CONTEMPO.
ISSUE ONE.
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NTEMP CO EMPO NTEMP
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ENTS ARTS
The New Urbanists Art Movement - 8&9 “Getting” Contemporary Art - 10 Exhibition Review: Ben Lock - 11 Is Contemporary Art a good Investment? - 12&13
ARCHITECTURE Building Art: The Life and Work of Frank Gehry - 16&17 7 Things to discover about Contemporary Architecture - 18&19 Architect: Zaha Hadid - 20&21
DESIGN What is Contemporary Design? - 24&25 7 Tips to help you Design the perfect Floor Plan - 26&27 A Designers guide to Decorating in Contemporary Style - 28&29 5
ART ART RT ART
T ART
THE NEW URBANISTS ART MOVEMENT THE NEW URBANIST ART MOVEMENT IS BUDDING ALONG THE 18-MILE STRETCH OF SCENIC HIGHWAY SITUATED ON FLORIDA’S GULF COAST, CALLED 30A — AND ITS INFLUENCE IS GLOBAL. ON THE EVENING OF DECEMBER 16, 1895,
a newly
when superimposed on the physicists’ concepts, create
transformed gallery opened its doors at 22 rue de Provence
a compelling fit, precipitating the social and cultural
in Paris. The owner was Samuel Bing, an established art
changes in lifestyle, religion and ways of thinking that
connoisseur and gallery owner. His renovated gallery was
sculpt movements in art. Nations and regions of the world
devoted to the work of leading artists. Bing called it, L’Art
historically experience their own independent sequence
Nouveau to emphasize the modernity of
of movements in culture with varying global influence. As
the works he intended to show.
world communications have accelerated, geographical art
At that time, one would have had difficulty in recognizing
movements have become less common, fueling the few
the coherent style which we now call Art Nouveau. The
synchronized art movements for far
opening of Bing’s gallery marked the beginning of the
reaching impacts of global proportions.
new style and gave its name to the international stylistic
THE NEW URBANISTS ART MOVEMENT
movement in the fine and decorative arts that defined a
new way of European living. The Art Nouveau movement
meaning that it encompasses a hierarchy of scales in design,
sought to make art part of everyday life, thought to
embodying all art forms, the sciences, and philosophies.
break all connections to classical times and bring down
The seeds of New Urbanist Art expression are manifested
the barriers between the fine arts and applied arts. Art
through the various art disciplines – architecture; interior
Nouveau was underlined by a particular way of thinking
design; decorative arts including jewelry, furniture, textiles,
about modern society and new production methods,
household utensils, and lighting; coupled with
attempting to redefine the meaning and nature of the
range of visual, literary and music arts. The New Urbanist
work of art, so that art would not overlook any everyday
Art Movement erupted in response to the discovery of
object, no matter how utilitarian.
the works of human creative genius exemplified through
Hence the name Art Nouveau.
the outstanding examples of architecture, design, music,
ART MOVEMENTS
literary, visual and performing arts in the new urbanist
corridor called 30A situated on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
Historically, a visionary artist is the first member
of a culture to see the world in a new way. Then, nearly simultaneously, a revolutionary physicist discovers a new formula for interacting with the world. The artists’ images,
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New Urbanist Art is considered a ‘total’ style,
the full
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“GETTING” CONTEMPORARY ART CONTEMPORARY ART IS THE ART OF TODAY, PRODUCED BY ARTISTS WHO ARE LIVING IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY.
ITS IRONIC THAT MANY PEOPLE SAY they don’t “get” contemporary art because,
unlike Egyptian tomb painting or Greek sculpture, art made since 1960 reflects our own recent past. It speaks to the dramatic social, political and technological changes of the last 50 years, and it questions many of society’s values and assumptions—a tendency of postmodernism, a concept sometimes used to describe contemporary art. What makes today’s art especially challenging is that, like the world around us, it has become more diverse and cannot be easily defined through a list of visual characteristics, artistic themes or cultural concerns.
