A contemporary living room, tried on your own room.

What makes a contemporary living room

• A neutral base. White, greige, taupe or soft grey on the walls and the largest furniture.
• Clean-lined comfort. Sofas and chairs with simple shapes and generous cushions. Nothing ornate.
• One or two accents. A pair of chairs in a strong color, a large artwork or a statement light.
• Mixed materials. Wood beside metal, glass and stone, each in small amounts.
• Open floor. Fewer, larger pieces and a rug that anchors the seating.

What to check on your own living room

A photo of someone else’s living room can’t tell you how the style sits with your light, your proportions and the things you are keeping. These are the points to look at once it is on your photo:

• What the accents are doing. See whether the accent color in the design works with things you are keeping, such as curtains or art.
• Existing trim and doors. Contemporary furniture can sit well against traditional moldings. Look at whether the mix feels intended in your room.
• Lighting. Designs often add recessed lights or a new fixture. Decide whether that is work you would do.

Before

After

Before and after comparison. Drag or use arrow keys to reveal more of either image.

Where it works, and where it doesn’t

It suits almost any room, which is why it is a common choice for homes going on the market: buyers can picture their own things in it. It is also a sensible base if you expect to change accents over the years. Agents can read more on staging a listing.

Its weakness is the same as its strength. A contemporary room with no personal objects can look like a showroom, and what counts as current will date. If you want a room with a strong character, compare it with a more specific style.

How to see it on your own living room

1. Photograph the room. Stand in a doorway or a corner in daylight and use your phone’s normal 1x lens, so the seating, the main window and some floor are all in frame.
2. Choose the room and the style. In Remodel, pick Living room as the room and Contemporary as the style. Remodel is designed to keep the shape of the space and its windows and to change the finishes around them.
3. Run a second style on the same photo. Try Mid-Century Modern next and drag the slider on each. A style is easier to judge beside another one than on its own.
4. Refine the one you keep. On a paid plan, Edit changes one thing you describe and Brush changes only the area you paint over. Designs are saved in your Library beside the original photo.

Styles to compare it with

• Mid-Century Modern. Warmer and more characterful, with wood and period shapes.
• Transitional. Contemporary shapes mixed with a few traditional ones; softer.
• Minimalist. The same neutrality with far fewer objects.

What a design can’t tell you

A design is a picture of a direction. It has no measurements, so it can’t tell you whether a sofa that size fits the wall or clears the door. The furniture in it is a look to match, not specific products, and a design can add things that aren’t in your room, such as a fireplace or a different view out of the window. Treat those as ideas.

What it costs

On the web, the Living room room type and the Contemporary style are both included with a free account, which comes with starter credits and needs no card. Every paid plan adds Edit and Brush and unlocks all the styles and room types. The pricing page lists what each plan includes.

Common questions

What is the difference between modern and contemporary?

In design, modern refers to a specific movement of the early and middle twentieth century, with its own materials and furniture. Contemporary means whatever is current, and it borrows from several styles.

What colors suit a contemporary living room?

Neutrals for the walls and large pieces, such as white, greige and grey, with one or two accents. Deep blue, green, rust and black are common accents.

Is contemporary a good style for selling a house?

It is a common choice because it is neutral and uncluttered. If you show a redesigned photo in a listing, label it as a concept and follow your listing service’s rules.

Is the Contemporary style free to try on a living room?

Yes. On the web, a free account includes the Living room room type and the Contemporary style, with starter credits and no card. Paid plans start with Basic at $13 a month, or $91 a year and add Edit and Brush for changing one thing at a time. The pricing page lists what each plan includes.