Modern home decorating is often thought of as a design style that is cold and impersonal, but if your taste leans towards contemporary you can have a warm home full of modern style! Here are some modern decorating ideas for any budget.
Warm Modern Decorating Guidelines
Clean away all your clutter and unnecessary furniture. When trying to create a modern look of simplicity, its easiest to start with a clean slate.
Keep or buy furniture that has simple, linear lines.
Take a photo of your room, and look at it through the eyes of a camera. You may never notice that cluttered table top or that you have too many chairs in a room until you see it through the objective lens of a camera. This is a great tool decorators use to “see” a room.
Use simple color schemes for your modern home decorating. White or neutral walls work well for decorators new to the modern style. Add color with art and modern accessories.
Make every item in your room count. Instead of layering the room in objects and collections, use the sculptural or colorful quality of even everyday objects to make a statement.
When adding artwork and accessories, less is more. Use one larger piece rather than several smaller pieces of art. Don’t feel the need to fill every space, empty space gives the eye rest. Use colorful but simple objects to add personality to a room, and repeat them for effect.
Modern Home Decorating Ideas
Frame graphic style labels or computer printables as artwork.
Use simple objects such as candles, bud vases or small potted plants and use 5 to 7 of them in a line on a table top or mantel.
Don’t forget to use personal photos to add “life” to your rooms. Print them in black and white and frame them in simple, minimal frames. A great modern touch that adds warmth is to use oversize mat borders with ordinary b&w family snapshots. See how ‘View Along the Way’ created their own picture frame wall!
Stretch a large piece of colorful fabric with a contemporary pattern over a canvas as a focal piece of artwork. Try this DIY project from BHG.
Plant grass seed in simple metal containers for a modern look that brings life into the room.
Use graphic or geometric patterns and small punches of color to add style, warmth and interest.
![LR style at home_thumb[2]](https://www.thebudgetdecorator.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/LR-style-at-home_thumb2.jpg)
Use paint to update tables and chairs- black is always a great modern option and balances white walls and bright colors in artwork. “Sleek” is the keyword of furniture makeovers for modern home decorating.
Take down all window coverings except basic blinds or curtain panels, and try to have them match the color of the wall. Keep it simple.
Update your lighting. This trick alone can freshen your look and make the whole room look more upscale. Simple drum shades, using spray paint to update lamp bases or pendants lamps, or trying a DIY light fixture are all good choices for the budget decorator.
Keep in mind that with modern home decorating less is more, but that doesn’t mean cold. Use these decorating ideas to help you achieve a simple, stress free style for any room of your home!
Image Credits: Ikea, Domino, Room And Board, Paper Llamas, View Along the Way, BHG, Style at Home
Thanks for sharing these ideas! I think that modern interiors always look so sleek. It would really be nice to have that look in my own home, which is why I plan on modernizing it. I’ll definitely focus on the empty and simple to help make the rooms feel sleek and chic. Thanks again for the advice!
Hello! Love the ideas. Do you have a link to the signs in the bathroom?
I’m sorry, it’s not our project so we have no idea… Sorry we couldn’t be more help!
I’ve always thought modern design was usually harsh. So seeing these “warm” designs has changed my perspective! I especially love the use of a soft yellow to warm the atmosphere up. I can’t wait to redesign my living room to have a similar look!
I used to think the same thing, but today, you can combine styles and what you love to make your own creative space… And I’ve grown to LOVE the simplicity and upscale feel of modern design! (With a touch or warmth thrown in!)
I liked your tip to take a picture of the room I want to decorate to get an idea of the pieces it needs. That seems like a great way to know what kind of decor will work with my home. There have been several times when I tried to shop for new items to decorate my living room, but I always felt unsure about how an item would look on my coffee table. I’ll try this out to see how it will help me compare how certain items look with different rooms in my home.
I love the decorating ideas you have here. I like how you said that sleek is the word that you want to convey in modern home decorating. I can tell you that my home right now is not very sleek, but I can change that!