Contemporary interior design consists of two main themes: minimalist decor: no frills, and a limited palette - main colors in white, beige or black, with spots of brighter colors here and there. This is a reaction to the many decorating styles of yesteryear, when every inch of wall space was covered by decoration of some kind, and getting from room to room was like navigating through a mine field of unnecessary furniture.



If you've got a lot of mementos and ornaments and bric-a-brac that you'd like to display, consider that they would have much more of an impact if you displayed only a few at once, and alternated your displays ever few months to provide a fresh look.

Thus, there's no need for occasional tables scattered throughout the house or apartment, upon which you display your treasures. A single glass cabinet can do for all. It also makes it a lot easier to dust, and kids and pets can run around free from the danger of breaking one of your well-loved pieces.

The same principle extends to the walls. In the past, people have covered every square on wall with framed photographs or paintings or posters, so much so that it becomes overwhelming. Better to have no more than one wall hanging per wall - which sets off each piece nicely and allows the casual visitor to enjoy it. Every three months or so, simply change one painting or poster for another. (Thus, you'd mount these in such a way that they can easily be taken down and replaced at a whim.)

Contemporary design stresses three colors - beige, white or black, for use in carpeting or on the walls, so that the furniture and wall hangings will stand out all the more. Spot colors then can be used - bright blues or reds - as decoration themselves, in throw rugs or lamps, for example.

Furniture

Contemporary furniture also eschews the over-elemental. Comfortable chairs with frames of wood, steel or other metal are decorative in their simplicity.

Windows

Windows serve many functions in a home. They let air and sunlight in, they keep the hot weather outside and the cool temperatures inside, and so on. Again, the look here is a simple one, with form following function. Bamboo or wooden shutters give with maneuverable louvers allow sunshine and air in, but keep one's privacy intact. There's no frills to the curtains or draperies.

Lighting

It's unusual to find ceiling lights in rooms in modern houses...standalone and accent lamps are the in-thing. For rooms where more light is needed, stylish track lighting is popular, and recessed lighting gives a certain civilized air to the room.

Contemporary interior design is a study in understated elegance.