It’s a common misconception that it’s impossible to make an otherwise dated home look modern. Interior design is all about finding what works for your specific space and using a few proven tips to your advantage. We’ve put together this brief guide to arm you with a few simple yet effective tips on how to give your home a more modern appearance. Without further ado, let’s jump right in.
Play with Colors
One of the easiest ways to change the way any space looks is to paint it a different color. Colors are used to set fundamental themes throughout your home. There are generally two approaches to finding the right color for your home.
Earthly Tones
One approach recommends using earthly tones to give your home a more contemporary appearance. This works great if you plan on going using natural wood floors as well as other natural wood elements in your home. For example, if your furniture is largely made of lacquered, full wood, using earthly tones is definitely the way to go.
Modern Grayscale
The other approach suggests using grayscale tones to paint your home. In other words, different shades of gray. You’ve seen this combo in just about every office building that was built within the past decade or so. Different shades of gray bring a uniquely modern appearance that you can then build upon using modern office furniture. We suggest going with chrome, black leather, and white wood for optimal effect.
Furniture
Once you’re done with painting the place, it’s time to deal away with the old furniture. Although getting a different dining room table or changing your living room set isn’t going to do much on its own, new furniture is a crown of a revamped home. Choosing new furniture should be done with two things in mind – functionality, and style. Experts from Modern Digs Furniture argue that impractical and uncomfortable furniture is nothing more than art with an identity crisis. We’re not looking for that right now.
Hardware – Details that Make the Scene
Every home is a sum of its parts. Some parts are larger than others, like the furniture we’ve just mentioned. However, the smaller details matter as well. In fact, sometimes they matter more than the larger stuff.
Your home requires a certain amount of hardware. We’re talking different knobs, pulls, faucets, and all kinds of other stuff. All of these can make an otherwise perfect modern concept somewhat stale. The same goes for power outlets, light switches, and similar. If you’re giving your entire home a complete makeover, don’t forget to include these details as well.
Floors
Floors are often what defines a living space. The current norm of using wall-to-wall carpeting in all rooms is practical, but not overly modern. In fact, the use of massive patches of carpeting is pretty retro by today’s standards.
A much better solution is to use hardwood floors. Not only do they give the entire space a dose of elegance, but they look modern. If you’re a diehard fan of carpets, you can always get a smaller carpet and set it in the middle of the room. That way you’re getting the practical benefits while retaining the functionality of a hardwood floor.
Tiles are also a great option. Although much less elegant in nature (depending on what type of tile you go for), tiles are much more functional and easier to maintain. If you really want to go one step further, you can get heated floors, which usually imply the use of tiles.
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall
One last bit of advice we’d like to offer is to use mirrors. Mirrors, especially larger ones, will give your home a more modern vibe. Not only that, but strategically placed mirrors can truly make your home appear much larger. Placing mirrors across from art pieces or a piece of furniture that is dominating the room, can work as a multiplier of sorts.
Lights
Light is an essential part of how we perceive any space. By playing with different types of light, you can achieve different results. Hidden LED strips will give you much more functionality and let you bring your home into the new age. On the other hand, a strategically placed floor lamp can accentuate a room quite nicely.
Every Space is Different
The important thing to remember is that every space is unique. What works for someone else may not necessarily work for you. Start with the basics — paint, and floors. Then move to other details that we’ve listed above. By the time you’re done, your home should look uniquely contemporary.
There are a lot of good ideas in this post. I just might update some of my rooms.
I would love to update a few of our rooms and there is a lot of helpful information in this post. We are currently working on getting new lamps in the living room and I love mirrors in a room they make it look so much bigger.
I wish I could paint the walls but apartment and its a no on paint. You have a lot of good ideals here. I am a big fan of mirrors but they are expensive, I had a big one that broken and when I started looking at mirrors on line I was in shock. But a little looking you can find some nice ones at a very reasonable price. Some new furniture is on my want list for now