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Design Guide
Contemporary
Clean lines, open spaces, and natural materials define contemporary design. This evolving style blends neutral tones with bold accents, textured finishes, and modern-vintage lighting for a timeless yet fresh look.
Pro Tip
Transform Your Home with Contemporary Interior Design
Create an airy, stylish home with flexible layouts, sleek furniture, and a balanced color palette. Ground your design in neutral tones, adding accent colors through art and decor. Choose sleek, geometric furniture and quality materials for a sophisticated, inviting home.
Contemporary Style By Room
“Contemporary design is ever evolving, reflecting current trends, and adapting over time to cultural moments and innovations. You can expect a mix of materials, organic forms, neutral palettes, pops of color and seamless technological integration.”
Olivia Hnatyshin, Creative Director, Furniture.com
Contemporary Furniture Style Essentials
Modern Comfort
Contemporary sectionals balance clean lines with comfort. Choose low-profile designs, modular shapes, and upholstery for an inviting space.
Artful Accents
Texture and contrast are key in contemporary design. Layer with abstract art, sculptural vases, and mixed-material decor to create depth and personality.
Luxe Lighting
Modern lighting blends bold forms with warm ambiance. From sculptural chandeliers to minimalist sconces, the right fixture transforms your space.
Refined Rugs
Ground your space with texture and dimension. Opt for neutral rugs, bold geometric patterns, or natural weaves to complement contemporary design.
Shop Contemporary Furniture & Decor
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Costway
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Kathy Kuo Home
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Lumens Light + Living
Updated March 13, 2025
Charlotte Weld
Director of Digital Content
I’m Charlotte, the Director of Digital Content at Furniture.com, where I lead the creative direction for our Inspiration blog and the marketing layer of our website. Read more.
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Discover More Styles
What Is Contemporary Furniture?
Contemporary furniture captures the popular styles and values of the moment. As trends evolve, today's contemporary designs will eventually give way to the aesthetics of the 2030s and beyond.
If you’re curious about how culture and technology shape our homes, just trace the history of contemporary furniture. In the early 20th century Scandinavian designers invented minimalist furniture inspired by the harsh northern climates. Meanwhile, the rise of mass production after World War II paved the way for mid century modern furniture.
Today, clean lines have become a hallmark of contemporary furniture. These minimalist pieces have little to no ornamentation, but that doesn’t mean they’re boring. Instead, their simple designs allow their stylish silhouettes and high-quality materials to shine through.
Neutral tones are another defining characteristic of contemporary furniture. Popular shades include cream, light gray, and white. These low-key colors are the perfect backdrop for lush houseplants and other bold accessories.
Why Choose Contemporary Furniture?
From Art Deco to Western, there are dozens of furniture styles available. However, the contemporary style offers a few unique benefits that have contributed to its popularity.
Contemporary furniture gives you the perfect balance of comfort and aesthetics. Upholstered pieces are typically made from ultra-cozy materials like cotton and (faux) leather. When you settle into a contemporary sectional or armchair, these soft textiles will instantly make you feel more relaxed.
Plus, contemporary furniture is just plain attractive. With their low profiles and sleek lines, these pieces often look like they belong in a modern art museum. They instantly add a hint of elegance to any space. Contemporary furniture is a great way to transform your home into a cozy, resort-like retreat.
The contemporary style adapts to changing trends while maintaining a timeless appeal. It has evolved slowly over the years, adding new colors and shapes without losing its modern look. This gradual transformation means your furniture will stay fresh and relevant for many years. That’s great news if you’re on a budget or just don’t feel like replacing your couch every other year.
Shop Contemporary Furniture by Room
Whether you’re only shopping for a single item or redesigning your entire home, you can find contemporary styles for every room. Here are a few must-have pieces.
Contemporary Living Rom Furniture:
Treat yourself to high-class living with a contemporary living room. Start by choosing a sleek sofa with luxurious upholstery and a cozy chaise. This furniture often comes in cream or ivory, but you might prefer a darker gray if you have pets.
Add extra seating with sculptural accent chairs. They typically combine tapered legs with curved backs, perfect for cozying up with a novel or your laptop. Of course, you’ll also need a modern coffee table to finish the look. Find a style that combines materials, such as glass and wood.
Contemporary Dining Room Furniture:
Contemporary dining rooms often center around glass or wood dining tables. These pieces have slim tops for a clean, futuristic look. While some have tapered legs, others have geometric bases, making them great conversation pieces.
