Modern Interior Design Style

This glossary article dives into the world of modern interior design style, exploring its definition, characteristics, benefits, and practical applications. Learn how to create sleek, functional, and timeless spaces with expert tips, examples, and actionable advice.

Modern Interior Design Style

Modern interior design is one of the most popular and enduring styles in the world of home and commercial spaces. Rooted in the early to mid-20th century, this style emphasizes simplicity, functionality, and a clean aesthetic. It’s often confused with contemporary design, but modern design has its own distinct characteristics that set it apart.

At its core, modern interior design is about creating spaces that are sleek, uncluttered, and timeless. It’s a style that celebrates form and function in equal measure, making it perfect for those who appreciate minimalism and practicality. Whether you’re designing a home, office, or retail space, modern interior design offers a versatile and sophisticated approach.

In this article, we’ll explore what modern interior design is, its key features, benefits, and how you can incorporate it into your own space. We’ll also provide examples, tips, and a helpful infographic to guide you through the process.


Key Features of Modern Interior Design

Modern interior design is defined by a few essential elements that create its signature look. Here are the key features:

  1. Clean Lines and Geometric Shapes
    Modern design is all about simplicity. Straight lines, smooth curves, and geometric shapes dominate the furniture and decor. You’ll rarely find ornate details or heavy embellishments.

  2. Neutral Color Palette
    The color scheme in modern design is typically neutral. Think whites, grays, blacks, and beige. These colors create a calm and serene atmosphere, allowing the furniture and decor to stand out.

  3. Minimalist Approach
    Less is more in modern design. Clutter is avoided at all costs, and every piece of furniture or decor serves a purpose. This creates a sense of openness and order.

  4. Natural Materials
    Materials like wood, metal, glass, and leather are commonly used in modern interiors. These materials add warmth and texture while maintaining a sleek appearance.

  5. Functional Furniture
    Furniture in modern design is not just about looks—it’s about functionality. Pieces are often multi-purpose, with clean lines and practical designs.

  6. Ample Natural Light
    Large windows and open spaces are a hallmark of modern design. Natural light is maximized to create a bright and airy environment.


Benefits of Modern Interior Design

Why choose modern interior design for your space? Here are some of the key benefits:

  1. Timeless Appeal
    Modern design has been around for decades and continues to remain relevant. Its simplicity and elegance make it a timeless choice.

  2. Easy to Maintain
    With its minimalist approach and clean surfaces, modern interiors are easy to clean and maintain.

  3. Creates a Sense of Space
    The open layouts and neutral colors make rooms feel larger and more spacious, even in smaller areas.

  4. Versatility
    Modern design works well in both residential and commercial spaces. It’s adaptable to various needs and preferences.

  5. Focus on Functionality
    Every element in a modern space serves a purpose, making it practical and efficient.


How to Incorporate Modern Interior Design

Ready to bring modern style into your space? Here are some practical tips:

  1. Start with a Neutral Base
    Paint your walls in neutral tones like white, gray, or beige. This creates a clean canvas for your furniture and decor.

  2. Choose Sleek Furniture
    Opt for furniture with clean lines and minimal ornamentation. Look for pieces made of wood, metal, or leather.

  3. Declutter and Organize
    Get rid of unnecessary items and keep only what you need. Use storage solutions to keep everything in its place.

  4. Add Pops of Color
    While neutral tones dominate modern design, you can add a pop of color with accessories like cushions, rugs, or artwork.

  5. Maximize Natural Light
    Use sheer curtains or blinds to let in as much natural light as possible. If needed, add strategic lighting fixtures for a bright and welcoming space.

  6. Incorporate Natural Elements
    Add plants, wooden accents, or stone features to bring a touch of nature indoors.


Examples of Modern Interior Design

Here are some real-world examples to inspire you:

  1. Living Room
    A modern living room might feature a sleek sofa, a glass coffee table, and a monochromatic color scheme. A large abstract painting on the wall adds a focal point.

  2. Kitchen
    Modern kitchens often have flat-panel cabinets, stainless steel appliances, and quartz countertops. Open shelving and pendant lighting complete the look.

  3. Bedroom
    A modern bedroom could include a platform bed, crisp white bedding, and a minimalist nightstand. A geometric rug and a single piece of artwork add character.

