From Traditional to Contemporary – Decorative Panels in Furniture Design

From traditional to contemporary, furniture panels offer a wide range of design possibilities. They can bring a sense of luxury into any home decorating scheme.

Modern panel furniture offers a sleek, modern look that blends easily with other styles of decor. It also offers an alternative to more expensive and labor-intensive wainscoting carpentry.

Transitional

Gaining popularity in the last 20 years, transitional furniture combines traditional and contemporary design. Large pieces of traditional furniture with lots of ornamentation are given a makeover to become streamlined and sophisticated in this design style. Eye-catching details like rounded curves and straight lines are combined in furniture and home decor to create an elegant, timeless look.

The minimalist approach of modern design is also incorporated into transitional rooms, but this minimalism is less evident on the furniture and more focused on accent pieces and home decor like plush cut-pile area rugs and decorative throw pillows. A balance of tan, beige, ivory and grey tones are used in the color palette to keep the look cohesive and elegant.

Another important component in a transitional design is the use of wood. Natural wood furniture is a great way to add warmth and elegance to any space, especially when combined with other elements of transitional design. Add a touch of modernity with metallic accents on home decor pieces like lamps, wall art and ottomans.

Traditional

Traditional furniture design is rich, ornate and regal. It embraces functional symmetry and dark wood elements, including furniture pieces like carved cabriole legs. It also loves to incorporate artful accessories, from wall decor to shelf decorations to plush pillows and animal hides. It prefers to use a variety of colors, but dark, warm shades rule.

This style is often considered old-fashioned, but it has a timeless appeal that will last past trendy furniture styles. Mary Lee points out that “if you want to add a more contemporary accent chair to your traditional living room, the two don’t have to go to divorce court.” Softer curves and more controlled carvings make traditional furniture more compatible with modern lifestyles. But the key is to find the right balance of both styles, and to keep the overall look cohesive. If you’re not sure how to achieve this, talk with a professional interior designer.

Contemporary

A traditional furniture arrangement can look visually busy, with figured wallpaper, multiple upholstered patterns and detailed window treatments. “As an alternative, a contemporary designed space can feel minimalist,” Mary Lee explains. “There are few elements and the color pallet is often a monochromatic one.”

Contemporary furniture design can have a sleek, elegant appearance. It can also have a harder, more modern line and may feature minimal detail and carving. “Current styles draw from a broad spectrum of artistic movements that span several decades,” Mary Lee says. These can include the modernist movement, Art Deco and minimalism, as well as global influences like Asian and Scandinavian style.

A great example of the contemporary furniture design is the Edie collection, which features track padded arms and a padded back in a clean, casual silhouette. It’s available as a reclining chair, loveseat and sectional. This collection is offered in a range of fabrics, including leather. See how this style works in your home by scheduling an appointment or giving us a call today!

Modern

Modern furniture designs became prominent in post-world war era. These designs were more functional in outlook and focused on simple aesthetics rather than heavy ornamentation of previous eras. It focuses on utilizing multifunctional and modular furniture designs, is visually lighter, and uses shiny surfaces. It also exposes portions of the materials used to make it.

Furniture can tell a lot about you, and the way it is designed can show your style and personality. If you want your home to have a trendy and upwardly mobile ambiance, then choosing modern furniture design is an excellent choice.

Decorative paneling, or panelling, is an architectural and interior design treatment consisting of wall, ceiling, door, and other furniture treatments that feature wide sheets of wood – or panels — framed together with narrower strips of wood forming styles (the outer vertical strips), muntins (the inner horizontal strips) and rails (the horizontal strips). It is usually stained and varnished.