Minimalism and Pop Art, two major art movements of the early 1960s, offer clues
to the different directions of art in the late 20th and 21st century. Both rejected established expectations about art’s aesthetic qualities and need for originality. Minimalist objects are spare geometric forms, often made from industrial processes and materials, which lack surface details, expressive markings, and any discernible meaning. Pop Art took its subject matter from low-brow sources like comic books and advertising. Like Minimalism, its use of commercial techniques eliminated emotional content implied by the artist’s individual approach, something that had been important to the previous generation of modern painters. The result was that both movements effectively blurred the line distinguishing fine art from more ordinary aspects of life, and forced us to reconsider art’s place and purpose in the world. SHIFTING STRATEGIES
Minimalism and Pop Art paved the way for later artists to explore questions about
the conceptual nature of art, its form, its production, and its ability to communicate in different ways. In the late 1960s and 1970s, these ideas led to a “dematerialization of art,” when artists turned away from painting and sculpture to experiment with new formats including photography, film and video, performance art, large-scale installations and earth works. Although some critics of the time foretold “the death of painting,” art today encompasses a broad range of traditional and experimental media, including works that rely on Internet technology and other scientific innovations.
These shifting strategies to engage the viewer show how contemporary art’s
significance exists beyond the object itself. Its meaning develops from cultural discourse, interpretation and a range of individual understandings, in addition to the formal and conceptual problems that first motivated the artist. In this way, the art of our times may serve as a catalyst for an on-going process of open discussion and intellectual inquiry about the world today.
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EXHIBITION REVIEW: BEN LOCK THESE PARTICULAR SCULPTURES ARE HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY THOUGHTS OF THE SEA AND NAUTICAL FORMS. CONCEPTS ORIGINATING FROM NOTIONS OF JOURNEY, RELATIONSHIP, AND QUEST AS WELL AS STRUGGLE ARE CONTAINED WITHIN THE WORK.
A CONTROLLED NATURALISM characterizes the
new sculptures (all 2010) by artist Ben Lock. They are an achievement and a departure in relation to the vessel-like forms he has built over the last few years. Finely worked edges, surfaces and structural compositions indicate his growing procedural strength. Careful arrangements of detached materials arouse new visual frictions. Lock unites separate entities, setting up comparisons that explore divergent notions, such as harmony and discord or strength and weakness. His pieces, recently on display in “Are You of The Body?” at School 33 Art Center in Baltimore, Maryland, are part of curator Gerald Ross’s well-balanced
when the two are compared, add much to consider when
scheme. A nice flow of vibrant paintings by artists Mason
viewed at close range.
Eubanks and Kathleen Thum effectively offsets the earthy
stoicism of Lock’s floor-bound creations.
on the theme, the mix of wood grain and polyester
Ships
In
II,
the
show’s
largest
and
For instance, in Ships In I, a smaller variation
most
resin visible through the sanded paint on the uppermost
commanding piece, combines a long, angular wooden
plane appears vulnerable and aged, as compared to the
shape with a smaller, taller, rounded steel construction.
smooth, uniformly painted, wooden planes sloping to the
Strategically considered lines lead the eye to a dark, inch-
floor on either side. One might imagine a beach cottage
wide crevice that serves as a jumping point for several
with weathered boards and another one with new siding.
comparisons between the two imposing forms. The
An interesting analogous relationship exists between
wooden structure’s smooth, white planes and seamless
the bright, orange rust along the steel’s bottom edge
edges result from the layering of polyester resin and paint.
and the warm wood tones exposed on the top plane.
A worn quality is apparent as patches of wood grain peek
Subtle complexities emanate from the arrangement of
out through heavily sanded areas. The pocked, rusty steel
contradictory angles, varied edges and uneven sides that
surface resembles the moon during a lunar eclipse and
compose the two forms.
abruptly counters the sleek wooden slopes. Similar to his
use of surface agents on wood, Lock grinds, rusts and
while each piece speaks for itself. This well-considered
applies chemical patinas in search of these finished metal
mix of geometric and organic concerns yields an attractive
exteriors. The contrasting surface qualities, both in terms
disparity. Two objects become one and a
of the variations on onematerial and
greater potential is clear.
