Modern Vs. Transitional

When decorating or refreshing your living space, it can be helpful to identify which design style most closely represents your tastes. Whether you are drawn to the clean, sleek lines of modern design, prefer the classic elegance of traditional design or fall somewhere in between, the best way to create a cohesive designer-quality look is to stick to a single aesthetic throughout your home.

Many people find that they fall into the “somewhere in between” category, preferring a happy medium of modern styling infused with a few traditional elements. This hybrid of modern and traditional design has a name: transitional. Perfect for those who find a completely modern look too cold or sterile, transitional design introduces the warm, inviting aspects of traditional design that make a house feel like home while maintaining the sleek, updated appeal of modern styling. To fully understand the difference between modern and transitional design, it’s important to point out the hallmarks of both modern and transitional design.

Boasting a clean, minimalist look, modern design utilizes sleek lines and sharp angles to create an open, airy feel. Modern design elements include tapered legs, crisp angles and polished metal accents. Also referred to as retro or mid-century modern, this style reached the height of its popularity in the 1950s and is experiencing a strong resurgence in popularity today.

Although transitional pieces often can include many, if not all, of the modern design elements mentioned above, the key difference is that this type of design incorporates traditional design elements as well. For example, a transitional sofa may present a sleeker silhouette than a traditional sofa, but it might forgo the clean track arms typically found on a modern sofa in favor of classic rolled arms for a softer approach. Traditional design elements including bun feet, turned legs, rolled arms and plush cushions are often mixed with modern design elements to create a transitional look.

An advantage of choosing transitional pieces for your home is that they are easy to mix with your existing décor. While you probably wouldn’t want to place a modern sofa next to a traditional chair in the same room, a transitional sofa can easily blend with both modern and traditional pieces. Whether you envision your home as a modern mecca or a cozy transitional home base, the first step is choosing an aesthetic that fits your lifestyle and carrying it throughout your space.

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