Design | Bethesda | Grosvenor Heights | Westside at Shady Grove Metro | Montgomery Row | The Brownstones at Chevy Chase Lake
By: EYA Homes on June 10th, 2019
If you love elements of industrial, contemporary and minimalist styles, then the urban modern look may be right for you. An urban modern style stems from cosmopolitan influence—think designer loft in a major city—that fuses together opposing, yet complementary, design elements. It’s not uncommon to see traits of minimalist style, with edgy designs, and a bit of glamor in an urban modern room. However, urban modern design has a softer side than purely industrial or contemporary styles, giving the home a hip yet comfortable and welcoming feel.
So how to get this look in your own home? We asked top Bethesda interior designer Erica Burns for tips to bring some urban modern into your own home.
Are you transitional, contemporary, urban industrial or more of a minimalist?
Take our interior design style quiz to find out!
When a room has minimalist furnishings, have fun with "scale" to make pieces pop. For example, this kitchen features simple shaped pendants over the island, but the large size creates a dramatic look. For art and mirrors, you can use a mix of oversized pieces and groupings of smaller items for varying impacts.
Small details go a long way when you have minimalist furnishings. In this room, drapery with a loud pattern would have been too much of a statement. Instead, simple gray drapes were used along with a graphic applique trim in blue to add a tailored finishing touch. This provides the perfect frame for the oversized windows, a common element in urban modern design.
In urban modern spaces, you want to avoid too much of a "matchy" decorated look. Have a common color subtly play throughout (in this case, blue and gray) but also incorporate different colors to keep it interesting—such as splashes of chartruese and lavender, and the pop of green in the lamp on the bar. Also, notice the steel stair rails, another frequently used element in urban modern design.
Each room should have some sort of statement piece, whether it is art, a patterned rug or fun dining room chandelier (as shown in this photo). However, make sure not to have too many statement pieces so that they do not compete with each other and your favorite can be the star of the show.
If you want a space to be more casual, like this family room, tone down the glam and choose more relaxed fabrics and patterns. And when it's more of an entertaining space, such as a formal living room, ramp up the more luxe fabrics like a velvet sofa and add some metal finishes. The great thing about the urban modern look is you can fuse varying design elements to get a trendy, yet comfortable feel.
Is the urban modern design style right for you? Tag us on Instagram to show us how you've created this designer look in your own home!
Interested in finding out your interior design style? Click here to take the quiz and find out!
October 14, 2020
Have you ever wondered where to begin when it comes to interior design? Between beautiful Pinterest inspiration photos and hours spent binging HGTV, it can be tough to determine where to begin when it comes to designing and decorating your own home. The first step is to find out your interior design style and we’ve designed a quick and fun quiz to help you discover which style matches your tastes best!
September 22, 2020
Over the past year, our homes have become our offices, schools, restaurants, gyms, and much more. The way we live in our spaces, interact with our families, and cope with new co-workers (we’re looking at you, attention-seeking pets) has fundamentally changed, making it important to create designated rooms and spaces for different activities that are all now done under one roof.
July 15, 2020
When searching for inspiring interior designs online, it can seem like you need to start from scratch to achieve the look you want, but that isn't necessarily the case. When designing the three new model homes at Tower Oaks, our interior designers from Carlyn & Company Interiors + Design drew from furniture, artwork, and accessories from previous EYA model homes to create new designs, repurposing and reorganizing for a fresh look and perspective. Similar to homeowners moving to a new space, they took stock of items they had and worked to put together cohesive model home designs, each with a different theme throughout.
June 23, 2020
We are pleased to announce that our model homes at Tower Oaks are now open for private tours. The three newly furnished models, the Bailey, the Carter, and the Drake, are available to tour and open by appointment. Schedule your appointment to be among the first to visit these brand new model homes and learn more about this exciting new Rockville, MD neighborhood.