Contemporary v.s. Traditional
When it comes to outdoor furniture, there are many different designs to choose from. Often times, these designs can be categorized into two specific styles: contemporary or traditional.
Contemporary Furniture
Contemporary furniture typically features cleaner lines and bolder geometric shapes. This style focuses more on simplicity and function over embellishments and extras. There is less detail on the furniture, and it is often manufactured to be slightly smaller than traditional pieces. This allows it to blend nicely into a room, without overpowering the entire space.
Contemporary furniture works well with bolder patterns, brighter colors and more trendy pieces of home décor.
Traditional Furniture
Traditional furniture can be beautifully framed with the use of neutral fabrics, metallic hues and classic decorative items.
Which furniture style is right for you?
While many people might have an idea of the style of furniture they prefer, some have a harder time deciding what might work best in their home. Both styles offer a unique and distinct look that can make it challenging to choose.
Understanding the overall look of your home and the vibe that you are trying to create will go a long way in defining your choice of style. If you are looking for classy and timeless, then traditional furniture might suit you best. If you want your home to have a modern look that is on-trend, then you may want to focus more on contemporary furniture pieces.
Contemporary or Traditional. What’s Your Decorating Style
It’s time for you to redesign or redecorate your outdoor living space. How do you know what style you prefer? Some styles are pretty self-explanatory and specific: rustic, French country, coastal, eclectic, or industrial. But how can you tell if you prefer traditional versus contemporary? These two styles seem to be the most popular, and yet have the broadest range of options.
Contemporary style is often interchanged with “modern” which isn’t accurate. Contemporary architecture can be identified by its straight lines rigid feel boxy construction and squared corners. Contemporary furniture is designed to follow key current trends in more modern décor.
This style tends to appeal to people who like to stay up to date with the latest fashions and want a fresher look to their home. Contemporary decorating is about the “here and now.” It can best be characterized by less is more, clean lines, minimal clutter, neutral and tonal colors paired with bold pops of color. The most obvious and distinctive element of a contemporary style furniture design is the straight line. It’s found in architectural details, using lower more upright seating styles and geometric shapes for table and end tables, these styles carry over to the design on the outdoor rug and even to the décor on the walls.
Contemporary style is meant to reflect the current trends in design. However, keep in mind that something considered Contemporary in the 1960s, 70s or 80s would be considered retro today. Contemporary décor has evolved to encompass specific design elements that hold steady through the decades and can be accessorized with items that signify today’s décor idea such as rectangle or square shaped umbrellas and linear rectangle fire pits, all of which would be considered contemporary looking when thinking of designing your outdoor space.
Contemporary furniture has clean lines with soft edges. Chair legs and arms are simple, either square or round. Upholstery fabrics are either one solid color or have a subtle pattern, with an accent piece such as a bright colored pillow to interrupt the solid color and the straight lines found in this style of furniture. Contemporary tables have little if any ornate carvings. Inlaid patterns, if used, are geometric. Upholstered furniture is low to the ground with squared arms. The backs may be tufted with large, fabric-covered buttons, again all considered contemporary styling.
Contemporary pieces used as a focal point on your patio, could be that linear fire pit, or the Tribecca low swivel chairs or a KNF Mosaic tables all three portray the new modernized issues and ideas like feminism, multiculturalism, globalization, or awareness.
Contemporary design basics include:
Colors—neutral colors of cream, white, tan, beige, gray and brown are the background to the Contemporary color scheme. Brighter color accents are allowed but kept to a minimum.
Smooth surfaces in light-colored woods (IPE’), glass, nickel, stainless steel or chrome are featured in Contemporary outdoor furniture. Textiles, Sunbrella fabrics are available in a number of styles and colors, from neutral colors, with the occasional bold color or pattern used as an accent piece.
Wall art neutral colors, geometric shapes and monochromatic styling with the occasional accent of a brighter color, all work with a contemporary style as long as the pattern in not too dominate.
Flooring, bare floors are done in wood, cement, stone or concrete pavers with the occasional addition of an indoor/ outdoor area rug in a simple pattern.
