Whether they are functional or strictly decorative, the beautiful objects we surround ourselves with are what make our homes our own. Join us as we explore a few of our favorite contemporary designers and pieces, and how through Sklar Furnishings, you can discover the contemporary side and potential of your space.

Mapoon Area Rug

A rustic allure and neutral palette with a faded and used appearance, the Mapoon area rug is a great backdrop to any contemporary space. Elegant and practical, designer Cattelan Italia knows how to enhance interior prepositions with originality and innovation. Their products are conceived with sensitivity to daily living and passion for contemporary lifestyle.

Elson Bowls

Mixed metals at their finest, this shiny steel and brass trio of bowls is at once rustic and sophisticated. These contemporary bowls with sophisticated designs are the perfect table enhancement for a special occasion or your ordinary sit-down.

Pinkwin Sculptures

The Pinkwin designed by Guy Buseyne is attractive because of its balanced and pure lines in a highly stylised form. The palette of black, white, graphite and optional emphasis of gold and bronze enhances its classy appearance. The sculpture is even more striking in a group arrangement. A game of perfectly graceful waving lines; where black and white are in perfect balance, this is contemporary minimalism at its best.

They’re an enormous potential canvas on which to express your style, yet flooring is often treated as an afterthought when homeowners set out to design a room. The exciting news is that the range of available options in terms of materials, treatment and coverings have never been wider. Before settling for the everyday, consider taking your floors in an inspiring new direction.

Durable rugs

Area rugs offer an easy, reversible transformation. But are they strong enough to withstand the rigors of life in your home? Enter durable rugs for indoors and out. New York-based textile designer Liora Manné creates hand-crafted rugs for home, public and hospitality settings. Her Lamontage range is made from felted polyester with antimicrobial nano silver particles, and can endure between 30,000 and 60,000 double rubs in a Wyzenbeck test. Several performance fabric producers, including Sunbrella, create rugs that boast the good looks of indoor rugs, yet are completely fine on the patio.

Painted wood floorboards

Painted wood floors are a classic Scandinavian style statement. Keep it low key by opting for a soft neutral or whitewash; go bold with a full-strength red, yellow, green or black; or take the painted look to a whole new level by painting in stripes or geometric patterns. Painted floors naturally coordinate perfectly with Danish Modern furnishings; but they’re also an option with fantastic potential for transitional and industrial spaces.

Stained or polished cement

On the subject of industrial style, no roundup of contemporary flooring would be complete without a mention of concrete treatments. Concrete is polished using extremely fine grinding tools, which create a glossy effect on the surface. The result is good looking, low maintenance, and has a minimal environmental impact. But if simple polished concrete doesn’t offer quite the amount of drama you desire, there’s always acid staining. In contrast to paint or polish, concrete staining produces interesting mottled effects that are unique to every floor. Color options range from sophisticated walnut browns to fun and fearless aqua blue.

Contrast in interior design creates all-important visual interest, but the line between contrast and clash can be pretty fine. When it comes to colors, how different is too different to work together in your home? These tips will help you navigate the potential minefield of contrast.

Types of Color Contrast
For a lot of people, classic black and white will be the first color scheme to come to mind when they think about contrast. But there are actually seven different types of color contrast, first laid out by Johannes Itten in his book The Elements of Color. These include contrast of hue, light-dark contrast, and cold-warm contrast. If a dramatic look like black and white isn’t right for you, you have more subtle contrast options in abundance.

The Color Wheel
We’re all familiar with the classic color wheel, but a quick refresher is always helpful when discussing contrast. The greater the distance between hues on a color wheel, the stronger the contrast. Hues that sit directly opposite one another, like purple and yellow, are known as complementary colors, and tend to make one another ‘pop’ by dialling up their luminosity. Colors that sit adjacent to one another, like blue and teal, offer a subtler effect.

Color Saturation
The terms hue, tint and shade are often used interchangeably, but they actually have very specific meanings. Hue is the purest form of any color — bright red, for example. A tint is that color with white added — pink, for example. And a shade is that color with black added — dark red, for example. Achieving a successful light-dark contrast will involve combining a variety of hues, tints and/or shades.

Mid Tones
The higher the contrast, the sharper and more dramatic the effect. Avoid jarring the viewer and bring a little more subtlety to high contrast color schemes by introducing accents in mid tones — these might be simple combinations of the two main colors, or a third color that offsets them both. For example, a black and white scheme could be softened by grey, or punched up with blue.