  4. Office
    A modern office might have a streamlined desk, ergonomic chair, and built-in shelving. Neutral walls and a few potted plants create a calm and productive environment.


Tips for Achieving Modern Interior Design

Here are some extra tips to help you nail the modern look:

  1. Keep It Simple
    Avoid over-decorating. Stick to the essentials and let each piece shine.

  2. Invest in Quality
    Choose high-quality materials and furniture that will stand the test of time.

  3. Focus on Balance
    Ensure that your space feels balanced and harmonious. Avoid overcrowding one area.

  4. Use Textures
    Add interest with textures like a shaggy rug, velvet cushions, or a leather armchair.

  5. Experiment with Lighting
    Use a mix of ambient, task, and accent lighting to create a layered and inviting atmosphere.


Infographic: Modern Interior Design Checklist

Element Description
Color Palette Neutral tones with pops of color
Furniture Clean lines, minimal ornamentation
Materials Wood, metal, glass, leather
Lighting Maximize natural light, add fixtures
Decor Minimalist, functional, purposeful
Layout Open, uncluttered, spacious

Final Thoughts

Modern interior design is a timeless and versatile style that combines simplicity, functionality, and elegance. Whether you’re designing a home or a commercial space, this style offers endless possibilities for creating beautiful and practical environments.

By focusing on clean lines, neutral colors, and natural materials, you can achieve a modern look that feels both welcoming and sophisticated. Remember to declutter, maximize natural light, and choose furniture that serves a purpose.

With these tips and examples, you’re well on your way to mastering modern interior design. So go ahead—start transforming your space today!


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Emily Layton

Graphic Designer

Emily Layton is a graphic designer and creative with a BFA in Graphic Design & Digital Media with action sports emphasis from Laguna College of Art and Design. Adept at aligning brand goals across formats, market trends, and consumer behavior, she translates insights into compelling visual narratives. Her experience spans corporate decks, brand books, and apparel collections—ensuring brand consistency, clarity, and impact. She values strong creative collaboration and brings a thoughtful, solutions-oriented approach to every project.

Project Experience:

  • West Creative Agency, Costa Mesa, CA
  • Huntress Decor, San Diego, CA
  • La Jolla Group - O’Neill Irvine, CA
  • Gotcha Digital Design, Virginia Beach, VA
  • Veterinary Emergency Group Various Locations
  • Nostos Grocery Store Panama City, Panama
  • Tribute Hotel Nob Hill Albuquerque, NM

Priscilla Bueno

Interior Designer

Priscilla is a Cal State Long Beach alumna with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design. She has worked across residential, hospitality, nonprofit, and wellness sectors, with a focus on creating spaces that support emotional well-being and human connection.

Influenced by her interest in psychology, Priscilla approaches design with a deep understanding of how physical environments impact how we feel, behave, and connect. Her work combines material sensitivity, spatial clarity, and user-centered thinking to foster environments that help people feel grounded and safe.

From luxury spas to trauma-informed nonprofit spaces, she designs with a clear goal: to shape interiors that invite presence, foster restoration, and create a true sense of belonging.

Project Experience:

  • Vintera Resort at Napa Creek, Napa, CA
  • DoubleTree Gilbert, Gilbert, AZ
  • Alexan Long Beach, Long Beach, CA
  • Alexan Arcadia, Arcadia, CA
  • Babyletto, Los Angeles, CA
  • Cozy Earth, Newport, CA

Jen Khor

Senior Interior Designer

With a thoughtful and intuitive approach, Jen Khor brings strong expertise in hospitality design, as well as experience in retail, F&B, and corporate offices. Her user-centric, narrative-driven philosophy reflects local culture and context, creating spaces that feel relevant and resonant.

Jen has a deep understanding of hotel brand standards and leads quality control for custom casegoods with high attention to detail. Sensitive to client needs, she communicates ideas through tools like BIM, AI, and hand sketches. Jen is passionate about crafting spaces that evoke emotion, inspire curiosity, and foster inclusivity with lasting impact.