A similar chord runs through Lock’s new works,
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IS CONTEM ART GOOD INV
IN THE ART WORLD, THE WELL CONNECTED GET INFORMATION EARLIER THAN TH INSTANCE YOU’RE LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET THE ONE O
THE ART PRESS CURRENTLY SEEMS REMARKABLY FOCUSED on the high prices fetched for
work by a small set of young artists. Many of these high-priced works were previously purchased for far less. A $10 million Peter Doig painting once sold for $30,000 (or some such figure). And works by other young abstract-process-based painters that sold at the primary market for $10,000 later sold at auction for $250,000. In this setting, it is hardly surprising that many collectors would see the possibility of striking it rich, and this desire by collectors to make financial returns feels more common than in the past. The opening moments of art fairs now feel like a contemporary version of a gold rush, with collectors searching for the latest prospect. My view is that for most collectors, this is fool’s gold.
Some people invest at the blue-chip, liquid end of the market, for example by buying a
Gerhard Richter painting. Auction data is typically used to determine the returns to investing on the superstar end of contemporary art, and I have nothing useful to say about this tranche of the market. The rest of the market—the focus here—is navigated through buying from galleries at primary-market prices.
Investing in contemporary art by young artists, as is the current trend in the primary market,
is inherently risky. Much of contemporary art is to seek “the different,” and the version of different that ultimately sticks can be hard to identify. Furthermore, the price of an artist’s work often depends on what she subsequently does. As a result, when buying art you are as much buying the artist as the artwork. But people change: they have children, experience breakdowns, decide to become schoolteachers, etc. That means the quality and nature of their work changes. There is also the market’s illiquidity, where a small fraction of successes hit it (financially) big. Young, potential stars are sometimes underpriced (relative to the market) and much of the supposed smart money is located here.
Finding the relevant set of artists to invest in is like finding a needle in a haystack, for the
uninformed. At any given moment, there is a stock of artist names in the ether that knowledgeable collectors are acquiring.
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MPORARY TA VESTMENT?
HE REST OF US, AND THE UNINFORMED PICK UP THE SCRAPS. EVEN IN THE RARE OR TWO OUT OF 10, IT MAY BE A SHORT-LIVED GAIN.
Even among those, eight or nine of the 10 don’t pan out from a financial perspective. The hard part for collectors is even knowing who the 10 are (a gallerist telling you at an art fair that “a trustee at MOMA just bought one” doesn’t even come close).
The networks of the art world are as sophisticated and cliquish as any high school in the
United States. Inside information is rampant, with gallerists and collectors selectively sharing all sorts of useful gossip. Collectors routinely receive communications from people in the art world with information not available to others: which artists are being bought by which collectors, who is changing galleries, who has just been offered a museum show, and so on. Museum curators also play a role, as many of the acquisitions that they receive come from collectors donating work to their collections. (This feels much more extensive than in other investment areas. A central idea behind most forms of financial regulation is that uninformed investors should not be at much of a disadvantage, hence insider trading is banned. Yet inside information abounds in this market.). In the art world, the well connected get information earlier than the rest of us, and the uninformed pick up the scraps. Even in the rare instance you’re lucky enough to get the one or two out of 10, it may be a short-lived gain. Suppose that you liquidate your gains at auction. Galleries, upset at the resale, often respond by refusing that collector access to work in the future, and many collectors do not liquidate their short-term possible gains in order to maintain their gallery relationships.
The usual way that economists measure investment opportunities is to imagine a portfolio
and to simulate how that portfolio would have done. It’s hard to do that counterfactual here. However, when I began to be interested in contemporary art, a helpful gallerist pointed me toward certain publications to get up to speed. One of these was a well-known and respected series of books called Cream, in which well-known curators pick 100 (typically) up-and-coming artists. I bought Cream 3 in my first year of collecting.
