Contemporary COOL

Give your interiors a distinctive edge with contemporary furniture, writes Hasmita Amtha

- Hasmita Amtha

TOP SHOP TIP

Focus on pieces that will best serve the space and your needs. Make your accessories the elements that pop. All your main pieces should be in neutral tones to ground the space. – Lorenza Verdini, BItalian

When contemporary furniture comes to mind, images pop up of sleek and clean lines, cool materials such as glass and metal, and monochromatic tones featuring metallic elements. Often these features are perceived as clinical, but the minimalist aesthetic of contemporary furniture is not limited to these characteristics. They’re defined more accurately by their simple design, sophistication and textural play.

Speaking to some experts in contemporary furniture design, we unpack this super-stylish design movement.

DEFINING DESIGN

Simply put, contemporary furniture design refers to items that have been created by designers during the current period of discussion, says Sandrine Fanchette of Roche Bobois South Africa and Mauritius.

While the definition is a very fluid one as it changes every day, Il Lusso’s Robert Marengo advises that it should not be confused with modern furniture. “Modern furniture refers to a particular design movement. Consumers often confuse the two and interchange them regularly, but they are, in fact, completely different designs.

“The Modernist movement began in the early 1900s. It was born out of a need for a simplistic and minimalist design, which was in stark contrast to the more ornamental designs of the period.”

TREND ALERT