How To Make Contemporary Cosy

Clutter is good (ABOVE)

Stop pretending you are above knickknacks, family photographs and, heaven forbid, the odd ornament. Whilst wall displays of plates and window cills full with photos may not be chic, there is a place for your belongings in a contemporary home. They breathe a sense of life into otherwise soulless spaces — just make sure they are well placed and add something to the room, rather than just being there for the sake of it and, whatever you do, keep them dust-free.

Get a colour palette

Although there is nothing wrong with an all-white scheme, unless you are careful it can result in a rather stark, chilly feel. That isn’t to say that you should go wild and paint every wall a different colour either, but bear in mind that a little colour does add character. When using colour on the walls, remember that less is more and it is often best to restrict colour to one or two walls rather than the whole room.

There are alternative ways of introducing colour other than on walls, so consider introducing colour through furniture and accessories — their impact will be all the more striking against your white walls, too.

If you have your heart set on nothing but white, then use various textures. Don’t be put off introducing texture by frightening memories of Artex. Using glossy whites, matt whites, white-painted brickwork and any of the decorative plaster finishes that are now available, an all-white scheme need not pale into the background.

Use your imagination

If you go to just one shop and buy everything you think you need, your home will just end up looking like one of the room sets from that shop, losing a sense of individuality. Use a little imagination and shop around. By all means take inspiration from room sets in terms of furniture layouts and colour combinations, but make your home individual to you and your family, and don’t feel you have to buy all of your accessories and furnishings in one sweep — building up your interior scheme over time will give it a sense of being a home, rather than a quick fit-out job.

Have a focal point

Whether it is a fireplace, a wall of shelving or an interesting window with a view beyond, ensure that the main living spaces in your home have a focal point. Period homes usually have fireplaces which provide somewhere to gather around, and this can be something which contemporary homes lack, so make sure you include one in your design to avoid the sense that the occupants just float around looking for somewhere to unwind.

Divide up large spaces

Open plan spaces work really well in contemporary homes, but not only can they present practical problems, such as a lack of storage or wall space on which to mount pictures or hang coats, they can also leave the occupants feeling rather out in the open. For this reason it is important to create smaller ‘zones’ within large open spaces. There are several ways in which to do this, including changing either floor or ceiling heights, doublesided fireplaces, creating half-height partition walls or using furniture such as moveable shelving units or oversized sofas to break up the area.

Be clever with lighting

The impact of lighting design on a home cannot be emphasised enough. Harsh lighting will sap any character or warmth from it, so ensure you choose the right type of lighting for the right areas of the home. Using lighting set on dimmers will allow you to create atmosphere. To highlight areas of interest use downlighters and uplighters, and to magic-up cosy corners use a variety of lamps. Hidden lighting beneath kitchen units or shelving, or set behind pictures will add a modern yet homely touch.

Interesting spaces

When considering the basic design of your new home you should, quite literally, be thinking outside the box. Big, bland square rooms are difficult to make cosy. Introduce an intimate alcove here and there, or a mezzanine from which to sneak a peek of the goings on of the household, however, and you have a far more interesting space with which to work.

Use natural materials

In this age of composites, vinyls and high gloss, natural materials can get overlooked. However, through the use of richly coloured timbers and tactile stone on floors, in kitchens and bathrooms and even on walls, contemporary homes can instantly be warmed up.

Make it comfortable

One of the main reasons that so many contemporary homes end up look uninviting is because of the temptation to go for style over comfort. This is not something that blights just contemporary homes — period homeowners have often been known to opt for a classic dainty sofa only to rue the decision later as they struggle to fit their modern-day bottoms on the seats. If a piece of furniture is uncomfortable, it will almost certainly look uncomfortable and this will send out the message that this is not a home in which to relax.

New Homes with Contemporary Interiors:

• A Modern Home Built on the Sea Wall
• A Contemporary Self Build by the River
• A Contemporary Home in Cornwall
• An Arts & Crafts Style Self build in Cambridgeshire
• A Georgian Style Self Build

Further reading:

• Interior Design Ideas
• A Guide to Internal Finishes