7 Super Trendy Contemporary Living Room Ideas for 2022 (with Pictures)

Introduction

Whether you’re remolding your house or moving into a new apartment, knowing what styles are on trend is essential. In 2021, the real estate brokerage firm Redfin released a report on the 13 most popular home styles in the USA, ranging from niche decor style like ranch style and Tudor style to more well-known design styles, such as farmhouse, modern and contemporary style.

Among the top 13, the contemporary design style ranked third, which is widely used in newly built homes and is prevalent among people of all ages, particularly millennials. This article will introduce the contemporary decor style and provide inspired ideas for creating a stylish contemporary living room.
 

What Are the Characteristics of a Contemporary Living Room?

The contemporary decorating style emerged in the 1970s as a reflection and development of modern design, which placed too much emphasis on practical use of furniture, appearing and feeling cold, and lacking individuality. Although it still retains a clean-lined silhouette that is similar to modern design style, the contemporary interior design incorporates more curved lines and geometric shapes, new materials and textures, and a few ornamental details to create a calming and welcoming environment.
 
Another fashionable interpretation of contemporary decor style is that it follows an ‘of the moment’ principle, which means that it will constantly change to meet the needs of current modern life.  
 
Key Elements Characterize Contemporary Interior Style

•  A combination of straight and curved lines
• Use a neutral color scheme such as black, gray, white
• Blend of traditional and new materials & textures
• A sense of Openness and Spaciousness

Choose Natural Materials

Not surprisingly, the design concept ‘Bring the outside in’ will continue to grow in 2022, which is some degree means using more natural materials in interior design, such as wood, stone, bamboo and raw textiles like jute, sisal, rattan. Natural elements are the best friend of contemporary decor style, because they usually take a neutral color palette and provide an appealing and inviting look. Moreover, natural materials are always long-lasting, eco-friendly and require little maintenance, which will easily meet the needs of a sustainable lifestyle. 

So how can we apply these materials in your living room? You can begin with a jute/hemp/wool rug. Wooden floors will make you feel at ease and at home. Adding one or more wood/rattan furniture will make your contemporary room look airy and light. What’s more, adding some green pots or letting more sunlight in may be one of the cheapest way to do so. Wherever you use these natural materials, please make these elements stand out without overpowering the entire living room.

Accent with Glam Elements

If you’re bored of a minimalist contemporary living room, then adding some glamours element like silk, velvet and gold/silver stuff could be ideal. There are various types of glam-tone furniture and decor with multiple prices, such as gold-tone armchairs or end tables, gold-framed mirrors, crystal light fixtures, brass bookcases, or decor accents like metallic sculptures, gold-colored metal-frame trays, etc. For proper use of glamorous elements, interior designer Young Huh suggests adding some classic furniture to mix: ‘make sure that not every single piece in the room is high-octane and sparkly. You need a place for your eye to rest, and you need contrast for interest.’

 

Contemporary Style Furniture

Because contemporary furniture inherits the clean-lined design of modern furniture while adding some of the adornment and boldness of the art deco genre, here are some dos and don'ts for furniture selection.

Do

• Couches, accent chairs, coffee tables with exposed, sleek legs
• Upholstered in natural textures, like linen, cotton and woven materials
• Coffee tables/side tables made of marble,glass, wood, or chrome
• Add gentle curves with statement-making pieces, such as a cognac leather chair
  
• Mix with gold-accent furniture

Don’t

• Avoid having too many different finishes, shapes, and colors in one space
• Don’t arrange furniture with extensive carved or trimming details, such as fringe, floral prints
• Avoid using straight-lined, boxy furniture overwhelmingly
• Remove cute and small pieces if space is not an issue

Lighting Plan

Although a contemporary style living room will always have plenty of natural light, you will still need to design your light scheme as with other types of decor. Your lighting scheme should include at least three different types of lighting: background lighting, task lighting, and accent lighting. To begin, create a centralized background light by hanging a striking or sculptural chandelier/pendant light above your sofa area. You can replace the centralized pendant light with recessed spotlights for an uncluttered look. 

Then, use a series of tasks lighting, including floor lights, table lights and wall lights to light up the area used for reading or entertaining. Finally, use accent lighting to draw attention to these design elements, such as an abstract framed artwork, your favorite sculptural display, or a vintage accent chair.

What else? Investing in a simple metallic table lamp or a crystal/ brass chandelier will instantly add a contemporary edge to your living room. To avoid clashing, keep your lighting to the same two finishes and mix up the light design to create an interesting contrast.

