8 Stunning Contemporary Interior Design Ideas For Your Home In Singapore
Whether you live in an HDB or a condominium, you would want it to be trendy, elegant, functional, and comfortable. These are the basic requirements that almost all homeowners have in mind while designing their homes. There are many different interior design styles that have evolved over the years and that provide you with inspiration to design your dream home. One of the styles that fit the description of being trendy and fashionable is contemporary interior design.
This design style includes all elements that are in trend during the current times. It features minimalism, increased functionality, neutral colors with a few bold accents, and other elements based on individual preferences. We will discuss here what constitutes contemporary interior design, what its key elements are, and tips on how you can pull off the captivating and serene ambience of contemporary design.
What is contemporary interior design?
Many people tend to confuse contemporary interior design with modern interior design style. While there are some similarities, this style stands out in its own right.
Modern interior design refers to the design trends from the early 20th century whereas contemporary interior design takes its features from the current trends. It may include elements from the 20th century but those elements are often given a new look based on the styles currently in fashion.
Unlike the cold and overtly minimal modern interior, the contemporary interior mixes classic and of-the-moment looks. The contemporary design style is a more fluid concept and is constantly evolving through time. The result is often timeless thanks to its relaxed and spared take on aesthetics.
This style often exudes calming and serene vibes, with a focus on the architectural and decorative aspect. In terms of colour, you will often see bold and concise hues that create an overall warmth and sophistication. The “quiet drama” concept is to employ clean and even round lines, simplicity, and a play on texture.
These features are fundamental in creating the perfect contemporary style for your home.
Unique Features of Contemporary Interior Design
One of the most prominent characteristics of contemporary interior design is its ability to create an interior that is not only simple but extremely elegant and functional at the same time. This design style can be called the epitome of balance and harmony as each element complements the other in a timeless and sometimes luxurious ambience. Following are some curated contemporary details that form the basis of the contemporary HDB interior design style.
Functionality is key
Whether it is an interior design for HDB or a condominium, the features that define contemporary interior design boil down to being highly functional. This means that whatever elements are included in the space serve some purpose. This style also features minimalism to some extent in that only the bare essentials are kept in the space. If an element does not offer any functionality, it better be removed from the area and replaced with something more functional or nothing at all. Where you may see accessories and other elements in the interior, it is also good to leave out a few empty spaces as they help in creating balance and harmony.
Simplicity at its core
A contemporary design is as simple as it goes. This is its beauty that it is able to exude such beautiful and elegant vibes with simple furnishings and accessories. Rarely you will see any ornamentation or embellishment in the space. Simple accessories in unique and trendy shapes are a good option. Natural materials like marble, granite, stone, metal, and glass are widely used in this design theme. Materials with shiny and glossy finish play a major role in creating stylish and elegant vibes, so they are abundantly used in the space.
Neutral contemporary color palette with bold accents
One of the main features of contemporary interior design is the use of a minimal colour palette. Colors like beige, white, gray, and black are most commonly used as they immediately create an elegant atmosphere. However, the interior may appear too dull or washed out in the absence of some bold color in some form. Therefore, bold-colored accents and borders are often included with this neutral color palette.
Blk 443B West Ridges Bukit Batok 4 Room, BTO - Contemporary-style Living Room
For example, you can start with a neutral setting and build up your interior by bringing in hints of colour. That is a great way to add some bold pops of colour here and there for an instant switching of moods. Also, you can choose to paint an entire wall and keep your trims, ceiling and flooring in light tones to complement the rest of the interior.
Sleek and Multi-Purpose Furnishings for a Contemporary Interior Design
Much like a minimalist interior design, less is always more. Contemporary designed furnishings are usually a blend of comfort and a hint of sophistication that has an elegant feel. The designs tend to be curvier as well. Although modern designed furnishings usually favour smooth and straight lines, contemporary furnishings are softer on the edges and in silhouette. In this regard, you should work towards using statement pieces of furniture with clean, smooth and straight lines. Typically, such furniture can serve as great conversation starters but still remain pared down.
In terms of materials and colours, think of solid hues and naturally unadorned surfaces. You can go for upholstered chairs and seats made of wool, cotton, jute, linen, and silk. Metals such as chrome, stainless steel and nickel are also popular in furnishings that boast a contemporary design concept. Do not forget to complete the looks with a few throws and pillows to complement your furniture.
Distinctive Patterns and Textiles
Apart from using natural materials, you can use textiles to easily avoid making your living space feel overly cold. The play on textures, patterns and colour combinations will do more than enough to bring in the cosy vibes. Warm rugs, large and soft cushions, and even throws are more than welcome here.
