Design • 23 juni, 2021 • 12 min læsning

Best Modern Apartment Decor Ideas for 2021

In a world that often seems fast-paced and hectic, your home should be a safe haven in which you can relax and unwind, free from unnecessary clutter and material distraction. Check out our list of the best modern home decor ideas for 2021 and how you can transform your space into your own personal sanctuary.

Af Edvin Brobeck

The Modern Apartment Decor Movement

The practice of modern apartment decor has been around since the end of the 19th century, with the aim being to reduce useless clutter. As well as this, the modern approach to interior design includes minimalist furnishings, clean lines and most importantly, functionality. 

Continue reading to discover how to create your own home sanctuary in your modern style apartment using this technique.

IDEA ONE

Master Minimalism with Modern Apartment Decor

white map poster of Freiburg

The idea behind modern apartment interior design is to practice minimalism in order to create a tranquil space, free from redundant distractions. Everything in the home setting must have a unique value and serve a purpose. Simplicity is key. 

When we think of designing our home, we often aim to ensure that no space looks empty. However, modern design practices teach that just because a space is not filled with a material object, does not mean that it is empty. 

Minimalism allows something other than the space to be the focus. For example, the people in the space or the view from the window might be more important than the room’s decoration

 

Robert Brown, Interior Designer

IDEA TWO

Modern Apartment Design Keeps It Open

white city map poster of Toulous

The next leading step from minimalism is creating open spaces where possible. The idea behind this is to minimize the amount of confinement within the home, in order to create a spacious and fresh environment. 

With modern small apartment design, a complete open plan reconstruction is often not an option, but this doesn’t mean that you can’t participate in your own way. Typically, an apartment will not have wall separations for each room like a house would. Therefore, we have to work in sections instead. 

Each section of the apartment will represent a different function – usually the kitchen, dining room and living room. The idea behind splitting these spaces into zones is to give each area its own distinction. This can be done by in the following ways;

Two-Toned Painting  

Giving walls a bold colour on top and a neutral tone underneath will mirror light in the room and give a feeling of greater space.

Contrast 

Including different styles, textiles and colour schemes in each space will help to separate the areas without any physical partitions.

IDEA THREE

Industrial Inspiration

white city map poster of Oslo

You will often see homage to industrial settings such as factories and other era specific work spaces with modern style apartment interiors. This technique is based upon the conversion of a vintage work space to a modern residence. Industrial decor is usually seen in apartment and loft type living spaces that have been converted from warehouses, old churches and barns. 

The staple elements associated with this type of interior are exposed brick, organic materials such as wood, metal accents and uncovered steel beams and ducts. 

Your home does not have to be an authentic industrial conversion in order to include this theme in your decor. Even scandi-esque homes can incorporate these elements by including earthy textures and steel or chrome fixtures to the decor, choosing neutral wall colours and adding pendant lights and Edison-style bulb lamps.

IDEA FOUR

Add a Touch of Nature To Your Modern Apartment Decor

white city map poster of San Francisco

Including elements of nature in the modern apartment design has become instrumental in creating the overall atmosphere of calmness and tranquility. There are a whole range of easy to care for plants that need very little attention in order to flourish that can upgrade the energy surrounding your living space.

When choosing where to add a plant, you must firstly think about the available space, where the strong and weak points within the room are and the various perspectives of the area. We must remember that minimalism remains a major part of achieving functional modern interior design – less is more. 

With this being said, large plants are great for this particular interior approach. They serve as a point of emphasis, without conquering the entire space.

IDEA FIVE

Modern Clean Living

white-city-map-poster-Kartalca

Clean lines are a dominant feature in modern apartment decor, and are used to define a space and create an impression of minimalism. Within the art of interior design, there are two types of lines – curvilinear and rectilinear. When we talk about clean lines, we are typically referring to the latter. Rectilinear lines are uninterrupted lines, hence the name clean. 

To introduce this aesthetic in your home, focus on choosing furniture and other material that has flat surfaces. This characteristic lends itself to the idea of functionality. Similarly, avoid colourful and busy patterns when choosing pieces for your decor. The idea is to focus on simplicity – that in itself is the statement.

IDEA SIX

Artistic Licence

White Line Art Poster
le

Lastly, but not least, is the importance of an artistic presence to tie your modern apartment decor together. The addition of a signature piece of artwork can totally upgrade a space in a way that no other element can. These pieces can vary in size and theme, from entire gallery walls to simple portraits.

 

Adding wall art to your interior affords you the opportunity to get creative and make a statement. The chosen work can stay within the theme of a certain room, or it can be a total contrast and statement piece. If you need some inspiration on how to create the perfect artistic haven within your home, check out our summer gallery wall guide here.

At Mapiful, we are proud to say that we have helped thousands of people around the world to create their own custom wall art pieces. Additionally, our posters are responsibly printed using FSC-certified paper and sustainable wood materials. 

With our prints, you can create a visualisation of your zodiac sign and the attributes that go along with it, a map poster of your favourite location, a text art piece that allows you to frame your most meaningful photo with custom text across the image, the recreation of the stars that shone in the night sky on a special time in your life or a line art piece of your favourite design and quote. 

THE FINAL WORD

The Wrap on Modern Apartment Decor

Despite the fact that modern interior design is defined by certain staple characteristics, the key to creating the perfect home is personalisation. Inserting your personality into the decor of your living space is what allows it to flourish and take on the role of an oasis when the noise of the outside world becomes too loud.

The ethos of modern apartment decor is simplicity, and the positive energy that comes along with it. Minimalism teaches us to really think about the items that are important to us, what value they truly hold and to be comfortable with unfilled space. 

In life, sometimes we must leave a space open until something worthwhile and valuable comes and takes its place. The space within our home is no different.