Contemporary Lighting is used as an artistic statement in a contemporary outdoor space. Outdoor floor and table lamps have straight lines and sleek metallic finishes; color might be introduced with a special shade. Recessed lighting can lighting or track lighting draws attention to well-placed wall art and accessories and can change the entire look of your outdoor space if strategically placed.
Traditional
Traditional decorating is about comfort, coziness, rounded sofa arms, elegance, symmetrical arrangements, rich moldings and attention to woodwork or cast framing in outdoor furniture. Classic traditional conjures up images rooted in old-English style—dripping in dark woods, or metals made to look like wood, Sunbrella outdoor cushion fabric that are made to appear to be heavy but are made to withstand the outdoor elements , while still being breathable and comfortable to the touch. Darker colors, hunter green, chocolates even black are all colors that tie into a more traditional color palette.
NEW traditional however is different. It is classic and comfortable, with graceful lines the allow for some fun and youthfulness to be interjected.
Traditional chairs boast such features as turned or cabriole legs, ball feet horn finials high arched backs and rolled arms. Many times, the table legs resemble matching chair legs, and tabletops often have ornately trimmed edges. Motifs such as pineapples or seashells hammered edge rims on the table may be included in carvings in the backs of chairs or tabletop inlays it often depends on the manufacturer. Traditional furniture follows a much more timeless and class design, giving it a look that never goes out of style. This style of furniture appeals to people who prefer a regular and more elegant look in their home. Traditional pieces are often manufactured larger in size, giving them the ability to make a grand statement in a room.
The darker woods and attention to smaller details is what sets traditional furniture style apart. With this style, you will find more caved embellishments, giving the pieces more character that resembles previous centuries.
There are many manufacturers that have a number of traditional lines of outdoor furniture Castelle is amazing with the outdoor traditional furniture they have been producing for many years, as well as Hanamint with their Grandview and Chateau lines, both of which are timeless classics. Traditional designs often include neutral colors, such as beige, cream, ivory, with splashes of crimson, Wedgwood blue, olive green or chocolate brown. Flooring wood decking and concreate floors with solid indoor / outdoor rugs first come to mind with the Traditional style, as do marble and slate and even Texas stone. Outdoor Sunbrella drapes are a customary shape choice if not using an umbrella in the Traditional style, with heavier looking fabrics and classic tiebacks.
Mixing Traditional with contemporary looks, eliminates the labels of the two styles, and you are creating your own style and many times turns out looking amazing. When you mix traditional and modern furniture styles you are doing away with labels to create an individualized, multi-layered outdoor living space. As it is, furnishing your home should be more about developing your own personal style rather than adhering to any single one unless you are truly passionate about it and the same goes for your outdoor space, don’t be afraid to make that space your own.
With that being said, combining modern furniture and accessories with traditional ones can often result in chaos if not planned in advance. To simplify the process, there are major considerations that might make it easier to combine the two very different styles together.
Modern or Traditional
To create a really great balance, decide whether you want your space to be primarily modern or primarily traditional. Letting one style dominate is crucial because you don’t want to create a space where everything is fighting for equal attention. This could lead to just a menagerie of furniture crammed into a space with no distinct look of style.
Once you figure out the dominating style, you will either have a modern space with antique accents or a traditional space with contemporary accents.
Basically, you are furnishing in one style while choosing the other one for accent. So, if you decide to go with Hanamint as your dominate traditional style, and use KNF tables to accent your seating area, that would work but as mentioned do not create a space where the two styles are competing for the same space.
Why Do You Love It?
Once you’ve figured out where your loyalties lie, find out why that style appeals to you. Look at the visual attributes of a piece of furniture. When you find yourself attracted to a piece is it because of its shape and lines, or do you admire it for its color and texture?
There is no wrong answer here and spend as much time as you need to come up with one that makes you happy. Whenever you see some furniture you like, make a note of what you like about it. Also, notice how you describe it to someone else. Do you talk about its sleek lines or rich texture? Is color what matters to you? If you collect pictures of furniture you like, you will begin to see a pattern and I recommend picture taking this allows you to tie in pieces of different styles through their shapes, or material or color and texture, depending on which aspect appeals to you the most.
Harmony or Contrast?
After figuring out what you like and why you like it, it is time to settle another important question. What kind of a look are you going for, harmony or contrast?
