature modern design? If so, you should consider installing window walls.
Window walls offer numerous benefits that will allow you to further your pursuit of modern design. They are great at opening up your home and creating the illusion of space.
You should also install window walls because they are minimalist design elements. They can effectively enhance the appearance of your home without being too flashy.
If you are choosing window walls with frames, you can prominently feature those as well. The exposed frames are still in line with modern design principles.
Do not forget about the natural lighting that you are getting from window walls. The amount of natural lighting they provide may even be enough to completely illuminate your home during certain times of the day.
Select the Proper Glazing for Your New Windows
Insulating your home is important, but it is not always the easiest element to work with. Certain types of insulation can be bulky, and they can disrupt the specific design you are looking to establish.
Forgoing insulation completely is obviously not an option. That is why you should modify your windows instead.
Ideally, you want to add triple-paned windows to your modern home. Triple-paned windows are great for enhancing insulation and reducing ambient noise.
If you would prefer not to use triple-paned windows due to how expensive they are, you should at least install double-paned windows.
Adding multi-layered windows to your home will not allow you to avoid using insulation completely. Even so, it is worth seeking out those windows so you can minimize the impact insulation has on the overall appearance of your home.
Open Up Your Kitchen
The kitchen is often a room separated from the rest of the home in traditional floor plans. There is nothing inherently wrong with separating the kitchen, but if you want a modern home, you should be willing to open it up.
Remove the walls separating your kitchen from your living room and allow those areas to work better with one another. Basically, your goal is to create an open concept kitchen.
Open concept kitchens are great not only for modernizing your home. You should also consider creating an open concept kitchen if that part of your home feels cramped. That should help you feel more comfortable while cooking.
Homeowners who like to host parties should also look into building open concept kitchens. By removing walls, you can socialize with your guests even while cooking.
Change Your Color Scheme
We talked about the importance of neutral colors when it comes to creating that modern look. Because of that, you should consider changing your home’s color scheme to fit the modern aesthetic better.
Select a color you like and use it to update your design scheme. While doing so, try to create some cohesion between the colors you are using.
Creating cohesion does not mean limiting yourself to one color. Instead, you want the colors to blend well with one another. You can also use colors to distinguish the different rooms inside your redesigned home.
Go Shopping for New Appliances
Nailing the details is important if you are trying to refresh your design scheme. Even minor elements can be disruptive to your preferred design, so you should consider updating them. The minor elements we are talking about here are your appliances.
The appliances you currently have in your home may not mesh well with your updated décor. That will continue to be an issue until you replace them. You do not need to replace your appliances all at once, but that is something you must keep in mind moving forward.
Maintain Your Yard
Finally, you should also work on your yard if you want to make a modern design work for your home. You do not need to do anything big here. Simply cleaning up your yard and making sure your lawn and your bushes are neatly trimmed will do the trick.
Establishing the modern design aesthetic inside your home is possible if you have the right pieces. If you are looking for new windows that are more in line with modern design, then we at North Shore Window Inc. can help you out. Reach out to us today if you want to learn more about the window options, we have available!
