Knowing the differences between the types of architecture can be a big benefit, whether you're trying to find the ideal new house or impress your guests at your next cocktail party. While some home types, such as the bright, ornate facades of Victorians or the steep roofs and exposed wooden frames of Tudors, are instantly detectable, others need a more discerning eye.
Many who haven't studied architecture sometimes find themselves tripped up when it comes to finding contemporary homes. Most of this ambiguity arises from the similarities between modern and contemporary designs. While there is quite a bit of similarity between these two types, there are significant distinctions, starting with their apparently synonymous names.
With some explanations, we will try and educate you on what contemporary homes are, so you can easily differentiate them from modern homes and recognize the architectural and interior design characteristics that define them.
What Is A Contemporary Home?
A contemporary home is an illustration of the architecture of the 21st century. It pays tribute to many of the characteristics of modern architecture, including the emphasis on open floor plans, natural light, and geometric lines, provided that the style started in the 1970s. Contemporary architecture, however, focuses on the patterns of the time period in which it was designed and may involve a mixture of different types of design.
Contemporary Vs. Modern: What’s The Difference?
Maybe you're wondering, "Contemporary versus modern?" Don't they have the same meaning? The answer is no. They are different types of architecture, even though there are many similarities between them. Unfortunately, individuals appear to use the two words interchangeably by mistake, which accounts for much of the confusion about their distinctions.
Modern Architecture And Interior Design
Modern architecture, paradoxically, is not new, but when it was built in the early to mid-20th century, it was novel. As a rejection of previous styles, modern architecture emerged. While decorative design elements that had no meaning other than their elegance distinguished the architecture of the period, modernist architects, such as Walter Gropius, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and Frank Llyod Wright, tried to simplify their designs.
They prioritized function over style, instead of building ornate houses. With their occupants' needs in mind, they built houses, stripping away all features that did not have a specific purpose. For instance, since residents no longer required formal sitting and dining rooms, an open floor plan was used in modern homes.
Modern houses can be characterized by their minimalism. Modern Architects designed their structures to be geometrical and asymmetrical in place of embellished facades. Wide windows were included to allow sunlight to pour into the rooms and blur the border between the interior and the exterior. Their clean lines and solid interiors differentiate these homes, giving them a colder, more austere feel.
Contemporary Architecture And Interior Design
Modern architecture was a distinctive style, as a result of the changes which took place in a modern age. Contemporary architecture, on the other hand, is more difficult to classify because it tends to evolve. Contemporary architecture follows the trends. Thus although contemporary architecture first appeared in the 1970s, with the times, the style has continued to evolve, making previous contemporary homes seem more obsolete than recent examples.
Many contemporary houses, however, continue to showcase some aspects of modern architecture. They have open layouts that allow residents to switch between the kitchen, dining room, and living room seamlessly. They have wide windows that view the surrounding environment of the home magnificently and allow the rooms to bathe in natural light. Geometric lines are also illustrated by their facades and interior designs.
And there is more motion in the lines of contemporary houses. Contemporary architects, such as Frank Gehry, and Norman Foster, use free-form lines that are curved and expressive instead of the modernists' simple geometric lines.
Although these styles are most closely related to the current style, they do not stick to it strictly. They also combine various elements of a number of styles that came before them, which further explains why it can be so difficult to classify them.
If you still have no doubts about the difference between the two styles, contact the well known Home Architects in North Haven,CT