If you want to a harmonious look or a more restful look, select furniture pieces that are more alike, or just a few degrees apart. For instance, for a harmonized look you may want to pair Hanamint Classic sofa with OW Lee Classico club chairs although they a different, they are close in style and look where that they do not fight each other on your patio space. By adding a classic firepit and classic end tables it is easy to incorporate two different lines and styles to make a comfortable and enjoyable outdoor space.
To create contrast and excitement, juxtapose colors and textures, don’t be afraid to have two chairs that have two different color cushions on them, this is common as long as these colors can be found in other areas of your backyard living space.
Mix It Up
Now that you've figured out which elements are important to you, go ahead and start mixing it up.
Let one style dominate and use the other one for accents.
Tie different styles together with the same color, texture, or shape.
Get different nuances by creating harmony or contrast when you mix different styles.
Colors, pillows and style are three things one must have when thinking of designing or redesigning their outdoor living space. Outdoor furniture and accessories have come a very long way in the past 20 or so years.
I remember as a child all that outdoor furniture I remember seeing was either black, brown or brown wooden furniture. My best friends Grandparents had the brown wooden group, which sat on their brown wooden desk, with bright yellow and green cushions and a matching umbrella. Wow, my friend and I loved being out on the deck playing and I even remember taking naps outside on the lounge chairs in the summer. I’m not talking about these Texas summers of 100 plus degrees, this was in Connecticut in the 1970’s before global warming and the average high back then in Connecticut was in the summertime was in the low to mid 80’s.
I remember my friends grandmother making us lunch and we would sit out there and eat lunch on that old wooden furniture, although it was new, it had somewhat of a rustic look to it to make it appear older than it was. At the time I didn’t know the difference between contemporary and traditional, but I was able to make a mental note and could recognize that their indoor furniture was very different from their outdoor furniture. I realized that everything inside was very square and modular looking, everything had straight lines and squared cushions and even the tables were very square.
Thinking back, I’m almost sure this was when I started to realize differences in styles and looks and time- periods in furniture.
As I’ve gotten older, like with everything else, time changes everything.
Styles and functions change and generally get better as time moves forward making things more functional to the end user. The construction and materials used have changed even the way we use things have changed over the years. So, when we look at furniture now compared to when we were younger it all has changed.
The same can be said about contemporary styles and traditional styles. Although traditional styles are still present and very much relevant, depending on one’s style there are more contemporary and modern styles to look at.
These days many outdoor furniture manufacturers have perfected making both styles as they realized that your outdoor living space is simply an extension to your indoor living space. With Natural beauty, artisanal designs and a reliance on exceptional materials make traditional outdoor furniture popular among consumers who value products with integrity. Influenced by past eras but crafted to last for decades to come, todays patio furniture is handcrafted utilizing only the finest lumber, aluminum, steel and wrought iron. These classic-look collections range from regal, European-inspired styles to Americana porch furniture with a wealth of vintage charm. Here, you'll find richly detailed outdoor dining sets that are made for gatherings with friends and family, as well as generously sized patio lounge seating designed to offer the utmost in comfort.
While the ageless aesthetic of these styles is instantly appealing, they also boast up-to-date performance thanks to their outdoor-grade cushions and outstanding, all-American construction.
Contemporary
Ahh, — unless you’re trying to decide on just the right furniture and accent pieces to give your outdoor living spaces the same sense of sophistication and quality to be found inside your home. In which case, you might have to make some hard decisions, like wood or metals, woven or minimalist, whimsical or elegant, traditional or ultra-modern. Luckily, there’s a luxury outdoor furniture brand for every kind of style. Like manufacturers that specialize in traditional lines of furniture, there a just as many that specialize in the contemporary arena of outdoor furniture, constructing the latest and greatest in contemporary outdoor furniture. If you have enough space, arrange a central coffee table between two regatta benches that sit under patio umbrellas. Enhance the benches with lumbar pillows and throw a picnic blanket over the back.
When looking at making changes to your outdoor space, keep in mind there are a lot of great ideas that stem from right your home. Luxury, comfort and style of an interior living room in the garden area with sectional sofas, loveseats, armchairs and ottomans. Furnishing outdoor spaces is all about materials. In addition to timeless style and enduring comfort, your contemporary patio furniture needs to be weather resistant to all-weather, mildew-resistant material.