Popular Living Room Color Schemes in 2022

Each year, interior designers and paint companies will release their trendy color forecast for the following year, which is usually based on global trends in pop culture, fashion, technology, and design. In 2022 predictions, green and blue are the most frequently mentioned colors. The choice expresses optimism and hope for the future, as well as a shift toward incorporating elements of wellbeing into the home. These interior color trends will provide you with new color inspiration to update the look of your contemporary living room.

Contemporary living rooms do not have to be all white; it is more about using white as a background color and contrasting it with furniture in complementary colors. Black and white are classic color schemes, but you can be brave to add the 2022 trendy color: green or blue hues to bring a natural and vibrant look. For example, Paint one wall of the living room green to contrast with an overall white living room.

Size

Measure the width, depth and height of the space you’re going to put the accent chair, so you know what size can fit there. Don’t forget to leave enough space around the chair for walking around or adding an end table. The time you use the chair will also influence your size selection. If you intend to read or meditate in the chair, you may need an accent chair that is wide and deep enough to sit comfortably. If you are tall, you should select a chair that let your feet firmly touch the floor when you sit.

In contemporary living rooms, accent chairs serve the primary function of making a statement or forming a focal point, so choosing a chair that is too small will draw negative attention and throw your room off balance.

Materials 

When choosing the material for your accent chair, it’s important to consider its durability and what mood you want to convey. If you use the chair frequently or have children and pets at home, try to use wear- and stain-resistant material, like linen fabric, rattan, faux leather, wood, plastic and metal. If you are only concerned with the appearance and touch of the fabric, more luxurious options are available, such as wool, silk, and velvet. Different materials elicit different feelings, for example, wood, metal and plastic will strike a sleek, cool vibe. While upholstered fabrics such as velvet, faux fur feel warm and inviting.

Accent chairs made of natural materials are always a good choice for most living rooms. Chairs with wood legs, for example, are almost always a good fit for any room. The simplest way to buy accent chairs for modern and contemporary living rooms is to choose a material that complements or contrasts with the main furniture.

Appearance

You will easily see a lot of iconic accent chairs in contemporary living rooms, because the aesthetic function of accent chairs for this style of living rooms is to make an eye-catching statement. So don’t be afraid to experiment with chairs with iconic designs, such as Butterfly Chair and Barcelona Chair.

Also, contemporary living rooms favor mixing different shapes, materials and time periods, so the silhouette and design of your accent chair can stand out from the existing furniture. For instance, keep a more contemporary style sofa mixed with accent chairs from the mid-century modern period. Moreover, if you have a linear couch and rectangular coffee table, you can add one or two rounded chairs to create a vivid atmosphere. Nowadays, accent chairs with wood or metal tone are becoming increasingly popular.

Color

The color of the chair is equally important. There are three ways to select the color for your accent chair:

1. Pick a complementary color to the one you already have in your room.
2. Choose the color match with one of the living room’s decor, ranging from pillows, lamps, and artworks to knick-knacks. 
3. Use a stand-out color or playful patterns.

Contemporary Living Room Chairs You’ll Love

As shown in the picture above, the Yaheetech Faux Leather Accent Chair in a brown finish blends well with such a white contemporary living room. The rounded silhouette contrasts with the clean-lined sectional sofa, and wood-tone tapered legs add a natural and airy tone to the whole room. Dramatic high back, big biscuit tufting and wood-style flared legs evoke an understated mid-century modern sensibility, this pair of caramel leather chairs will instantly become a focal point in any contemporary decor style living room.

These oversized cognac leather chairs are not only ideal statement-makers, but offer you ultimate sitting comfort. It has a 21’’ high, broad backrest that is slightly tilted to provide excellent back support and allows you to recline on for complete relaxation. With a soft cushioned seat measuring 18.7’’ W x 20.5’’ D, this living room chair can accommodate your different sitting postures (curl/cross-legged, lean on one side, etc.).

This faux leather accent chair has an integrated structure that allows for a 5-minute setup and increased sturdiness. Apart from being used in the living room, they can also be used as comfortable bedroom chairs, formal office chairs, or reading chairs in your home libraries or reading nooks.

Conclusion

A contemporary living room is easy to achieve once you have applied these 7 elements we’ve listed in the article. The core of contemporary design style is to use different materials, shapes and time period furniture to create an uncluttered but welcoming space. At Yaheetech, we provide a wide range of living room furniture to help you to build your dream living room with ease and fun. More stunning pieces can be found in the Furniture category on the home page!