Of course, while you should stick to the neutrals, you can also experiment with geometric prints and stripes. That way, you’ll add your individual take on your contemporary interior design. What’s more, you’ll achieve a sense of unexpected yet exciting aspect.
Well-Curated Art and Accessories
BLK 807 YISHUN RING ROAD, 5 ROOM HDB
A contemporary-styled room features well-curated artwork and other accessories that are eye-catching and aesthetically pleasing. In your selection of artwork and decorative items, you can choose simple and sleek elements or go overboard and opt for larger sculptures.
Modern lighting accessories are also quite popular in a contemporary interior as they create a dramatic ambience with their appearance and lighting. A contemporary-styled home would be incomplete without stylish chandeliers and light fixtures. You may wish to combine art and lighting together in the form of sculptural lamps that can add finishing touches to a highly elegant and stylish home.
Read more: Make the Most out of Your Space with These Five 5-room HDB Interior Design Ideas
Tips to incorporate contemporary design theme into your home
Although the above-mentioned features are the basis of modern contemporary interior design and their inclusion is a must when designing your home, the following tips can further help you to pull everything together to create a versatile yet streamlined space.
Keep the space uncluttered
Contemporary interiors are uncluttered. Everything is organized and in order so there is no mess or chaos in the space. Since most elements have clean lines and sleep structures, an overall ambience of order is observed throughout. To keep the space uncluttered, you would need to incorporate lots of storage so that most of the things can be stored there to keep the evident areas neat and tidy.
Focus on track lighting
Modern lighting is an important feature of contemporary interior style and what helps in further enhancing the overall ambience of the interior is the use of track lights. Track lights should be used to highlight specific features in the room like some decorative element or an inspiring artwork. These highlighted elements will help to immediately draw attention of the beholder and can serve as great conversation starters among guests.
Add an organic touch to the space
A contemporary interior gives a very modern and trendy vibe but it can become a bit too cold if you do not add touches of calm and comfort here and there. One way to achieve this feat is to add an organic touch to the space in the form of plants and flowers. Green leafy plants not only help to bring a pop of color in the neutral interior, it also helps enliven the atmosphere and makes everyone feel refreshed. You can also use some organic materials in furnishings and upholstery to achieve a similar effect.
Blk 188b Marsiling Road HDB BTO
Create open floor plans
The majority of contemporary interior designs adopt open floor plans where the kitchen, dining area, and living room all flow into each other without any boundary walls. An open floor plan is an ideal option for smaller HDBs since the absence of walls helps create a more spacious look. It also adds a touch of modernism and style to the interior, which basically is the essence of the contemporary theme.
315A Punggol Way 4-Room HDB BTO
Skip the drapes
A contemporary interior shines in all its glory when natural light flows in without any hurdles. Therefore, you should skip the thick curtain entirely in such an interior and use either sheer drapes, blinds, or nothing at all on the windows. Keep the windows large in the rooms so that maximum sunlight can flow in. Enjoy the beautiful shadows that all the elements cast in the space as the sun goes down the horizon. This is a scene that is unmatched in beauty and awe.
Add in layers of texture
A modern contemporary interior design also features a myriad of varying textures that adds depth and timeless beauty to the interior. Think sofas with jute upholstery and lush, soft velvet cushions on top, hardwood floors and shaggy rugs that complement each other in textural form, and thick succulents near the glossy decorative items. All these varying textures can work together in beautiful harmony and uplift the contemporary theme by several notches.
Room-by-Room Guide for a Contemporary Interior
After you have learned the basics of nailing contemporary interior style, it is time to get into more specific details and ideas. Undoubtedly, creating a compelling and timeless atmosphere requires a more personalised and specific approach in design choice.
Luckily, these room-by-room tips will help you bring out most of the contemporary vibe that your HDB flat is able to offer.
Designing a Contemporary Kitchen
Yishun Blk 419 5 Room HDB Resale
Typically, the contemporary kitchen embraces the minimal approach while still using a wide range of colours. The most common combination here is soothing grey, neutrals, and white. It will provide a clean look that will stand the test of time.
Apart from the colour palette, the contemporary interior design kitchen uses traditional flooring with modern cabinetry. You can choose either high-gloss or matte finishes for a subtle elegance in your cooking area.
Of course, make sure you have enough storage space to minimise the clutter you have in your kitchen space.
Related read: Kitchen Countertops: Which Countertop Suits You Best?
Creating a Contemporary Dining Room
Similarly, the dining room does not have to be rich and cluttered either. Instead, you should focus on symmetry with an oversized table and matching chairs using stone or glass elements. Still, you can experiment with materials and combinations that will fit the contemporary interior design.