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CHITEC ARC ITECTU CHITEC
CTURE CHITE URE CTURE
BUILDING ART: THE LIFE AND WORK OF FRANK GEHRY
TWO PAGES INTO “BUILDING ART,” PAUL GOLDBERGER’S BIOGRAPHY OF FRANK GEHRY, YOU KNOW YOU ARE IN FOR AN ENCOUNTER WITH AN ARCHITECT WHO IS AMBITIOUS, COCKY AND CLEVER — AND THAT YOUR GUIDE WILL PRESENT HIM WITH A WRY AND TRENCHANT PERSPECTIVE.
In his preface, Goldberger provides the essential information that although their acquaintance spans more than four decades and he had Gehry’s cooperation on the book, Gehry was not permitted “editorial control over the text”; with that, you are off and running on an informative, startling journey into the inner sanctums of modern architecture’s power structure.
“Gehry” was “Goldberg” before Frank changed it. His childhood was marked by both the values of many Eastern
European Jewish immigrants to the New World and a keen awareness of the anti-S emitism that prevailed in the society where he hoped to flourish. His upbringing in a close family that emphasized hard work and Talmudic knowledge is the familiar stuff of many life stories. But his youth in the Jewish quarter of Toronto had some remarkable quirks. Frank’s grandfather gave him the role of “Shabbos goy” — the non-Jew who did all the work forbidden on the Sabbath. Rather than resent it, the future architect enjoyed running the family hardware store while the others kept observant; that energy and sanctioned irreverence would stay with him forever after.
“Nothing was sacred,” Gehry told his biographer. Having been a keen student of the Torah who aced his bar
mitzvah reading, he quickly became a teenage atheist, sought out non-Jewish friends and went his own way. Like Steven Millhauser’s superb “Martin Dressler,” Goldberger’s big, colorful biography is a tale of moxie and success in the New World. The Goldbergs left Canada for Los Angeles in 1947, when Frank was 18, because of his father’s ailing health. Once there, Frank’s father worked in a liquor store, but he was fired after being entrapped by a policeman into selling liquor at 1:05 a.m., five minutes after the legal hour, and going to jail. Frank’s mother sold candy in a department store on Hollywood Boulevard, and one of his uncles tended bar and worked for a mobster. A cousin got Frank a carpentry job for 75 cents an hour, and he installed a banquette for Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. One night when Frank was out with his parents on the Sunset Strip, Rogers and Evans spotted him and invited him over to their car, where he met Bob Hope. The senior Goldbergs were beside themselves, but the event made Frank feel “awkward. He knew that he was not a celebrity himself, or someone who socialized with them.”
Paul Goldberger, formerly an architecture critic at The New York Times and The New Yorker, and currently a
contributing editor at Vanity Fair, exercises considerable tact in the telling of this pivotal moment. Without saying it directly, he suggests just how important it would be to Frank Gehry to rise in society, to be in the spotlight rather than view celebrities from afar. As Frank Goldberg, he was determined to break into a different milieu, and architecture would be the route he would take to do it. When he was 17, he had attended a lecture by the architect Alvar Aalto, visiting Toronto from Helsinki. Forty-eight-year-old Aalto, already internationally acclaimed, showed images of his recent Paimio Sanatorium. The undulating sculptural form of that wonderful building demonstrated the power of architecture to be salubrious. Aalto then hauled one of his bent plywood chairs onto the stage. Here, the capacity of an object to cosset the body and humor the spirit became evident. The future Frank Gehry’s head was turned.
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7 THINGS TO DISCOV ABOUT CONTEMPOR ARCHITECTURE
CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE IS BASED ON A PRINCIPLE THAT IS SHARED BY ALL THOSE TO DESIGN AND BUILD THINGS THAT ARE DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WAS DONE IN THE PAST 1. WHAT CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE IS NOT
5. WINDOWS
Contemporary architecture isn’t an architectural movement. Architectural movements,
Larger and more ple
like the Baroque, Futurism, or Modernism, are always associated with a precise historical period.
