We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.

Advertiser Disclosure

Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.

How We Make Money

We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently from our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.

How do I Make a Contemporary Living Room?

By Sheri Cyprus
Updated May 17, 2024
Our promise to you
WiseGEEK is dedicated to creating trustworthy, high-quality content that always prioritizes transparency, integrity, and inclusivity above all else. Our ensure that our content creation and review process includes rigorous fact-checking, evidence-based, and continual updates to ensure accuracy and reliability.

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

Editorial Standards

At WiseGEEK, we are committed to creating content that you can trust. Our editorial process is designed to ensure that every piece of content we publish is accurate, reliable, and informative.

Our team of experienced writers and editors follows a strict set of guidelines to ensure the highest quality content. We conduct thorough research, fact-check all information, and rely on credible sources to back up our claims. Our content is reviewed by subject matter experts to ensure accuracy and clarity.

We believe in transparency and maintain editorial independence from our advertisers. Our team does not receive direct compensation from advertisers, allowing us to create unbiased content that prioritizes your interests.

To make a contemporary living room, you'll need to focus on what is currently in style. To find the up-to-date looks you love best, look at furniture showrooms in your area or browse through interior decor sites online. Think about the seating, tables and storage options that you find the most attractive before imaging a group of pieces combined together in your space. Once you have your contemporary furnishings picked out, an area rug, curtains and fresh paint, if possible, can create the basic, updated living space. Trendy accessories such as pillows, artwork, bowls or vases can complete your contemporary living room.

If you already have some contemporary accessories you love, taking color and style cues from them to expand into the rest of the living room space may work well. In general, larger and fewer accent pieces are better in contemporary living rooms than groups of small objects unless the collection is large and dramatic. Looking at your favorite clothing styles may also help you decide on which state of the art, trendy colors and patterns to use in your living space. If you can paint your contemporary living room, use rich neutral colors on some walls and sophisticated, modern color hues on others. This technique can help create depth and interest.

If you're trying to create a contemporary living room on a budget, you may want to use classic furniture, but update it with covers and pillows in up-to-date fabrics. You could even paint old plain coffee and end tables in your favorite trendy accent colors for instant, low-cost style. Cheap living room furniture can often be dressed up with contemporary touches like graphic-patterned throw pillows. Being creative means you can make a contemporary living space without having to buy everything brand new.

If you're unsure of a color scheme, a black and white theme can be easy to do. Your seating pieces, picture frames, tables and curtains can be either black or white or patterns using both. When you have all the main pieces, then adding accents of your favorite current color can add personality as well as update the contemporary living room space.

If you'd prefer to create a softer, cooler contemporary space, a gray living room may be a good option. You can combine furnishings in different shades of gray from light to dark. Rich gray paint on walls can look especially stunning. Cream-colored accent pieces in up-to-date styles can help create a sophisticated contemporary living room.

WiseGEEK is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.

Discussion Comments

WiseGEEK, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGEEK, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.