Minimalist seating gives your guests room to sit without cluttering the simple design. Most contemporary dining chairs come in solid neutrals like charcoal or ivory. If you’d prefer a bolder color, why not try emerald or red? These shades will brighten the room without cluttering the contemporary aesthetic.
Complete the look with a contemporary sideboard. These pieces are typically made from dark wood and may have abstract or geometric patterns. They’re the perfect place to lay out a holiday meal and store your special dishes.
Contemporary Bedroom Furniture:
Every contemporary bedroom needs a stylish platform bed. With its slim profile, this furniture offers the perfect modern touch. Add storage with modern dressers and nightstands. These pieces have streamlined designs, but don’t worry. They still provide plenty of space to store clothes and other essentials.
Contemporary Home Office Furniture:
With a contemporary home office, you’ll have no excuse not to be productive. Start by choosing an ultra-functional desk made from glass or wood. This furniture often has geometric bases, making your workspace feel like an architecture studio. Pair it with an ergonomic leather or fabric chair.
Add metal bookcases or sleek cabinets for extra storage. That way, you won’t have to clutter your desk with paperwork and staplers. For accents, you can’t go wrong with a modern table lamp and a neutral rug.
Key Features of Contemporary Furniture Design
Contemporary styles change every few years, so they always feel current. Here’s what’s trendy today.
Neutral & Monochromatic Color Palettes
Neutral colors are easy to match and fill your home with a gentle warmth.
If you shop for contemporary homeware and furniture, expect to see, blacks , earthy tones, grays, and whites.
Sleek & Smooth Surfaces
Designers often use high-gloss finishes and lacquered wood for contemporary furniture. Any hardware is typically polished metal, giving pieces a little modern glamour.
Bold Yet Simple Designs
Contemporary designs use minimal pieces for maximum impact. Keep your spaces uncluttered but add geometric shapes for visual interest. And, of course, you’ll need statement lighting to spotlight your sophisticated furniture.
Mix of Materials
Mixing materials is an easy way to add luxurious texture to your space. Look for pieces that combine two or more modern materials, such as chrome, glass, leather, stone, and steel.
How To Style Your Home With Contemporary Furniture
Designing a sleek, modern home doesn’t have to be stressful. Keep things simple with a neutral color scheme. For a chic vibe, you might pair a light gray couch with a black rug.
Mix and match textures to create a welcoming, comfortable space. A linen throw will soften a leather couch, while upholstered armchairs can balance a glass coffee table. Accent lighting is another simple way to warm a room.
Shop Contemporary Furniture at Furniture.com
If you spend a few minutes browsing interior designs on Instagram, you’ll spot plenty of contemporary spaces. The appeal of this trendy style is not hard to understand. It is classy yet modern, giving your home a luxurious hotel vibe.
Ready to design a beautiful contemporary space? Explore thousands of sophisticated accessories and furniture on Furniture.com.
F.A.Q.
What's the difference between contemporary, modern, and minimalist furniture styles?
These terms refer to distinct aesthetics. Contemporary furniture is whatever’s trendy at the moment. Right now, that means lightweight pieces with clean lines and mixed materials.
By contrast, modern furniture is inspired by the early to mid-twentieth century. This style is all about earthy palettes, straight lines, and natural materials like teak.
Finally, minimalist furniture embodies the mindset of “less is more.” This style prioritizes function and has no ornamentation. Picture, for instance, a plain white or gray couch. While some contemporary pieces fall into this category, they typically have more artistic flair and personality than true minimalist furniture.
Can you mix contemporary and traditional furniture?
Absolutely! Fusing contemporary and traditional pieces lets you create a personal, vibrant space. But don’t go for a 50/50 split. It’s better to let one style dominate and add a few accents from the other. That way, your design will feel intentional.
Mixing contemporary and traditional furniture also lets you showcase older pieces you’re not ready to let go of. For example, you might pair your grandma’s mid century modern sideboard with a gleaming glass dining table. This approach honors your past while embracing contemporary trends.
What are contemporary colors?
When it comes to contemporary style furniture, neutrals are king. Colors like beige, tan, and off-white are a blank canvas for your space. They’re also very soothing, making it easier to unwind.
Don’t be afraid to add a few pops of color, though. Warming reds like burgundy and dusty rose will give your space a moody, sophisticated vibe. Or go for natural shades like seafoam green and terracotta. These earthy colors will give your home a cozy, outdoorsy feel without overwhelming your minimalist furniture.