So you’re finally an adult with a capital “A.” You have a real job, health insurance probably, and most importantly, your own place. You told yourself after binge-watching the second season of House of cards that you would buy modern furniture for your new pad. After all, nothing says “Why yes, I can now regularly shop at Whole Foods,” like cool modern furniture and maybe a few abstract paintings here and there that you bought off your up-and-coming friend in Williamsburg.
But first, some logistics. First of all, what is modern furniture anyway? That’s kind of important to know. Don’t worry though, you’re in luck. Modern and contemporary furniture just means anything produced between the end of the 19th century until today that has “modernist” characteristics. The great thing is that “modernist” can mean different things to different people, and there really is no such thing as true contemporary furniture. The modernist style borrows from a lot of different styles and is mainly defined by what it is not. Modern is not: Frilly, curvy, romantic, heavy, or “luxurious” looking.
If those adjectives mean little to you and all your cursory Google searching is bringing you to articles about the French origins of the word couch, we recommend you visit a contemporary furniture store in person to ground yourself and get some inspiration. You will know a contemporary furniture store if what they are displaying looks clean, simple, and generally minimalist. You don’t have to go measuring chair legs with a level to give something a “modernist” credential. Modern is more of a feeling, and a contemporary furniture store will probably have a wide open, simple, airy feeling that will mirror your new apartment’s feeling once you make the commitment and buy some pieces. We are particularly excited about the following things:
1. Square edged, high chairs and couches. This used to be a sixties thing, except everything was upholstered in god-awful neon and lime. The modernist style augments the minimalist construction with neutral upholstery in natural fabrics and unassuming tones like brown, black, and gray. We like these kinds of seating arrangements because they make a space look more open and are easy to move around and clean under for when you have company.
2. Reflective tables and surfaces. Chrome should stay in the kitchen, but we are absolutely obsessed with imitation granite, fogged glass, and volcanic glass for side table tops and such. These will make any apartment look expensive, modern, and quite frankly like the Bat Cave. Who doesn’t want to live in the Bat Cave?!
3. The statement piece. Generally, rooms done in the modernist style have one “focal” piece. It used to be the hand chair. Nowadays, you can get creative. Many modern homeowners opt out of the statement piece, citing themselves as the only logical center of attention in a room. While this is cool, it’s easier to start conversation around an interesting sculpture, vintage movie poster, cool painting, or what have you. Put thought into your statement piece. Make sure it achieves cohesion with the rest of your furniture. And don’t rush into it! Like a good date, you’ll know it when you see it.
We hope we’ve given you something more substantial than kale to chew on as you nest into your new, very adult life. Please, share photos of your magpie hoard below in the comments section when you’re finished!