If your space allows, you can make a statement with a hanging lighting fixture or a pendant. Also, do not forget to add in visual interest such as a textured vase with a plant or a flower. The organic touch should be in limited doses but still enough to complement the natural ambience.
Blk 414 Bedok North 5 Room HDB Resale
Ideas for a Contemporary Living Room Design
Most of the time, the living room is the first area of your HDB or condominium your guests will see. Therefore, you should make sure you properly commit yourself to the principles of simplicity and clean-lined shapes.
In this regard, your best shot would be to consider your colour palette wisely. You would generally want a colour scheme that would be easy on the eye. At the same time, you should bear in mind that your living room is the best place to bring out your personality.
St. Thomas, 4 Bedder Condominium
In the main space, tans, browns and whites make for a classic combination. The combination of clean lines and refined textures easily glam up the living space that give off a contemporary vibe, yet feels homely at the same time. Wooden textures provide warmth and cosiness to the interior while white opens up the space. Flooded with natural light, the living space is balanced out with subtle orange lighting that sets a warm and inviting ambience.
That’s why you can safely accessorise with some elements of interest like artwork, sculptures, vases and other extras. Besides, the two-toned rugs, cushions, throws, and sculptural lamps will suit your contemporary living room for a note of decadence.
Designing a Contemporary Bedroom
In the same manner, you should apply all of the above-mentioned rules to your resting cove, too. A contemporary bedroom interior design employs clean and straight lines. You can incorporate tonal textures for some extra warmth and comfort with some bedding, rugs, and accessories.
St. Thomas, 4 Bedder Condominium
A myriad of earthy neutral hues provides layers of depth in the bedroom interior, where warm and cool tones that are in perfect unison provide a cosy and welcoming setting. The warmth that emanates from warm, rustic wood gives the other space an inviting look and feel that remains distinct. This is further accentuated by orange mood lighting that emanates a soft glow, draping the interior with a cosy touch.
Blk 26 Telok Blangah Crescent, 5 Room Resale HDB
A high-rise headboard feature wall in the master bedroom impresses with the use of shape and light. Through the use of a cosy palette, clean lines and the layering of different textures, this bedroom gives off a calm and relaxing ambience. That way, you will add a subtle note of richness while maintaining an elegant simplicity. Just make sure you do not overdo the styling by avoiding trims, bed skirts or anything that may look too intricate.
The Contemporary Bathroom
Last but not least, your bathroom is an ideal place to create your serene home oasis. Bring in some of your own personality through the use of unique fittings and details. Ensure there is a neat concept that exudes brightness and cleanliness. As much as possible, allow in more light to accentuate the effect.
Mi Casa, 3 Bedder Condominium
Simplify your bathroom with a monochrome white and grey colour scheme, mixing in tiles and textured wall designs. Everything is kept subtle in this bathroom, with elegant marble textured wall tiles and a terrazzo vanity countertop that adds visual interest and character to the space. The modular vanity unit comes with handleless cabinets that adhere to the minimal theme.
Contemporary Interior Design Portfolio To Inspire Your HDB Home Design
Different interior design styles have their own charm and style but one design style that can never go wrong is the contemporary interior design. After all, a contemporary design style features all the elements that are in trend at that particular time, so such an HDB home will always be in style for the current times. Therefore, if you are looking for the best interior design style for your HDB in Singapore in 2024, then contemporary design style is the way to go.
Let’s take inspiration from one of Swiss Interior’s award-winning portfolios and see how they have created a contemporary home and how you can also incorporate its elements and characteristics for your HDB home renovation project.
Contemporary Living Room
A contemporary living room is characterised by clean lines, layers of textures, neutral colours, and natural elements. We can see all these elements in action in the following contemporary living room image. The media wall is in hues of black, the adjacent walls are off-white, while the floors are typical wooden floors. All these elements depict neutral colours that blend and contrast beautifully with each other. The media wall is lit by task lighting while the rest of the space is brightened through the sunlight flowing in through the large windows. The leather sofa adds a touch of nature as well as texture into the space. There are several indoor plants in the living room which liven up the space and add a beautiful pop of colour. The neutral hues and the fresh ambience all help to create trendy and elegant vibes in this HDB living room.