The 60-30-10 Rule
If you’re feeling uncertain about the best way to work with three different colors, play it safe by observing the 60-30-10 rule, where 60% of the room features your dominant color, 30% your secondary color, and 10% your accent color. For a lot of rooms, this works out as follows:

60%     wall color (dominant)
30%     furniture color (secondary)
10%     2-3 room accessories (accent)

Color Temperature
Cold-warm contrast is all about the interplay between colors that create an impression of warmth (like red, orange and yellow) and colors that create a sense of coolness (blue, green and indigo). Too much of either color ‘temperature’ can make a room seem off kilter, with extreme cases looking either stuffy or chilly. Introduce elements of its temperature opposite to restore balance.

Founded in Faenza, Italy in 1987, FOS is a manufacturer of unique, handcrafted porcelain design objects. The city of Faenza is one of Italy’s great ceramic centers, its artisans having produced faience and majolica pottery since the 13th century.

The name FOS is an acronym, which stands for Form Object Surface. At the FOS factory, raw porcelain is thrown then fired at a very high 1,260° C for maximum hardness and mechanical resistance. Products are finished with non-toxic glazes that are created in house, plus hand-applied gold, silver or platinum details. The resulting pieces, though highly contemporary, draw upon the ancient traditions of Italian ceramic art.

2017 sees the 30th anniversary of this unique ceramic brand, which continues to evolve and surprise. FOS offers a number of current lines, including Anthozoa, inspired by aquatic lifeforms, Erosum, inspired by landforms, and In Alto I Cuori, a romantic series based on anatomical hearts.

The words “modern” and “contemporary” are often used interchangeably, but they are in fact two subtly different styles.

Modern refers to a set of specific design movements, which taken together help define 20th Century style. From the 1920s, forward thinking designers and architects like Mies and Le Corbusier sought to create a new visual language that expressed the spirit of a rapidly changing world. Mass production, new technologies, and a political establishment discredited by the carnage of the First World War created the conditions for a creative revolution in industrial design, broadly described as modernism. As the century progressed, modernism evolved and took on new forms, culminating in the Mid-Century Modern movement. Today, “modern” is used to describe iconic pieces designed between the 1920s and 1950s, plus current designs inspired by the era. It’s a fixed style, with a well-defined roster of historic practitioners.

Contemporary style is a little more slippery. The term technically covers anything being produced right now, in a way that breaks with styles of the past. That said, there are a few common themes that arise again and again in contemporary interiors. Uncluttered rooms, featuring minimal ornamentation, and furnished with pieces displaying clean, strong lines are contemporary. Function is important, and in some cases leads the design, with aesthetics coming in a close second. Whites and neutrals are foregrounded, while brighter color is used judiciously if at all. Some contemporary interiors incorporate elements inspired by modern design, blurring the line somewhat.

Modern design has stood the test of time, while contemporary is a little riskier — it’s impossible to say for certain whether a new piece will age well. However, contemporary style arguably gives you more room for experimentation, in that the rules are still being written.

Art personalizes a home and expresses your unique character. There are however a few display pitfalls to avoid, including unflattering lighting, haphazard positioning, and environmental conditions that risk damage. We’ve assembled a few guidelines to help you display your framed art to its best advantage.

Lighting your art: Good lighting is essential to making your art look its best. Rather than settling for the existing light design in your home, add a few fixtures that exist solely to draw attention to your paintings. If you choose ceiling-mounted lights, the light should hit the center of the painting at an angle of 30 degrees, to prevent both long shadows (from too oblique an angle) and excessive glare (too direct). Other options include track lighting and wall washers that throw non-directed light across the entire surface where your art is hung. Finally, while white gallery walls are classic, with the right lighting a black background can really make your collection pop.

Displaying your art: Although well-coordinated frames are a good look, never feel that your art collection has to share a certain color palette; this is one area of the home where you can throw caution to the wind. You may opt for a salon wall with lots of art hanging at different heights, but if you’re only hanging a single frame or one straight row, remember to position it at eye height. According to a simple rule generally accepted by museums and galleries, the center of a painting should be 57 inches above the floor. Scale can be tricky, but if in doubt, go large. A small artwork hanging in the middle of a wall invariably looks off kilter; a really big piece is far more likely to look intentional.

