The design terms “modern” and “contemporary” are often used interchangeably yet both are very different decorating styles. Before we discuss how to get the contemporary look in your home, we need to first define the difference between modern and contemporary design.

“Modern Design” refers to a period of time. It is a design style that was created in the 1920′s – 1950′s, and it doesn’t change; it is a defined style and will remain such forever. “Contemporary Design”, however, is ever changing and is ‘of the moment’. It literally entails what is being created and produced right now. Now that we’ve made the distinction, let’s consider how you can get the contemporary look in your home.

Color
Elements in a contemporary space are very neutral in color and rely heavily on brown, taupe, cream and pure white. Punches of color are sometimes found in cushions and fabric, a striking floor rug (like the Granada Area Rug), or a special piece of art.

Furniture
Contemporary pieces that suit this style feature softened and rounded lines as opposed to the stark lines seen in modern design. The key aspects are basic shapes and forms. A great example is the Rigoletto A Sofa and Sectional, which has a smooth silhouette without any intricate adornment.

Lighting
The lighting design is used as an artistic statement in a contemporary interior and good lighting will draw attention to well-placed art and accessories. Floor and table lamps have straight lines and sleek metallic finishes like the Raduga Lamp which breaks tradition while embracing simplicity.

The color red has the capacity to enhance a space; giving it a warm, noticeable vibe. Where you see red you’ll often find an impressionable, bold personality, and the wide range of reds is what makes this color so versatile. Here are 5 things you likely didn’t know about the color:

1. Red is the preferred color after blue for most people in the world.
2. Red could be created from certain materials and natural elements such as Madder plant. The color red became the third prominent color being used.
3. Red, black and white were the first colors used by artists and was the first color after black and white to have its own name.
4. Red has been an important color in Chinese culture, religion, industry, fashion and court ritual since ancient times. Red was also featured in Chinese Imperial Architecture; gates of palaces were usually painted red and nobles often painted their entire mansion red.
5. It is believed that the red symbolizes energy, action, confidence, courage and change. The color red brings passion and strength to relationships, life and work.

It’s not uncommon for this historical color to be implemented into a contemporary style; after all, it’s vibrant and eye catching. While red walls can make a room stunning and elegant, you might consider using simple accents instead. Just remember if you do choose to paint don’t use red for both your walls and your furniture. Not only will it make your room hard to breathe in, it creates a surrounding that is too strong to feel pleasant in. The mixture of reds and neutrals is common, so always use it when decorating, as well as these ideal red accents from Sklar.

Area rug retail sales recently hit $4.8 billion increasing from years past. And, home accent specialists and furniture stores consistently name the category as one of the fastest growing. A look at online rug shoppers through FurnitureDealer.net’s network of furniture store websites reveals a summary of the rug shapes and colors today’s buyers are wanting.

Based on recent consumer wish lists and email inquires, 90% of consumers are seeking rectangle rug shapes, 4% are seeking runners, 3% round shapes, 2% square, and 1% oval. Regarding colors, 28% of consumers are seeking rugs that are brown or beige, 22% black or gray, 14% blue or purple, 12% multi-colored, 6% green or teal, 6% red or pink, 6% white or ivory, 4% gold or yellow and 2% orange or peach.

Once consumers have determined the shape and color of the rug they desire, they next step is to choose the right rug size. One of the most common reasons that rugs are returned is improper size selection. When it comes time to unroll the rug, you want to be sure that it will fit exactly the way you want. Choosing the correct rug size is essential to filling a space properly and to making the rug look the best it can within a particular living area.

Living Room
Your room shape, not just the furniture, should dictate the rug size and orientation to ensure the space maintains a cohesive style, and doesn’t become too overwhelming by incorporating a rug that may be too large. Place the rug in front of the sofa – we recommend a rug that is approximately the length of the sofa, but be sure to leave a bit of exposed floor around the edges of the rug. If the rug goes under a coffee table, make sure the rug is large enough to rest under all four legs of the table.

Dining Room
Select a room-sized rug that allows enough room for all chairs legs to remain on the rug when comfortably pulled away from the table. Both the shape of your room and dining table should make the rug choice clear—whether it’s rectangular or round.

Bedroom
Place a large rug under two legs of the bed, making sure that the floor is visible all around the bed. The rug should extend at least 24” in length and width from the edges of the bed.

One does not have to be a minimalist to know that beauty does not need to be complex. Ultra-sleek and futuristic furnishings and décor for residential and commercial spaces are second to simple design which can have a huge impact on a room’s aesthetic and mood. If you’re looking to encapsulate the perfect blend of style and simplicity to achieve the modern minimalism look without going out of you way then consider these luxury lighting sources. There are many ways to minimally brighten your home and here are a few of our favorites ideas.

