It doesn’t take an out-of-body experience to know that life is best lived in the moment. Dwelling too much on the past prevents us from moving forward. Longing for the future can distract us from the tasks at hand. Buddha says, to reach enlightenment, we should focus on the present. This way of thinking doesn’t work particularly well (or at all) for interior design, since so much of it is inspired by and recycled from everything that has come before. But, literally speaking, he has a point. Contemporary home furnishings with their smooth curves, geometric shapes, negative space and sense of whimsy can bump even the most lackluster room up to a whole new level. And at the very least, they make living in the moment look pretty darn good.
The dining room is, arguably, one of our favorite spaces to highlight the many merits of the contemporary aesthetic. The gallery below highlights new contemporary furnishings fit for gathering, serving and reveling in a high-contrast black and white palette teeming with mixed metallics. All together now: Ommmm.
Galassia 72 Dining Table — Reflex
The Galassia 72 dining table from Reflex’s Glamour Collection is as contemporary as it comes thanks to its smooth, curved base and Milky Way-esque marble top. But contemporary design is the poster child for shades of gray, so of course there’s an element of the past here, too.
Here, the Italian company pulls inspiration from its past as a family-owned glassworks in the 1940s to create a look that expertly melds cutting-edge technology, design research and tradition.
Beads Octo — Innermost
Every contemporary dining room needs a statement centerpiece, and the Beads Octo chandelier from Innermost is all that and more. Designer Winnie Lui’s contemporary masterpiece — a mesmerizing cluster of shiny chrome spheres — sparkles by day and casts crazy shadows at night.
Shown here in Chrome, Beads Octo is also available in Copper, Gloss White and Gunmetal.
Anjou Dining Chair — Zuo Modern
Don’t just stand there; pull up a chair – this chair to be exact. The Anjou dining chair from Zuo Modern is billed as “the most comfortable and well-conceived” dining chair of the company’s collection. But we’ll let you and your clients be the judges of that. For now, we’re obsessed with the slim silhouette that pairs perfectly with a contemporary dining table.
The seat design also comes in white, though we’re partial to black, which always feels current.
My Golden Wings Wall Art — Oliver Gal
And now for the real fun: decorative accessories. Contemporary design is all about breaking the rules, and sometimes that means injecting a sense of whimsy into an otherwise serious space. Your clients can prove their mettle (or metal as the case may be) by choosing a piece of edgy wall art like My Golden Wings from Oliver Gal.
Not surprisingly, the aptly named fine art canvas features a pair of golden wings set against a silvery backdrop.
Exhaustibilité Sculpture — Christopher Guy
You’ve come this far; why not give it all you’ve got? Finish your client’s dining room with flair, opting for an accessory with some height and the ability to turn heads.
This decorative, hand-beaten copper sculpture from Christopher Guy represents a seamless circle of continuous movement, and it’s sure to keep the dinner conversation going.
So tell us, which of these contemporary dining room ideas is your favorite? Share with us in the comments!