Caring for your art: The major enemies of works on paper or canvas are heat, humidity and direct sunlight. Sunlight fades, while heat and humidity can both cause warping; all points to consider when choosing the perfect place to hang them. Avoid hanging art over heating vents, working fireplaces or radiators; steer clear of bathrooms or areas directly outside bathrooms where steam might escape; and never hang anything directly opposite a window. Asking your framer to use UV filtering Plexiglas will help further protect your art.

Eclectic style is all about creative and interesting combinations of color, texture, pattern and style. Because every eclectic home is unique, there are guidelines available but no hard and fast rules. Instinct and experimentation are key; when it feels right, it probably is.

Color
Neutral walls help showcase and foreground the showier elements in an eclectic room, while preventing an overwhelming clash of colors and patterns. Choose a single favorite color and weave it throughout the home to visually link disparate elements. If furnishing with wood, try to keep it within a theme; all blond or all dark, for example.

Style mixing
Don’t be afraid to mix different styles; balance contemporary furnishings with a beloved antique, or mix mid-century modern pieces with more exotic elements picked up during your travels. Use multiple textures to add depth, creating balance with opposites; shiny with matt, bumpy with smooth. However, it’s wise to choose furnishings and accessories with shapes that echo one another, to achieve a deliberate, non-random look. Try pairing a sofa with rolled arms with a round coffee table, or a low buffet with a rectangular sectional.

Staying focused
However eclectic your furniture choices, you still need a focal point to tug all the threads of your room together. It might be your largest piece of art, a fireplace, an entertainment center or an accent wall, as long as it’s selected and positioned for maximum impact. If you have an open plan home, the best place for your focal point is usually directly visible through the entrance to the next room.

Selling a house can be a difficult experience for a host of reasons, from the emotional to the practical. Unfortunately, the longer your home remains on the market, the greater the likelihood that you’ll have to accept a lower price than you had hoped. Clever staging can help impress the qualities and possibilities of your home on potential buyers, leading to better offers in less time.

What is staging?
It’s rare for any of us to have a completely objective view of our homes; we’re too close to them, too used to them, and too attached to our own personal items to see them as other people do. What looks great to one person may look idiosyncratic to another; what seems like an efficient use of space to somebody with a lot of furniture may look cluttered to a minimalist.

Professional real estate stagers bring an outside perspective to the problem. Their role is effectively to make your home look as attractive as possible to the largest number of people possible. This can mean anything from rearranging your furniture and putting personal items into storage, to removing absolutely everything and replacing it with their own furnishings, art and decor. It’s a big job, but the results often speak for themselves when a hard-to-move property is suddenly whisked off the market.

Do-it-yourself staging tips
If you don’t have time to find and book a professional stager before your open house, or the idea of bringing a stranger into the equation just makes you uncomfortable, all is not lost. It’s absolutely possible to make a difference to your own home by borrowing a few staging tips.

• Great kitchens sell houses, but so-so ones can put buyers off in a big way. Replacing features may not seem like a smart use of money when you’re planning to move out, but investing a little can end up returning a lot. In the kitchen, replace old appliances with new (stainless steel finishes are a safe bet), repaint any cabinetry that’s past its best in a light, modern neutral and replace hardware including doorknobs and drawer pulls with shiny new ones.

• Bathrooms are another potential trouble spot — if small or dated, buyers immediately start adding up how much a renovation will cost them. Knock out a space-consuming vanity in favor of a basin that stands on a slender pedestal, revealing the real amount of floor space on offer. Old-fashioned or unusual tiling may benefit from being painted over in a neutral shade especially formulated for ceramics, or stripped out completely.

• As they walk through your home, buyers are trying to imagine themselves living there. Your personal style may not be similar to theirs; your personal items definitely aren’t. Make it easier for buyers to envision a future in your house or condo by removing distracting artworks, collectables and mementos. Similarly, remove any furniture that doesn’t strictly need to be there. Clutter is your enemy.

• Honestly assess whether your home has a specific smell. Baking cookies before an open house is a bit of a cliché, but buyers are going to have all five senses engaged and may not share your affection for your favorite foods, your perfume, or your pets. Washing your upholstery, soft furnishings and carpets will help; you may also need to board Fido for a few days.

• All walls should be neutral. Whether you opt to repaint in simple white or an elegant greige, creative color schemes and wallpapers have got to go. Think light. Think spacious. Think of it as practice for saying goodbye.