Multiple openings and thei
An architectural movement is a particular architectural choice that claims to act as the precise
skylights have all entered th
reflection of a society. Since contemporary architecture is not an architectural movement, it
beyond creating spectacular
is not subject to this constraint. It is not a school of thought. This means that contemporary
lighting, and secondly, to tak
architecture can offer a multitude of architectural choices, provided that they stand out from
spectacular views, contempo
what is normally done. However, the high level of variety doesn’t stop some common traits from
and are planning to build in
being observable within contemporary architecture. This is what we will examine now.
some clever thinking is requ
2. FORM
6. ENVIRONMENTAL CONSID
All we need to do is to look around to see that the dominant line in architecture is the
Ecohousing is a cha
straight line. Contemporary architecture tends to distance itself from this habit by opting more
conventional buildings inco
often for curved lines, instead. In some cases, a building is entirely designed around curved lines.
But in contemporary archit
In other cases, both curved and straight lines are used in the same building.
geothermal heating, heat pu
goal of producing heat in ne 3. COMPOSITION OF VOLUMES
example, the aim is to integra
The use of curved lines also makes it possible to create spaces that are not simply
only to protect the surround
cubes, as is the case with straight lines. So, in contemporary architecture, one sees building with
elements that gives the hom
rounded shapes. When contemporary architecture does make use of straight lines, meaning that
reduction of greenhouse gas
the unit of volume is a cube, it attempts to assemble these cubes in surprising ways so as to
you because it allows you to
create a distinctive composition of volumes. Like rounded shapes do, this composition also allows for the creation of interior living spaces with unusual layouts. If you aren’t shy about flaunting
7. ANIMATED ARCHITECTURE
your difference and if you like the idea of living in a nonstandard living space,
contemporary architecture is for you.
of contemporary architectur
For lack of a better t
projections on facades that 4. NEW MATERIALS
building, and water, which h
jets of water that may even
Another feature of contemporary architecture today is the use of new materials for
both the interior and the exterior. Traditional materials like glass, wood, brick, and metals are preferred. Plants also have their place within contemporary architecture, particularly on roofs, but also, increasingly, on the walls. If you have a green thumb, you can take advantage of this trend towards revegetation and grow a vertical garden; for example, by growing climbing tomato plants all over a wall.
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more alive and to make its o
VER RARY
E WHO PRACTICE IT: THE DESIRE AND THE WILL T AND WHAT IS USUALLY DONE TODAY.
entiful windows are also a characteristic of contemporary architecture.
ir uncommon positioning, panoramic windows, window walls, and
he playing field. One of the consequences of this kind of fenestration,
r views, is that it makes full use of the sunlight: first of all as natural
ke advantage of passive solar heating. If you love natural light or enjoy
orary architecture is for you. But be careful! If you care about privacy
n an urban setting where there are neighbours nearby,
uired when it comes to windows. ERATIONS
aracteristic that isn’t restricted to contemporary architecture. Many rporate sustainable elements, or, at the very least, energy efficiency.
tecture, these elements are required. The use of photovoltaic cells,
umps, heat exchangers, and thermal collectors is considered, with the
ew ways and conserving it. In the field of residential construction, for
ate the home perfectly into its natural surroundings. The purpose is not
dings from disturbance, but to turn them into one of the architectural
me its own, special character. If environmental responsibility and the
sses are among your priorities, contemporary architecture will satisfy
o build a home that far exceeds current environmental standards.
E
term, animated architecture is the name given to another characteristic
re that exists in several forms: sophisticated exterior building lighting, are often capable of interacting with passers-by or the users of the
has reappeared in the form of fountains of every type, waterfalls, and be coloured. The idea is to make the building feel
outer portions more animated.
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ARCHI ZAHA H
DAME ZAHA HADID (31 OCTOBER 1950 - 31 MARCH 2016) WAS THE UNCROWNED Q SCREAM, “I’M A HADID”. A BONA FIDE AUTRICE, HADID WAS WITHOUT STRATOSPHERE STRANGELY DOMIN SINCE HER STUDENT DAYS IN LONDON at the Architectural Association School of Architecture, Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid (born 1950) had been intensely preoccupied with changing our general notions of space - not only in a physical sense, but also socially and culturally. Hadid’s projects are characterized by their dynamic formal qualities of sinuously, curving shapes, or crystallized strata. This sums up as a kind of new Baroque, a sensuous, more vibrant and engaging type of architecture.
