An interesting thing about the furniture industry is that many of the terms are either vague or at least varied in their meaning. Contemporary is definitely one of those words that is a matter of personal ideal. When I used to sell, and even to some extend when I was managing a store, I found that nearly every customer had a different idea of what contemporary was. Though it is somewhat vague, contemporary bedroom furniture does have a few fairly common characteristics.
Have you ever seen those videos from the 1950’s where they show off “modern” homes? For the most part, contemporary bedroom furniture, ironically, is most any set that looks like it belongs in one of those 50’s modern homes. Then again, it is also anything that looks like it belongs in a Manhattan loft.
By and large, contemporary bedroom furniture is simple with clean lines. You will likely see a lot of chrome in it or on it in terms of the hardware. Often times, the base color is dark like a cherry or mahogany stain Go to any bedroom furniture site and click on their contemporary bedroom furniture and the range of looks you will see will vary greatly. There may be leather covered beds, metal dressers, or even shellacked looks. You can, though, usually count on the clean lines and finished looks.
Remember, though, when you buy anything that is contemporary or trendy, you run the risk of it going out of style. Then again, contemporary bedroom furniture has not changed much in the last ten years so maybe you will be okay.
So feel free to click around, find some online contemporary bedroom sets that you like before you go to your local store. That way you know what look you like and can ask for something more specific than contemporary bedroom furniture.
A couple of things of which to be aware when looking at contemporary bedroom furniture:
- Shellacked or glazed looking sets often show fingerprints very easily. Check the floor model in the store where you are to see. If it is showing fingerprints in the store, it will in your home.
- Contemporary bedroom furniture is often very big. Make sure you measure well because the set is going to look smaller in the showroom than it will in your home.
- Because contemporary bedrooms are usually covered with dark stains, dark veneers, or even shellac, it can be difficult to tell visually what the set is made of. Make sure you ask and find out so that you can get the best possible quality.
Hope this helps,
The Furniture Guy