Hold Pendant — SkLO
“Sklo” is the Czech word for “glass”, and “SkLO: LIT” is a lighting collection by the brand SkLO which carries quality hand blown glass lighting pieces. One of their simple yet striking products is the Hold Pendant. Using the compelling hold vessel as diffuser, the hold pendant hangs on a double-ended solid brass hook which in turn hangs from a simple solid brass loop at the canopy. The light bulb is then suspended within the one-of-a-kind hand blown glass bubble. Perfect for floating over a nightstand in the bedroom or a reading chair in the living room.

Circle 80cm Pendant — Le Deun Luminaires
Paris-based company Le Deun Luminaires makes use of LEDs as the main light source for all its products. The circle ceiling pendant lighting provides direct and indirect light that is available as wall, floor and table versions and in varying sizes, including an outdoor lighting collection. Elegant lighting with an industrial twist, the light source is available in three different colors: white, black and antique bronze.

Bolt Wall Sconce — Hollis + Morris
The inspiration for the Bolt LED Wall Sconce comes from one of nature’s most awe-inspiring displays of light. The Bolt LED Wall Sconce is designed to provide a perfectly uniform backlight by integrating a 24V LED extrusion in a dynamic solid wood design. A diffusion lens set along the extrusion ensures even, ambient lighting while metal standoffs support the fixture at an optimal position from the wall. This striking statement piece is available in two production sizes — 3 ft & 5 ft — to compliment a range of spaces.

Clutter, stuff, litter… however you define it, none of it is good for your health. Many people feel overwhelmed, anxious and defeated when around clutter because mess causes stress. There are many benefits of owning fewer possessions and living a more simplified, uncluttered life: less to clean, less to organize and less stress to name a few.

The decluttering journey doesn’t need to be painful, but many people do wonder, “Where in the world do I begin?” Our professional interior designers have come up with 5 high end furnishing solutions to consider that will help you declutter your life and organize any space in your home.

Bellagio Coffee Table
The multifunctional, high end, Italian designer table is not only practical and space-saving, but the perfect complement for any contemporary living room. The soft lifting top gives the possibility to use the table both in the lower and in upper position—ideal for eating or work. Then it neatly hides any jumble and transforms back into a stylish coffee table.

Maze Shelving Unit
With less clutter around you can clearly display your fine bone china, your books and special collectibles. You have the option of grouping the shelving units for increased storage or letting your prized possessions shine on individual shelves. Maze shelving is flexible in design as it adapts to your living room or home office style and needs. Need advice on style or size? Our interior design experts will help you size and decorate your items to give your space the perfect atmosphere.

The Smart Living Wall Unit
The Smart Living media system is an innovative concept in space saving design. Sometimes even a table can make a space cluttered which is why Ozzio Italia created a design that allows you to tuck away all ‘things’ and keep your space tidy and open. Complete with a television, dining table, folding chairs and optional shelving, the Smart Living plays the part of dining room and living room with it’s compact dining table and hidden stacking chairs. It’s definitely called “smart” for a reason.

Emotions Bookshelf and Room Divider
The Emotions Bookcase is half open-backed and half solid, creating interesting shadow box effects while remaining visually light free from disarray. It features three striking primary colored sections, carefully balanced in a way suggestive of a painting by Mondrian. Emotions also contains a cleverly hidden cabinet with internal shelves for discreet storage.

Camicino Exhibitor Bookcase
Lastly, the cutting-edge Camicino bookcase. A combination of glass and wood that is both beautiful and functional, its revolving storage trays are available in cherry, wenge or bleached oak. A multipurpose unit to keep your stuff organized and tidy.

A lack of square footage doesn’t mean your home has to be bland. Good décor doesn’t discriminate by size. Small spaces simply require careful thought because every inch matters. No matter how many smart storage solutions you incorporate, you’ll still have limited space. This is where professional hacks, tips and clever furniture ideas are useful. Here are the top 3 common mistakes we see when decorating small spaces, and furnishing ideas to consider for your home.

Capitalize On Natural Light
Natural light is a small space’s best friend, so it’s important to bring in natural light whenever possible. So how does one decorate their windows? By opting for sheers and shadings instead of curtains. Sheers and shadings create a beautiful effect with diffused natural light instead of blocking it. Sklar only carries Hunter Douglas window treatments because they’re top of the line in terms of beauty and innovation. From Hunter Douglas we suggest the Silhouette ™ which filters harsh lighting or Pirouette ™ which allows for enhanced views outside while maintaining privacy. Overall, if natural rays filtering into your space are limited, be sure to keep your paint hues and dominant furniture colors light. This will brighten the overall mood of the room, and trick the eye into imaging a much larger space.