Hadid’s projects during the late 1970s and 1980s were marked by a
profound understanding of early 20th Century avant-garde artists and architects. In an attempt to redevelop and make relevant again the formal investigations of Russian Constructivism and Italian Futurism, her projects expressed utopian ideals.
Today, Zaha Hadid Architects create landmarks projects for all types of
functional programs. Their buildings are never bland or mundane, but moreover assertive statements of a particular view, that the world may indeed look different. Their efforts have resulted in a staggering almost one thousand projects throughout the globe, in every scale, from urban design schemes to objects and furniture design.
Along with her strong conceptual and historical awareness, nature’s
forms and shapes appear as a recurrent source of inspiration for Zaha Hadid’s architecture. It includes attention to physical contexts and landscapes, whether resulting in layered structures or powerful moving lines but also exploring possible interfaces between patterns and construction. Zaha Hadid Architects embraced digital drawing early on. This has made the studio able to challenge traditional ways of making architecture. In collaboration with senior office partner Patrik Schumacher, Zaha Hadid has meticulously explored the possibilities of parametric design, allowing for the conception and construction of architecture as seamless flows of energy and matter. Zaha Hadid is the 2004 Pritzker Prize laureate and winner of the Stirling Prize in 2010 and 2011.
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ITECT: HADID
QUEEN OF CONTEMPORARY ICONIC ARCHITECTURE. HER BUILDINGS PRACTICALLY T A DOUBT THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS WOMAN IN A STARCHITECT NATED BY HER MASCULINE PEERS.
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SIGN DES N ESIGN
SIGN
N
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WHAT IS CONTEMPORARY DESIGN? LET’S TALK ABOUT CONTEMPORARY DESIGN FOR A MINUTE, SHALL WE? IT’S OFTEN CONFUSED WITH, OR DESCRIBED INTERCHANGEABLY AS, MODERN DESIGN. ALTHOUGH PERHAPS SOME ELEMENTS OF MODERN DESIGN CARRY THROUGH INTO CONTEMPORARY DESIGN, THE TWO STYLES CERTAINLY HAVE THEIR DIFFERENCES. HOW IS CONTEMPORARY DESIGN DIFFERENT FROM MODERN DESIGN?
It’s interesting to note that many people use the words “modern” and “contemporary”
interchangeably when referring to design; however, this is not quite accurate. Modern design generally refers to design of the mid-1900s. Characteristics such as natural materials, expansive neutrals with pops of color, and clean, low lines are all part of modern décor.
Contemporary, however, refers to décor that is much more current. Even designs that were
contemporary in the 2000s may no longer be considered contemporary but rather vintage. In five or ten years from now, contemporary design will likely have a different look and feel than contemporary design today. Where modern design has a specific look and feel, contemporary design is ever-changing, due in part to the availability of (new) materials and pieces. HOW DOES CONTEMPORARY DESIGN RELATE TO OTHER STYLES?
Because contemporary design is always evolving, it easily relates to other styles no matter
what they are. A space of almost any given style can have contemporary elements due to the very nature of contemporariness – that is, as a space’s design changes to accommodate the shifting preferences, tastes, and needs of the people who live there, that evolution inherently creates a contemporary space. CONTEMPORARY + MODERN –
Contemporary spaces can still (and often do) incorporate modern elements and pieces. To
make these spaces truly contemporary, however, the modern pieces (e.g., low sofa, shag rug) are mixed with other non-modern elements (e.g., concrete floor, graffiti-type wall mural). CONTEMPORARY + TRADITIONAL –
Traditional furnishings take on a contemporary look and feel when they are combined with
lighter elements. For example, blonde wood, an ombre rug, and a light grey color bring a decidedly contemporary vibe to this traditional-inspired sofa seating with its curves and tufting. CONTEMPORARY + ECLECTIC –
Eclectic styles seem inherently to incorporate doses of contemporary design, simply because
their mix-and-not-match attitude is embraced in the world of contemporary décor. Combine a vintage mid-century sofa with an Ikea coffee table and a Moroccan rug for an example of this concept. And singular pieces can be both eclectic and contemporary simultaneously, like this freshened up retro rocker.
