When you hear the phrase ‘modern design’ many of you might envision prohibitively expensive decor and furniture, the likes of which you might find in a snooty art gallery or a Tim Burton movie.
However, modern design doesn’t always come with a hefty price tag, and it’s actually easy to create chic living rooms.
Modern living room design comes with a wide range of versatility; there are plenty of style options and design choices that will fit into any budget without looking cheap. Team Carousell has put together a few ideas to get you started!
Statement pieces
Your interior decorating choices are often reflections of your personality. Naturally, you would want your personality to shine through the most in the room dedicated to socializing and entertaining.
What better way to do that than a statement piece totally that draws the eye and starts a conversation?
Whether your statement piece is a piece of furniture, an area rug, or a lighting fixture, there are dozens of ways to achieve this effect.
Try an eye-catching lamp to anchor your space, and use matching or complementary colors and designs throughout the rest of your living room to tie it all together. Take this modern table lamp for example:
The fact that it’s stainless steel makes it a unique, lasting piece that you can design around. Try incorporating gold accents throughout the rest of your living room, such as a metallic vase or dried flowers. It’s a simple way to create a cohesive look, and it allows your statement piece to shine – literally and figuratively.
Clean lines
It may be a bit of a vague phrase, but ‘clean lines’ simply mean that a modernly-designed space should reduce unnecessary clutter.
You want to limit the number of trinkets and ‘things’ you have lying around. Ask yourself if your display items add to, or subtract from, the design you want to achieve, and design accordingly.
The lines created by your furniture should be even and uninterrupted, like this marble coffee table on Carousell:
Its silhouette is geometric and muted colors make it easy to match with any other pieces that you might have.
Mixed and matched patterns
Although it may seem counterintuitive to work with patterns that don’t match, it’s actually common practice in modern design. It works because the patterns that are meshed together don’t clash; they complement, like the two leads in a buddy-cop movie or me and the guy that sits next to me in Carousell.
It’s a perfect style choice for a living room because you have quite a number of patterned textiles to play with: an area rug, upholstery on furniture, a table runner on your coffee table, etc. However, if those seem like too much of a commitment, throw pillows are a safer way to experiment.
Take these Scandinavian geometric pillow designs as an example:
They’re funky and mismatched, but they work together within the theme of ‘bold colors, white negative space, and geometric design’. The sky’s the limit and at RM10? (what a steal!)
Abstract art
‘Modern’ and ‘abstract’ art may be one and the same in your mind already. It’s because abstract art is really just modern design elements on a canvas. They make bold statements through bright colors and mixed and matched patterns.
The great thing about abstract art? There’s no right or wrong. Go for whatever draws you in and speaks to your aesthetic. Check out some original pieces that might work well in your living room like this one:
Incorporating natural elements
You shouldn’t experiment with just colors and patterns; try mixing and matching with different materials altogether. A common way to do this is by using natural elements like exposed bricks, unfinished wood, stacked stone, and metal accents. You’re literally bringing the outside in!
This iron wall decor would go great in a modern living room in any living room with a minimalist sofa.
Mirrors
Another element of a modern living room is an open design. You may have heard the interior decorators on TV reference it as the ‘airiness’ of a space. That said, there are a few tricks you can use to make your space feel larger.
The easiest way is by adding large mirrors in the dining room or hallway area. Add in bright accents, like a flower vase in a bright color, and you’ve got that perfectly airy design.
Let’s do it!
In the end, there are a number of ways to achieve a modern living room design. It might take a little bit of creativity on your part, but don’t be afraid to experiment! Remember, fortune favors the bold… and so does modern design.
Hope this helps! If you know someone who needs to amp up their interior decorating skills, share this article with them to give them that subtle nudge to turn their drab space into something awesome!