Fixes In The Bedroom
One of the biggest mistake we see people making when decorating a small space (bedrooms in particular) is using too many “small” furniture pieces. Cramming items into a room will only lead to an unusable, squashed space. As such, it’s important to find the right pieces which tick the boxes of style and practicality but consider they might not, necessarily, be small. For the bedroom consider the oval Giulietta Romeo Nightstand by Reflex Angelo. It provides storage in a slick, compact and multifunctional drawer that moves independently. While the Graffetta Side Table from Glassisimo is an eclectic piece with two storage surfaces and drawer compartments for extra storage.

Mirror, Mirror On The Wall
Never underestimate the power of mirrors. They can double the visual space in a small home as well as reflect light and color to add visual interest. Placing mirrors on opposite walls from your windows to reflect and spread light also helps to expand a space. The Stati D’Animo Mirror by Tonelli is not only a mirror, but the perfect example of a piece of art that experiments with the effects that angled mirrors have on light. It’s unexpected reflective surface along with its large mirrored panels on a wall also make it look like additional windows.

Contemporary décor is ever-changing because it focuses on the current. Because contemporary design is always evolving, many people find it difficult to choose foundational pieces for a room, such as window coverings, since they fear it won’t keep the style of today. Fundamentally, characteristics of a contemporary home are simplicity, sophistication, texture and clean lines. To achieve the look of a contemporary home through window coverings, it’s important to stick to some basic rules. We turn to Hunter Douglas for our recommendations.

Hunter Douglas Roman Shades
Roman shades are sleek, fresh and will offer a luxurious contemporary look to any room in your home. Hunter Douglas Roman Shades offer many styles and choices to dress your windows with an abundance of fabrics and trim options to choose from. While roller shades offer a clean, contemporary look for your home, the batten front shade, for example, is more visually present and substantial than a basic roller shade. Battens, or tunnels, are sewn at regular intervals on the face side of the shade and gathers into neat accordion pleats as it is raised. This provides a handsome, tailored look. However, if you’re looking to show off large-scale, bold patterns and stripes, the Flat Fold Hunter Douglas Roman Shade has no horizontal seams or stitching across the face of the fabric creating a smooth, finished look perfect for your contemporary space.

Hunter Douglas TruView™ Rear Tilt Shutters
Often shutters have a more traditional feel and are not readily associated with contemporary décor. Yet, they can bring all the advantages of form and function with a touch of class and contemporary charm if done with certain paint finishes and modern enhancements. Whether you choose the Classic Heritance® shutters, the NewStyle® hybrid shutters, or the Palm Beach™​ Polysatin™ shutters, in order to create the contemporary lure for your home we recommend adding the Hunter Douglas TruView™ rear tilt. Compatible with each of the 3 shutter products, TruView™ is a discrete operating system that allows you to tilt one louver to a desired position. Streamlined with a clean, contemporary look, the operating system is barely visible from the front of the product and therefore, a great contemporary enhancement to your traditional working shutter.

Sweeping views of the ocean, waves gently lapping as a warm sea breeze softly blows mounds of dune grass, how does one bottle these sensations and put them into an interior design that feels real? A year-round, seaside retreat can be created at the cottage or in the city, it’s just a matter of capturing certain aspects of the serene Malibu vibes or soothing essence of the Hamptons in the décor. Learn how to bring the lure of the beach aesthetic into your home with these ideas.

Consider The Color
Light colors are key in keeping a room light and breezy. Usually a muted palette like calming white, tans, and other monochromatic schemes inspired by the natural elements found at the beach or coastal surroundings are a good place to source inspiration. A light palette is also a safe place to start for those who are hesitant about using color to begin with.

Add Texture
Ocean, dune grasses, melting ice cream and sand, each of these have a different texture, and texture is an important element in any room. For example, wood flooring is a key part of the Hamptons look while linens, sisal and wicker add an easygoing, coastal feel reminiscent of a charming seaside cottage.

Choose The Right Furnishings
Beyond color and texture, it’s necessary to choose furnishings specific to the location one is looking to mimic. The Camden Sideboard  by Ozzio Italia is the perfect example of a contemporary piece that’s crafted with high quality materials, yet has the rustic driftwood appeal that very much aligns with the beachy aesthetic. Not only does it serve the Malibu style but it’s practical in storage.

Another addition could be the Guapa Rocking Chair  by MIDJ. Ideal for those long mornings spent lounging and reading, this is a great example of modern seating with enduring function. We love the open, curved netting back which adds to the light and airy look.

Simple pieces that suggest ‘calm’ is at the center of this look which makes the Viva Cocktail Table  by Mobican a worthy contender. The combination of glass and wood highlights that the simplicity of less can bring more to a design. Subtle touches of glass enhance the coastal appeal and will surely bring your look to life, even if the beach is miles away.