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7 TIPS TO HELP YOU DESIGN THE PERFECT FLOOR PLA
THE PERFECT FLOOR PLAN IS NOT AN EASY TASK TO ACCOMPLISH – FAMILIES ARE DYNAM WE INTERACT WITH OUR SPACE CHANGES A LITTLE YEAR BY YEAR. 1. HIGHLIGHT YOUR ASSETS
5. SAFETY
A floor plan should highlight all assets that come with the land on which your home
With smaller memb
sits. Whether you have a great view at the front or back, or the perfect amount of sun – your
floorplan, and choosing its
floorplan should accentuate it. If your home is custom, it is likely built on the East-West Axis and
space. Setting up an area th
it is important to note that most of your sun will be coming in from the South. Plan your living
as omitting balconies inside
spaces accordingly and make sure to give those room that require the most amount of
6. CONNECTING SPACES
light the attention they deserve.
If you’re not fully so
option! Creating a visual co 2. PRACTICALITY
give it that uniform feel. By
theme, your home is sure to
Though the innovative design style of modern homes is admirable, it is worth noting
that a simple and traditional floor plan may be just what’s right for you. Not everyone wants an
7. BRINGING THE OUTDOORS
extremely open house, and would prefer to separate how people socialize to maintain a sense
of order in the home. Details such as having a mud room or closet near the front entrance for
This creates a seamless tra
convenience may seem conventional – but when guests come into your home with somewhere
personal space. Using simila
easy to put their shoes, you’ll be glad it wasn’t something you missed.
allow home owners and visi
If possible, one shou
provide. Remember to add a 3. STAY ON BUDGET
A common misconception people have is that they need to renovate everything as quickly
as possible to prevent a future construction-induced headache. However, there is no need to give up on that family vacation just to receive instant satisfaction on the space you live in. Renovating your home little by little will create small changes that will build with your home. Prioritizing your needs can also be helpful for planning and prioritizing what you value the most as a family. 4. RENOVATING? OPEN IT UP.
Old homes are notorious for segregating rooms based on their intended purpose. Modern
homes aim to have an open concept that shy away from the historic notion of formal dining and lean towards owning a functional space that accommodates all the busy lives involved in a family. By knocking down walls that are creating barriers in the home, you will not only allow more light to infiltrate places that used to be corners, but will also build a space perfect for socializing and entertaining.
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AN
MICS, AND HOW
bers of the family come larger risks of injury. When designing a features, keep in mind how someone younger may interact with the
hat will allow adults to keep an eye on them may be valuable, as well
e or outside of the home.
old on the idea of an open floor plan, have no fear, there is another
onnectedness between various rooms meant for socializing will still
y painting walls similar colours and playing within a defined colour
o have a cohesive feel without being overly open.
S INDOORS
uld try to complement what surrounds their home and bring it inside.
ansition for home owners from their exterior environment to their
ar colours and materials on the outside and inside of your home will
itors to appreciate the elevated sense of connection that a home can
accents that prevent it from being too dull a space.
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A DESIGNER GUIDE TO DECORATING IN CONTEMPORARY STYLE YOU MIGHT LIKE A CONTEMPORARY STYLE OF DECORATING IF YOU LIKE TO KEEP CURRENT WITH STYLES, ENJOY THINGS THAT ARE MODERN, OF TODAY, RIGHT NOW.