• Finally, deep clean every. single. room. This may sound painfully obvious, but many sellers feel that their usual level of cleanliness is just fine for an open house. It isn’t. Hire cleaners, have any carpets or area rugs thoroughly washed, and ensure every surface is spotless before opening your doors.

Metallics come in two broad categories; warm and cool (sometimes called yellow and white, respectively). Gold, copper, brass and bronze are warm, while stainless steel, silver and platinum are cool. Any one of them can be used to add a punch of shine and contrast, warming up or cooling down your space.

Popular metallic looks
Silver is virtually foolproof as an accent, whether you choose to use it in small doses or large. It complements whites, and contrasts with strong colors. Silver pillows, planters and light fixtures add sparkle and interest. Cool metals, particularly stainless steel, are almost ubiquitous in kitchens, but warm metals offer an exciting alternative. The warmth of copper or brass creates a welcoming impression that guests are sure to appreciate.

For a long time, brass suffered from its association with the design trends of the 1980s, but it has made a comeback as a more restrained metallic than silver or gold. The key to modern brass is to opt for a raw or unpolished finish, rather than the ultra-shiny look of old. The striking Praetorian Dining Table is available in a brass base that offsets its seared oak top beautifully, while the Segno Dining Table features an antiqued dark brass base that’s perfectly of the moment.

Copper has also seen a surge of popularity in recent years, and is extremely versatile. It fits in with a range of decor styles, including industrial, and can be styled to look modern or retro, feminine or masculine. The Speedform Chandelier is a great example of contemporary copper.

Take it further
If you really love the metallic look, there’s no reason to stick to just accents. Metal bathtubs make a striking addition to the bathroom – as an added bonus, they also tend to retain heat better than ceramic tubs, meaning you can soak for longer. Wall coverings with metallic elements create constantly shifting shine and sparkle, subtly reflecting and amplifying the light in the room. For the kitchen or bathroom, consider updating to metallic tiles, like Karim Rashid’s collection for Alloy. Ralph Lauren also offers a luxurious metallic paint for walls.

The addition of a few living plants brings a wealth of benefits to any home — and to its human occupants. They add life, color and subtle movement to the room; they have been shown to improve our moods; and of course, they turn carbon dioxide into oxygen. Some even help filter out airborne toxins, which can be released by everything from cleaning products to paint.

Decorating with plants
One of the great things about decorating with plants is that it’s hard to get it wrong. One plant looks good. Ten plants look really good. You’d practically have to import a jungle to overdo it.

Give yourself permission to be creative about placement; they’re ideal for filling in empty, awkward spaces, like the tops of shelves and the undersides of tables. Rather than simply standing large planters on the floor, raise them up on shelves, benches or stands for added height and a more polished look.

Hanging planters come in all kinds of designs, and let you fill your home with greenery without sacrificing any floor space. Ivy and creepers look good in hanging baskets, but so can less conventional choices like succulents and air plants. Another interesting option is to plant in water rather than soil. A lot of plants, including herbs, can be grown in clear glass vases, giving you an amazing view of their root systems.

Clearing the air with plants
Many of us experience indoor air pollution without realizing it. A whole host of products, including building materials, gradually release chemicals, with unhealthy results. Below is a non-comprehensive list of plants that are especially good at removing the bad stuff from indoor air:

• English ivy
• Spider plant
• Aloe vera
• Snake plant, AKA mother in law’s tongue
• Chrysanthemums
• Gerbera daisies
• Dracaena
• Weeping fig, AKA ficus
• Azalea
• Chinese evergreen
• Bamboo palm
• Philodendron

Starter plants
If you’re new to the world of caring for plants, it can seem complicated at first. Different types of plants have different needs; some thrive in humidity, while others can’t stand being damp. Some need hours of sunshine per day, while others are much happier out of direct light. Plants often express displeasure by dying, so it’s a bad idea to try to wing it without advice. Ask for basic care instructions when buying your plants, and do a little online research for more detailed information after you get them home.

Among the air purifying plants listed above, the easiest to care for are spider plants, English ivy, philodendron and snake plants. If those still prove a little much, it’s worth remembering that cacti and succulents are virtually un-killable. Anything that can survive in the desert will probably survive in your living room.

Safety note
Before choosing any plant for the home, remember to check whether it is toxic to pets or young children. Among many others, philodendrons and lilies can both be dangerous if ingested.