Don’t Let Cold Modern Design Disrupt Your Comfort

When most people think of celebrity homes, the first word that they usually think of is “expensive”. Which, of course, is usually a very accurate term indeed! People think of the big, elaborate, ornate homes that, at the quickest of glances, reveal that the owner is a multi-millionaire (at least). But the thing about a…

When most people think of celebrity homes, the first word that they usually think of is “expensive”. Which, of course, is usually a very accurate term indeed! People think of the big, elaborate, ornate homes that, at the quickest of glances, reveal that the owner is a multi-millionaire (at least). But the thing about a lot of these homes is that they don’t look very comfortable. Sure, they’re big, and they’re often very impressive and shiny and elaborate – but they also seem cold and impersonal much of the time.

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You want your home to look like a home, right? You don’t want to design a place where guests are afraid to touch anything, or even feel any trepidation about just sitting down. Many opulent homes appear as though the owners were trying to emulate royalty.

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Of course, you can go in the other direction and end up with something just as cold and impersonal. For many, modern design leans more towards minimalism. There’s definitely something to be said for minimalism, but sometimes people end up making their homes look like the lobby of a business building! You don’t want to go too far in this direction, either.

The truth is that designing your home just to make it look opulent and pretty, or cold and bare, doesn’t leave a lot of room for personality – nor does it leave a lot of room for comfort. We’re going to take a quick look at the ways in which more modern interior designs can be accomplished without sacrificing personality and comfort.

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Beneath your feet

Carpets usually seem pretty warm and inviting, right? But they tend not to feature in modern design as much as they used to. Yes, they feel nice to your feet, but carpets have lost a lot of love within the interior design community for reasons relating to price, hygiene, and aesthetic. After all, carpets stain much easier than hardwood floors. Maintaining them so that they’re not always soaking up dust and toxins is a lot of work, too.

If your home is going to have a carpet, then you may as well not skimp out too much. Get something that feels incredibly comfortable, but make sure you actually look after it properly. I’m not just talking about frequent vacuuming and making sure people don’t wear shoes in the house.  I’m also talking about making sure it stays ‘fluffy’! Most carpets end up being flattened over time, and become a bland sight indeed.

Of course, if you are going to go with hardwood floors, this can ease a lot of anxiety for neat freaks and their friends. But some still feel that this sacrifices an inviting and comfortable vibe. Rugs will help, as will the right kind of wood flooring. But it also means you should be strategic about the sort of seating you have.

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Resting your feet

People with hardwood floors often get very conscious about what sort of seating they have in the room, often because they don’t want to floor getting scratched. Thankfully, this is something you can overcome with the right kind of seating. Specifically, bean bags. Think about it: it’s the type of seating that doesn’t scratch any surface. Bean bags are also great when it comes to introducing personality and comfort. The problem is that a lot of people associate bean bags with the small, cheap things they enjoyed as kids. But there are bean bag ottomans found here that are actually big and professional enough for any type of home!

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You could get a bean bag sofa, too, but most people will probably want to stick with something a little more traditional. Again, the problem with many modern and expensive homes is that people make the mistake of buying sofas that are either difficult to clean or that they cover in plastic. If you feel that you need to cover your sofa in plastic, then you’ve probably spent too much on it (or you think your guests are particularly dirty, which is just going to offend them).

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Remember that designer sofa should primarily serve the purpose of giving you and your guests somewhere comfortable to sit! Don’t forget this in your eagerness to buy something elaborate that fits perfectly with your desired aesthetic.

Surfaces

This one is aimed more at those who like to take the minimalist approach to modern design. Again, some people really take this mindset a little too far. Many people who get into minimalism believe that the key to creating the perfect modern home is to make sure there’s as much space as possible. Space is great and everything, but it’s often achieved at the expense of convenient surfaces. If you don’t have a table or a similar surface on which guests can rest, say, their mugs, then you’ve probably taken things too far.

Eschewing handy surfaces for the sake of a more modern look isn’t a great way of making your home comfortable. What you should consider is introducing smaller surface spaces that can fit in corners or just next to the arms of people’s chairs. These can still look incredibly stylish and minimalist.

When people go the other way, towards opulence, they often make the mistake of buying a table that’s too big and expensive and putting it in the center of the room, where it ends up serving little purpose because they’re afraid to let anyone put anything on it. Again, this sacrifices comfort for the sake of fanciness.

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The don’t-touch-anything vibe

Another common problem in modern homes, especially when leaning towards the more expensive and showy side of things: very valuable or even priceless items being on display all over the house. These things don’t tend to impress people as much as they make them a bit nervous. Again, it brings about that don’t-touch-anything vibe that will make your guests feel uncomfortable.

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Of course, minimalism usually doesn’t feature this kind of mistake. The keyword here being usually – some take minimalism to mean that a room should feature just one priceless piece of art placed prominently in a room. Remember that minimalism often sacrifices personality – so having a few items, such as photos, posters, and personal art, can really help warm the vibe up.

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