Another angle of the living room shows the foyer and entrance area that is designed beautifully in contemporary colours and elements. The HDB main door has a medium brown wooden shade whereas a similar shade of wood is used to create overhead ceiling panels and side structures that add to the beauty and elegance of the entrance. The wooden texture in the ceiling panel and side panels create an interesting and unique ambience. On the other side of this wooden structure is a completely different and contrasting cupboard in black colour with black tinted glass doors. This contrasting view makes the environment in this space highly interesting and beautiful. This area is also lit through task lighting and direct lighting fixtures. A few decorative elements can be seen in the wooden panels while a simple, geometric formed wall clock adorns one wall of the room. The whole living room is the definition of balance, harmony, and beauty in a contemporary setting.
The picture below shows the dining area of this contemporary HDB. The open-concept layout is completely in line with the contemporary style while the beautiful blend of natural and contemporary materials adds to the exquisiteness of this style. The dining table has a classy marble top and sleek, metallic legs. The dining chairs are luxurious and comfortable showcasing a neutral grey-blue shade of leather. A similar grey hue is used for the kitchen island and cabinetry, creating a seamless transition from the dining area to the kitchen. The Edison bulbs above the dining table are given a stylish twist to make them fit in the contemporary space. Moreover, the wall painting depicts the necessary touch of art in a contemporary home. All the neutral colours blend together beautifully which are further accentuated through modern, warm lighting.
The next picture shows a view of the kitchen. The kitchen is minimalist, functional, and uncluttered. Everything is kept organised in their designated places resulting in a kitchen that is the perfect inspiration. At the far end is the laundry area that is kept secluded through the glass doors. A window in the laundry area allows the natural light to flow in through the glass doors and into the kitchen. The grey cabinetry creates an exotic contrast with the wooden floors and laminate cabinets. Accent lighting and ambient lighting further enhance the kitchen’s ambience.
A contemporary bedroom should ideally incorporate all the significant features of this style and fine tune them further to create a comfortable and relaxing ambience. The following picture of the bedroom shows the use of neutral colours like grey, black, blue, and beige. The bed is simple with a plain headboard that merges with the back wall, giving the illusion of a full wall headboard. The wall is black on which is a beautiful, large digital painting that beautifies the room. The painting is further enhanced through the use of warm, accent lighting that creates the perfect highlight over the black backdrop. This artwork adds a great deal of decor and ornamentation to the room, so the rest of the elements are kept plain and simple. The bedside tables are simple wooden ones while the flooring is also a traditional wooden floor. There is a large window on the side that is covered through sheer white drapes as well as solid grey curtains. Hanging trendy lamps along with other lighting fixtures add to the elegance and style of this contemporary bedroom.
A contemporary bathroom also showcases earthly, neutral hues and this is shown in action in the following image of the bathroom. Earthly shades of grey and brown are used for the wall and floor tiles that create a very unique ambience in the bathroom. A touch of nature and colour is further added into the space through the indoor plants. The white toilet fixtures and the black vanity creates a striking contrast that is elegantly beautiful. The final touch of exquisite beauty is added through the full-panelled lighting on the ceiling.
Final Thoughts
Contemporary design is nowhere near what the rest of the conventional interior styles will give you. While many people may associate contemporary home design with modern and minimalist interiors, the in-the-now interior design delivers the best of both worlds.
The result is often a satisfying, calming combination of simplicity and modernism that would fit any HDB flat.
Swiss Interior is dedicated to helping you design a home that captures your essence. Specialising in HDB interior design in Singapore and condominium interior design, we focus on everything from 4-room layouts to innovative small-space solutions. Our interior designers in Singapore offer insights into creating inviting atmospheres, maximizing functionality, and enhancing the overall aesthetic of your living space. Let’s embark on this renovation journey together, ensuring your home is a true reflection of your style.
Swiss Interior is a highly recommended interior designer in Singapore. We provide interior design packages, renovation services, HDB design, and condo design services for homeowners in Singapore. Contact and schedule an appointment with us today!
About Swiss Interior
Swiss Interior is a leading interior design company in Singapore since 2012. Led by founders Jason and Ronnie, the Swiss team serves customers from all walks of life, delivering bespoke and dream interior design and renovation services to all homeowners in Singapore.
Accreditations & Awards:
- Singapore outstanding enterprise award (2013)
- HomeRenoGuru Most Trusted ID (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022)
- First ID firm to win 1 Week Kitchen Challenge by HomeRenoGuru (2019)
- Featured in NOC RenoKing (2020)
- HomeRenoGuru Top 10 ID Firm (2020, 2021)
- Featured in CNA Lifestyle Making Room (2021)
- Qanvast SuperTrust (2021, 2022)
- Featured in HomeStyle Magazine Year End Cover Page (2021)
- Featured in Sheikh Haikel & Anna Belle Francis DreamHome (2022)
- Sidac Accreditation (2022)