10 Elements of Modern Home Decor All Owners Use

ByMaria McCutchen Posted on

Modern decor has been around for a long time, and although many elements of the decor theme have remained the same, there are also plenty of changes that have come along due to the age we live in now, and a lot has to do with the advancement of technology over the years. If you love the look and feel of a modern-style home and have seen plenty of them decked out in a modern motif, then you have noticed that there are typically quite a few similarities that can be found from one modern home to the next.

If you aren’t as familiar with this mode of decorating, we can tell you how you can achieve it in your home by following the same ideologies and using the same elements that are most commonly used in modern homes. We’ve put together ten of the most commonly used elements of modern home decor that all home owners use to help you get started on your way to creating a modern decor theme for your home that you’ll love.

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1. Open, airy and light

If you have ever driven past a modern-style home, you probably have seen plenty of windows in the architectural design, and that’s because when it comes to modern homes, using as much natural light throughout the home as possible, is one of the biggest goals. From large, floor-to-ceiling windows, skylights, French doors, even solar tubes. Natural light really opens a room and makes the space brighter, feel larger, more airy, and the total opposite of a small drab space that can be draining to your energy.

2. Uncluttered

The modern approach to decorating is to keep things neat, clean and tidy with a simplistic look in mind, and limited amounts of decor items displayed. Everything used in modern decor serves a purpose, so if it’s not needed or doesn’t benefit the room in a specific way, it is not set out or displayed. When you walk into a modern style home, you won’t find it bogged down with heavy materials, colors, knick-knacks, or even big, bulky furniture pieces.

3. Streamlined furnishings

Modern furniture is designed with a relaxed and casual way of life type of lifestyle in mind. Furniture pieces tend to be streamlined with neat, clean lines as opposed to heavy and ornamental designs that can eat up, both, visual and actual floor square footage. Modern style furniture is one of the most common elements found in a modern home since furnishings are a main part of a home and decor choice. You will see furnishings that are often lifted up off the floor to create an openness, to the room. It looks and feels lighter and less weighed down with bulky furniture pieces that can consume so much space.

4. You’ll see lots of geometric shapes

Geometric shapes have always been popular to the modern design. Geometric shapes have a neater, cleaner look and visual appeal as opposed to other, more traditional styles of decorating. You will find furniture pieces designed in unique shapes, or designed with simple straight lines and curves. Tables, sofas, chairs, beds and bedroom furniture, all offer a lighthearted approach to furnishings for the modernism lifestyle.

5. Have an open floor plan

Modern homes are also very similar in the interior’s layout. It’s very hard to find a modern style home that doesn’t boast a big open floor plan that allows you lots of visual square footage all through the home. The main ares of living, like the kitchen and the living room, are often set adjacent to each other with the ability to flow from one space to the next effortlessly. The open floor plan is often praised for the ability to entertain easily and not be shut-off from the guests while you’re in the kitchen cooking, and the guests visit in the living room. It’s also ideal for families, making it easy to keep an eye on the children while you cook, and communicate with the family more openly.

6. Modernistic art pieces

Although the modern decor theme does not typically reflect a lot of personal photos and other types of ornamental decor pieces, modernism does showcase art in other ways. Modern homes typically have larger pieces of wall art that act as focal points for a room as well as they find artwork in little details, such as a set of artsy candle sticks, a modern looking vase on a table or mantle, a beautifully sculpted coffee table and other details. A set of built-in bookshelves might a place you could display a few framed pieces of modern artwork or sculptures, however, the main theme for a modern home is, less-is-more.

7. Light fixtures are artistic in design

Modern homes always seem to have the coolest looking light fixtures. The choices are endless in what you can find in a modern design, and depending on your personal taste, what goes with your choice of furniture, and of course, your budget, will all play a role on just how modern and playful you want to get. Modern light fixtures are typically artistic in design, using lots of shapes and designs, from squares, cylinders, rectangles, bulbs, starbursts and more. It is very common to find a unique modern chandelier over a dining table, kitchen island, even in the master bedroom. Uniquely designed wall sconces are also a way to add a bit of art appeal to a room, and modern style table lamps.

8. Use natural finishes

Metal, glass, cement, and other natural materials are often seen in modern homes. A metal bar counter in the kitchen is a very modern look as opposed to more traditional materials. Large wood, porcelain tile and other natural finished floors are a common site in modern homes. A large area rug helps to tie a room together and make the floor more comfortable to walk on. A large, warm sheepskin rug in the living room is definitely a stylish look for a modern home.

9. Neutral color schemes

Following along the lines of a simplistic look, you will most often find that modern homes stick to a very neutral color pallet. Tans, white, brown, gray, yellow, and black and white are all very familiar colors for modern homes. You can add some splashes of color in other areas of the room, such as in your area rug, throw pillows, a few decorative pieces and other elements, however, most modern homes will steer away from pastels and other traditional decor theme colors.

10. Technology

Most modern homes are really ‘up” with technology. You will find it fairly common to find high tech elements in a modern home, however, most technological details are hidden within the home, such as smart TV’s , home security systems, fireplaces, refrigerators and much more. Modern lifestyles often embrace the latest innovative technology developments and incorporate them into their home to help make life as carefree and easy as possible. If you are working on creating a modern home for you and your family, upgrading to some of the latest smart devices for a smarter more technical home is one way to keep your home up-to-date and current for today’s ever-changing, fast-paced world.

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Maria McCutchen is an author and freelance writer living in Chattanooga, TN. She is the published author of her memoir, “It’s all in Your Head,” and a children’s book. She has been writing for over 15 years; writing articles, whitepapers, product write-ups and more for multiple online media sites, blogs, company websites and individuals. She is also an advocate for brain malformations, including Chiari Malformation, and works closely with the non-profit organization, The Chiari Project, writing for their quarterly newsletters.

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