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People are often wanting to make their homes look and feel more modern, but how can you go about doing this? Read on for a few ideas.

Colour

As you might expect, colour plays an enormous role and can either make a home look fresh and modern or like a scene from an 80s TV show. Changing the colour is also one of the easiest improvements that you can make by painting the walls/wallpaper, painting furniture and decorative touches. These days, modern colours include grey, whites and black for a sleek style and away from reds, burgundy and beige. Monotone colour schemes are modern and you can then use bright injections of colour to make it more visually appealing and modern, such as a statement wall or a bright sofa.

Furniture Design

Furniture also has a big impact on how a home both looks and feels and homeowners will often keep hold of the same furniture for decades so it can make a home look dated. Fitted furniture is both modern and practical such as fitted cabinets that hide appliances in the kitchen while fitted wardrobes in the bedroom blend with the walls. Most modern built homes come with fitted bedrooms and fitted kitchens, so looking around your local fitted furniture showroom will help you to choose the new sleek fitted furniture that will suit your room and make it more modern.

Lighting

Finally, lighting is a powerful tool when it comes to interior design and can certainly be used to make a home feel more modern. Dark and weak lights will make a home feel dingy and old whereas white lights and LED bulbs can illuminate the space with the latter also helping you to reduce your environmental impact and energy bills. Additionally, modern lighting fixtures and lamps as opposed to old fashioned lampshades and light ornaments will make a big difference. Where possible, maximising natural light will help the home to look and feel modern, sleek and bright and can make a big difference to your mental health.

Any homeowner looking to make the home more modern during the pandemic should focus on the above areas. Now is the perfect time to start making positive changes to your home and modernising can make a big difference to how the home both looks and feels, plus it does not have to be an expensive or challenging task to modernise your home when you know the key areas to focus on.

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As a general rule, if a trend is too flashy or dated, it probably will not stand the test of time. Some design ideas are classic, no matter which decade they begin. You just have to remember not to mix too many styles at once. Some simple designs are both trendy and will hold up even as trends change.

Streamlined Hardware

Changing the hardware in your kitchen and bathroom can give your space a whole new look. Luckily, streamlined is one of the newest trends to hit the home decor marketplace. Slender lever handles and gently curving faucets can add a classic yet modern look to any home. If your space is more rustic, you can still take advantage of this design idea by choosing items that match the fixtures’ color and contours. If your space is modern, you can go with more of a straight-edged design for handles and other cabinet fixtures.

Cabinets With Color

In a former trend, your cabinets had to match your countertops. Now having contrasting color cabinets is a must. You can paint cabinets in a jewel tone or deep hue to give your kitchen a bright pop of color. Remember, cabinets can always be repainted or resurfaced if you change your mind.

Vintage Touches

Despite the trend toward streamlining things, vintage touches and accents are still the way to go to add warmth to your home. A decorative chair rail here and a curved vintage door handle there can tone down even the most modern homes. When used sparingly, these designs only increase the visual appeal of your living space. You can even add vintage pieces such as picture frames and crown molding without interrupting the room’s lines. Some people add a special touch to their entryways with antique-looking doorbells and knockers.

Contrast

Another trend is using high contrast accents. You do have to be careful with this particular trend because it is easy to go overboard. Home stylists recommend using contrast sparingly in kitchens and bathrooms rather than all over the house. You can add a black chair in a primarily white room to add a bit of contrast. In furniture, you may even find large amounts of dark and light in the same piece. For example, a couch might have dark blue cushions with a white or light off white frame, or a white tile fireplace can have a black or dark mantel.

Touches of Nature

Nature is back in style. People are returning to natural stone, tile, and flooring. There is a push for wood or wood looking vinyl and tile and stone accents on fireplaces, outdoor grills, and floors. Some have taken this to the extreme and created natural living indoors with a variety of natural materials and plants to make the indoors seem like the outdoors. Although this is stunning to look at, some of the upkeep is a bit much for average families.

Kitchen Art

Kitchen art is starting to make a comeback. For years pictures were for living rooms and other areas. Now they are making a reappearance in the kitchen. This works particularly well if you have a themed kitchen. Some prominent kitchen themes are country, modern, and classic. Choose art pieces that match your theme but make sure that it is art you like as well. Too many people choose art because it is trendy rather than being pleasing to the eye.

Aged Accents

Aged accents or making something new look old is also trending. Even in a modern house, you can find pieces that have a patina on them. You can see this trend in everything from shelves to clay pots in the home. In fact, this trend also continues in outdoor spaces where terracotta walkways and aged tiles are useful in creating a more pleasant patio or porch. Aged accents are great but remember, do not mix too many aged and modern elements in the same space.

Kitchen Accessibility

Kitchens are being repurposed as multifunction rooms. They are becoming living, dining, and food prep areas as more people are turning to healthier food options. Kids are doing homework at kitchen counters as parents cook or one spouse is working while the other cooks. One trend expected to continue is designing kitchens around family rather than simply using it for food. Modern and vintage barstools are appearing, and long eat-in counters are becoming more prevalent. Even cabinet space is being repurposed for storing homework and craft materials.

No matter which of the new trends you decide to use, remember that a little bit goes a long way. Mixing too many styles can be a design disaster. When implementing designs, it is always best to trust your instincts.