CONTEMPORARY LIVING
Article written for Concept For Living by Matthew McCarton

The concepts surrounding contemporary design can often be misunderstood. The word contemporary evokes thoughts of ultra-modern, up-to-date ideas. However, contemporary design has evolved over a time going back to the Second World War and has been formulated into a philosophy of integrating the concepts of functional living with comfortable creative self expression.

What do we mean by functional living? This concept describes the immediate needs we have in everyday living, in a particular room. For example, the functional needs of a lounge would be a sofa to sit on, a television to watch and so on. Comfortable, creative self-expression is how we take this functionality and develop it to a point where we do not lose sight of our everyday needs, but are able to express our individuality and creativity in our living space.

Historically the formulation of concepts and ideas in interior design can be seen within the context of the wider art movement. Certainly within the last hundred years there has been a growing diversification of artistic expression which has incorporated people’s perception and needs in terms of their living space. For instance, over one hundred years ago the famous designer William Morris stated that you should have nothing in your house which you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful. This idea was developed reaching its ultimate form in The Minimalist Movement in the 1940s.

Minimalist as expressed in interior design, reflects the belief that houses are machines in which to live in, the interiors being sparse, simple and functional, with the emphasis being on space and light, ie. “less is more.” In adopting a minimalist approach in design, the focus is on the immediate impact of introducing an element into a room, like the introduction of paint onto a blank canvas.

Contemporary Design therefore can be seen to have evolved from the basic principles of minimalism in its recognition of the importance of the functional needs of the home. How it differentiates from minimalist is in its adoption of a holistic approach in creating a more personalised and less immediately functional space in which to live in. It would therefore appear that minimalist influences are less apparent with today’s designers. Previous minimalists are becoming more contemporary to meet the needs of today’s society. It could therefore be argued that contemporary design is utilitarian.

Contemporary Design as a concept is all well and good, but what would constitute the practical applications of these ideas in the average home ? When considering the redesigning of a room in a contemporary style, it is important to start from the notion of a blank canvas. This is easily achieved in the modern box-shaped and non-characteristic houses of today, but many houses do not fit this criteria. Many old buildings are being converted into modern apartments and still maintain the original features which can include cast iron pillars, ornate cornices, and decorative features. These do not have to be torn out in order to produce a contemporary design, but integrated and used to enhance the overall effect.

The most critical aspect for your consideration should be the walls of the room, as these act as the framework for your overall effect, just as in the mounting and framing of a picture. In choosing the texture of your walls, the emphasis should be on simplicity to complement the blank canvas effect, and diversity of materials to demonstrate a more daring expression of individuality. Different textures that you may wish to consider are painted plaster, bare brick, metal sheeting, wooden panelling and cloth. If wallpaper is your preferred choice and it is recognised that it can hide a multitude of sins with bad plaster-work, then there are various alternatives to the norm. Hand-made paper can give a realistic parchment effect and natural linen wallpaper is another alternative. Within a bathroom or kitchen, ceramic tiles, glass and natural stone are more suitable for the potentially damp environment.

The choice in texture of the paint you select can complement the texture of the material used throughout the room. Matt paint within this design defines the colour and lets it speak for itself; whereas gloss paint defines the texture of the material painted.

Colour within a contemporary design is naturally bold, the emphasis being on secondary rather then primary, with the strong use of muted colours. A note of caution: the bolder the colour, the quicker you are likely to get bored with it. Our philosophy as designers is if in doubt leave it out. An effective simple contemporary look can be achieved with the use of light airy colours such as Gardenia and Ivory for the majority of the wall covering, complemented by earthy colours such as taffeta tan, beige and mushroom. Defining white as a bold colour and by use of different grades ie. white on white, can also give an effective finish within a contemporary design.

Following on from its crucial importance within the minimalist design, lighting within a contemporary design is equally important, and often is ignored or underrated by today’s DIY enthusiasts. Primarily, the natural light within a room should be used to its full potential. It can be best achieved by adopting a minimalist approach to your window dressings, with the use of a combination of blinds­roller, vertical or Roman and sheer materials such as muslin, silk, and lightly printed voiles

The use of illumination as light should have a dual purpose of creating light itself, but with greater emphasis upon the magical effect that light can offer if used correctly. This can be achieved through the use of low energy down and up lighting, table lighting and direct spot lighting onto a specific object to create a dramatic effect. Alternative effects of lighting can be best achieved by several light switches being installed to individual groups of lights to give ultimate choice. Dimmer switches can offer greater flexibility in terms of illumination to match the required ambience.

Flooring should go beyond its visual appearance; its texture and sound are just as important. The diversity of flooring materials available enables the individual to achieve any desired effect. Taking this forward into contemporary design, any industrial or robust natural material will do.

The most natural flooring material to use is wood, which incorporates parquet, floor boards (stripped or new), wooden tiles, hard board and plywood. Each of these has its own characteristics such as grain, texture and colour, which is brought out using sealant or wax, bringing a natural warmth to a room. A cheaper alternative to real wood is laminate flooring as it offers an instant visual effect.

Stone such as slate, granite, marble and limestone are good materials because they give a dramatic and classical clean line to a contemporary style. For those with a limited budget, ceramic tiles, simulated stone, mosaic, concrete flags and even polished concrete can give a similar effect to natural stone if the correct colour is used.

We recognise that for some families, especially those with young children, carpets may be the most practical floor covering to choose. Keeping within the spirit of the contemporary theme, we would recommend plain natural colours. An alternative to carpet is a natural fibre covering such as sisal, seagrass, coir and jute. These can give a dramatic effect, especially when covering a large space, and are relatively inexpensive. For those who wish to adopt a more radical approach, opaque glass flooring with under lighting can produce a dramatic illuminating visual effect.

When considering the introduction of furniture, fixtures and fittings into your room, the principle should be that if you consider the word ‘contemporary’ to mean ‘here and now,’ it follows that the objects you choose should be any pieces of an up-to-date style. An example would be when choosing lounge furniture, consider clean lined, plain but comfortable furniture, with low backs and deep seats, ie. the Scandinavian look. Good material coverings are leather, suede and canvas. For those again on a limited budget much can be done with your existing furniture through the use of loose or upholstered covers and throw overs. The introduction of textured cushions such as fluffy mohair, velvet, leather, moleskin, knitted cushions and even leopard skin can add depth and a bold statement to complement your overall design.

As we have discovered in exploring the issue of contemporary design, the advantage of this approach is that it introduces the discipline of minimalist functionality and its use of space and light, with the recognition that most of us wish to live in relative comfort in an environment which reflects who we are. It provides a framework in which the individual questions ‘why’ each decision made, as to what is introduced to their room. It does not mean however, that each application has to be purely functional and could be wholly aesthetic. The important thing is to question what is its purpose in the overall design and whether it reflects who you are. In conclusion, contemporary design is by its very nature not a rule book which has to be rigidly adhered to. As long as you achieve what you set out to produce in your design, enjoy doing it and are happy and content with the result, then nothing else matters.