While it’s been thought that modern interiors are cold and minimalist, today’s contemporary interiors are
comfortable and welcoming without being cluttered and dark. It’s a style that is equally appropriate for offices and stores, lofts and homes. A contemporary style home can be a quiet and comfortable retreat. To achieve the look of a contemporary home, it’s important to stick to some basic rules. Fundamentally, simplicity, subtle sophistication, texture and clean lines help to define contemporary style decorating. Interiors showcase space rather than things. By focusing on color, space, and shape, contemporary interiors are sleek and fresh. COLOR –
Neutrals, black, and white are the main colors in contemporary style interiors. The palette is often punched up
and accented with bright and bold color. Black is often used to ground and define a contemporary style room. With walls painted in a basic neutral, you have a wonderful backdrop for bold colored accessories. If the walls and windows are painted in pastels, the trims should be neutral. If a wall is a bright, bold color, neutrals should be used everywhere else. LINE AND SPACE –
The most obvious and distinctive element of a contemporary style interior design is line. It’s found in architectural
details, use of bold color blocks, high ceilings, bare windows, and geometric shapes in wall art and sculpture. The bare space, on walls, between pieces of furniture, and above in upper areas, becomes as important as the areas filled with objects. In contemporary interiors, less is more. Each piece stands out as individual and unique. Take advantage of structural elements. Air ducts may hang from a ceiling, broken bricks provide texture and stability, and exposed plumbing pipes are perfectly acceptable in a contemporary style interior. To draw the eye, paint these structural details in bold contrasting colors, or to diminish their importance, blend them with the walls. CONTEMPORARY STYLE FURNITURE –
Smooth, clean, geometric shapes are essential for contemporary style furniture pieces. Upholstered furniture often
wears black, white, or other neutral tones in textured natural fibers. Cover it in a neutral, black, or bold fabric. Fabrics often have a natural look found in wool, cotton, linen, silk, jute, and add textural appeal. Furniture pieces should be simple and uncluttered, without curves or decoration. Sofas, chairs, and ottomans have exposed legs. Beds and chairs usually have no skirt, trim, fringe, or tassels. Pillows add a shot of color and texture in clean geometric shapes.
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KEEP IN MIND
Use furniture and accessories to make a bold statement in contemporary style interior. Use a basic background
and shout out with your favorite color on a piece that will stand out. Less is more! In a contemporary style interior, don’t use ruffles, excessive carved details, fringe, or floral prints. Abolish cute and small. Go basic, bare, bold, and structural.
Floors in a contemporary style home should be bare and smooth in wood, tile, or vinyl. If you must use carpet for
sound control or warmth, choose commercial grades. Add color and texture with plain or geometric-patterned area rugs. Contemporary style decorating has distinct characteristics and elements that are evident. Here are ways to incorporate some of those contemporary design elements into your interior space. Generous use of metal, stone, and opaque or clear glass works well in a room decorated in a contemporary style. To soften and warm up the space, add heavily textured fabrics in plain colors for window treatments, pillows, or rugs.
Colorful, fussy prints should be avoided, since they confuse a plain space that is key to a contemporary style home.
Two-tone prints work well. Think about a zebra print pillow on a black leather chair, a large leopard-print pillow thrown on a plain floor, or bold, heavily textured striped rug to anchor solid colored, sleek furniture. Individual pieces are very important in a contemporary style interior and lighting fixtures should be selected to focus on specific pieces. Each light fixture could be a work of art itself with sculptural details and clean lines. Add color and metallic elements on the light fixtures.
In a contemporary style room, use spotlights or can lighting directed at a painting, poster, or print. These will help
to draw the eye to the pieces you want to focus on.​ Track lighting and recessed lighting help to wash a wall in light. In home renovations or new construction, consider installing cove lighting or indirect light. Contemporary style sculptures or art on a stand can be placed at eye level by using a structural column or pedestal. Again, be sure the piece is well-lighted.
Don’t clutter the contemporary style rooms with collections or too many pieces. Open space is just as, if not more,
important as the pieces you put in the space. Plants and flowers should be large and dramatic in simple containers placed in contemporary rooms. Large blooms with interesting leaves work better than small arrangements. If space allows, place upward focusing lights around a large plant on the floor. Keep the arrangements neat with rocks or bark chips arranged over the dirt.
Frames in high-gloss or matte black, natural wood, or metal finishes are great for artwork. If you must put several
pieces together, hang them close together so they give the feeling of one large piece instead of many small pieces.
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