Shopping for patio furniture involves a lot of decision-making, with choices ranging from seating capacity to frame material. Pick the patio furniture you need based on how many people you expect to frequently entertain and how you want to use your outdoor space. Popular patio furniture sets include contemporary conversation sets with two chairs and an accent table, larger sectionals, and bistro sets for small-scale outdoor dining. Larger patio dining sets are available, along with other specialty patio furniture—like gliders, rockers and much much more.
Contemporary outdoor furniture gives you the ability to truly enjoy the spring, summer, and fall. You can celebrate the warm months out on your patio with friends, family, and guests if you have the right patio furniture. Contemporary outdoor patio furniture combines your love for the great outdoors, entertaining, and modern design in one simple and sophisticated package. Contemporary outdoor furniture, like tables, chairs, chaise lounges, and sofas are a great way to relax in style and comfort. If you have a pool, then you can place outdoor lounge chairs around the perimeter so that you can cool off whenever you get too warm while sunbathing. The best contemporary outdoor furniture combines high-quality materials and simple, sophisticated design to create a modern patio where you’ll be proud to entertain your guests and share those memories with them for years to come.
Lounge outdoors this summer in comfort and style. contemporary outdoor lounge furniture is great to have around your patio or pool because you can nap in the sun or shade on comfortable patio furniture. Some of the most popular modern lounge furniture are conversation sets, chaise lounges, lounge chairs, sofas, sectionals, ottomans, swings, and hammocks. All of these outdoor furniture pieces are made with durable and comfort in mind. The durable bases combine high-quality materials, like metal, wicker, and wood with soft, plush pillows. The best modern outdoor furniture is stain resistant and does not easily absorb water. You can find special materials used on outdoor furniture to prevent mold and mildew, so you do not have to spend all of your time caring for your outdoor furniture pieces.
Modern dining sets are some of the most popular outdoor furniture. Dining sets vary in size, style, and design. You will find modern outdoor dining sets, which seat a range of people. Two-person to eight-person modern outdoor dining sets include tables and chairs that are comfortable for your friends, family, and guests to relax on. Aside from dining sets, you can also select modern outdoor dining chairs and modern outdoor dining tables separate from one another. This is especially helpful if you have an existing collection of outdoor dining furniture and want to expand or replace a single piece. You will find a wide variety of options when it comes to modern outdoor furniture and modern patio dining chairs. You can choose from many different sizes and material, including wicker, metal, and wood.
When searching for patio furniture, Yard Art Patio & Fireplace stands out as a one-stop shop for everything you need to furnish and finish your outdoor space. The outdoor furniture store offers leading names in outdoor furniture at reasonable price points as well as warrantees on frames of the furniture and the cushions.
At Yard Art Patio & Fireplace, we sell outdoor living year round, because that’s what we do and we take pride in working with our customers to find out what their end goals are, from cushion and umbrella replacement to new furniture to outfit their entire back yard, that is what Yard Art Patio & Fireplace and their trained professional sale teams look forward to doing for our customers. Our showroom floors remain stocked throughout the year and our local warehouse stays stocked so that we may facilitate all of our customer’s needs. If you are in one of our showroom to gather inspiration for your outdoor living area by browsing popular lines of patio furniture, like modern or traditional collections, please allow a sales member from our sales team to point you in the right direction or answer any questions you may have.
There is a mix of brands available, including more recognizable names like OW Lee, Lane Venture, Telescope, Breezesta, Patio Renaissance to name a few. Aside from outdoor sofas and outdoor patio furniture, you will also find a wide variety of decorative accents and accent furniture for your modern patio and backyard. You can freshen up your backyard with outdoor rugs, pillows, cushions, and doormats. Outdoor textiles like rugs and pillows give you the ability to create comfortable nooks where you can relax and read a book. Your guests will love flopping down on a large outdoor club chairs that’s set in the sun. If you want to be able to use your patio at night, then you’ll also want to include outdoor lighting in your décor string lights, Luna lights are available for any backyard. You can pair your modern outdoor furniture and décor with outdoor heating solutions, so you won’t want to go inside when the temperatures fall at night.