Recruit The Experts
If you’re not sure how to piece together wicker, linen and washed wood then consider the expertise of a professional can make all the difference. Our Interior Designers at Sklar are experts in uplifting client’s lifestyles through practical design and timeless style.

Recently, Sklar Furnishings became a Centurion Dealer with Hunter Douglas; as such, we’re given exclusive discounts and special upgrades not available to other customers. At Sklar, we’re proud to only sell Hunter Douglas window treatments in our furniture showroom because their window coverings do more than simply cover a window; they provide variable light control; insulate rooms against heat and cold while saving energy; they protect furnishings from damaging UV rays; and even absorbs sound, improving the acoustics in a room. The advanced operating systems and lifetime guarantee make them an innovative and reliable company to work with. Here are a two of our favorite products by Hunter Douglas shades.

Silhouette® Duolite Shadings with PowerView® Motorization
Hunter Douglas Silhouette® Duolite shadings combine a seamless silhouette shading with an independently operated room-darkening roller shade that nestles behind it in the same headrail. The addition of the roller shade enhances the room darkening and privacy benefits of Hunter Douglas Silhouette® shades, while still allowing you to enjoy the softly diffused light and view through the shadings. And by adding the PowerView® Motorization, your shades become intelligent. Compatible with Google Home and Alexa, the shades adjust themselves automatically creating the perfect room ambiance to suit your daily activities and routine. In addition, the motorization feature serves Hunter Douglas’s goal of eliminating cords for child and pet safety. The PowerView® Motorization was also the recipient of the 2016 Red Dot Design Award—the most coveted and prestigious designation in the world of design. The combination of design innovative and technology make this option an easy favorite.

Hunter Douglas Pirouette® Shadings
The Hunter Douglas Pirouette® shades feature soft horizontal fabric vanes attached to a single sheer backing that appears to be floating, drawing natural light into your room. When closed, they look just like a contemporary shade. They also come in a 5 inch width which allows for enhanced views of the outside while maintaining privacy and the full beauty of the fabric appearance on the inside. Slightly different in look in comparison to the Silhouette®, the Pirouette® is sexy-looking and is the perfect blend of flawless beauty and exceptional functionality.

Be it privacy, light control, or innovations that put your family’s safety first, Hunter Douglas truly understands the art and technology behind window dressing which is why we love them! With more than 300 colors, textures and patterns to choose from, discover which style connects with your lifestyle.

Even if you have an idea of the décor you’d like for your home, interior designers are a great reference point for decorating decisions. Designer’s know how to dig a little deeper and ask questions that typically wouldn’t cross a homeowner’s mind. This is because of their education and experience. While it may seem easy to identify the types of styles you like, designers can tell you what will actually work in your room based on numerous factors, an important one being architecture. These 5 points will detail why interior designers are an essential part of your design makeover and how their skills and awareness allow them to pull a room together smoothly.

1. A Bundle Of Knowledge. Designers have access to more resources than what a client may have, and this knowledge helps them choose options properly. For example: Just because you like a certain fabric for a chair, that particular fabric may not be strong enough to upholster that chair; it may be too delicate. This is something a designer would know from experience.
2. Creating A Timeless Look. Not only will an interior designer pull a room together so that it’s both functional and visually appealing, they know how to create a look that will change and evolve with time. A well-designed space shouldn’t bore you or feel dated after a year. Distinct elements such as strong lines and simple materials will make your space stand the test of time.
3. Thinking The Unthinkable. Interior designer’s help you identify things you wouldn’t think of. For example: In a living room, they might ask if you’ll need access to extra seating for those occasional or spontaneous gatherings. A good interior designer will balance the details while still keeping their eyes on the big picture. Put simply, they know what questions to ask before you get started and this will ultimately save you money, frustration and hassle in the long run.
4. They Make You Braver. Interior designers understand the color wheel and using pops of color when you feel it might be “too much”. A good designer encourages their clients to be brave and question conventional thinking. For them it isn’t just about recreating a space you saw in a magazine rather, achieving a truly personal space that suits how you live. Ultimately, this may require a little risk in your décor in order to truly grasp your personality and lifestyle.
5. Little Things Go A Long Way. Designers are trained in proportion and lots of seemingly small things that are actually very important in bringing a room together. These elements include; hanging artwork, suspending a chandelier over a dining table, adding varieties of texture for depth and comfort, etc. All of these little details add up and are what make the composition of the room complete.

When you’re ready to envision how you wish to not only use but experience your space, give us a call. Our interior designers at Sklar Furnishings are experts in uplifting client’s lifestyles through practical design and timeless style.