Project Experience:

  • Vintera Resort at Napa Creek, Napa, CA
  • Hotel De Novo - Tapestry by Hilton, Springdale, UT
  • DoubleTree Guestroom Prototype, Various Locations
  • Alexan Long Beach, Long Beach, CA
  • Alexan Arcadia, Arcadia, CA
  • Wild Greens, University of Arkansas, AR
  • Joybird Headquarters, Los Angeles, CA

Melissa He

Senior Interior Designer

With years of experience in working on various project types, Melissa approaches each design as a new narrative, infusing storytelling, cultural context, and personality into every space. Educated in Fine Art in China and Interior Design at Cal State Long Beach, Melissa applies a detail-driven and research-based methodology to craft spaces that are both visually compelling and deeply resonant. Her approach reflects a belief that each project offers a chance to explore new voices and challenge convention, leading to designs that not only reflect individual identities but also support the broader community. She continues to evolve her design practice through collaboration, curiosity, and purpose, seeking to create spaces that adapt, grow, and inspire meaningful engagement.

Project Experience:

  • Vintera Resort at Napa Creek, Napa, CA
  • Hotel De Novo - Tapestry by Hilton, Springdale, UT
  • Alexan Long Beach, Long Beach, CA
  • DoubleTree Guestroom Prototype, Various Locations
  • Alexan Arcadia, Arcadia, CA
  • Port of Long Beach, Long Beach, CA
  • Wolf and Shepherd, Manhattan, NY

Chris Gorney

Director of Procurement

Chris is the Senior Director of Creative Sourcing and Procurement at DyeLot. A proven industry professional, he has worked with many of the world’s largest hospitality and development companies. He can speak to the entire lifecycle of design, development, and construction as well as contribute to the minutia of bespoke fabrication and production. Using an open-book and collaborative approach, Chris has the advantage of understanding the nuances of millwork, furnishing, and custom fabrication in order to reach a true-to-concept product. He brings with him more than a decade of experience working across multiple disciplines within the design industry.

Project Experience:

  • Hotel De Novo - Tapestry by Hilton, Springdale, UT
  • Wayfarer Hotel, Los Angeles, CA
  • The Edwin, Chattanooga, TN
  • Downtown Marriott, Des Moines, IA
  • Lincolnshire Marriott, Lincolnshire, IL
  • Capitol District Marriott, Omaha, NE
  • The Ferrier, Temecula, CA
  • The Tin Building by Jean George, New York, NY

Mathew Vo

Senior Interior Designer

As a designer with a background in both architecture and interiors, Mathew brings a layered perspective to every project. Drawing on experience across diverse project types—from hospitality and food & beverage to sports and retail—he crafts spaces that balance performance, beauty, and emotional resonance. Inspired by his interest in theater and production design, Mathew focuses on creating immersive environments that take users on a curated journey. His command of design technology and documentation tools, including BIM, allows him to navigate complex projects while staying grounded in storytelling and purpose-driven design. Mathew continues to find inspiration in context, culture, and narrative—translating them into built environments that leave a lasting impact.

Project Experience:

  • DoubleTree Gilbert, Gilbert, AZ
  • Port of Long Beach, Long Beach, CA
  • Swing Set Productions, Long Beach, CA
  • Hotel De Novo - Tapestry by Hilton, Springdale, UT

Ava Javaheri

Senior Interior Designer

With roots in a family of entrepreneurs and artists, Ava’s passion for hospitality design was sparked early—surrounded by showrooms and inspired styling sessions in her family’s furniture store. Today at DyeLot Interiors, she channels that lifelong aesthetic instinct into creating immersive environments that elevate the guest experience. Ava approaches hospitality interiors as both a visual narrative and an emotional journey, blending function with atmosphere in spaces meant to inspire, delight, and linger in memory. Her creative process draws on everything from global travel and museum exploration to cinematic set design, all feeding her pursuit of detail-driven, unforgettable spaces where people feel genuinely transported.

Project Experience:

  • Vintera Resort at Napa Creek, Napa, CA
  • Hotel Maya, Long Beach, CA
  • DoubleTree Gilbert, Gilbert, AZ
  • Swing Set Productions, Long Beach, CA
  • Port of Long Beach, Long Beach, CA

Chaya Juntara

Procurement Specialist

As a key member of DyeLot Interiors, Chaya is dedicated to collaborating with clients and vendors to deliver an exceptional experience marked by reliability, accountability, and integrity. Her primary focus is executing each project vision on time, ensuring top-tier quality, and managing the budget with precision. With deep expertise in sourcing and FF&E, Chaya brings a strong technical foundation that is essential to the creation of remarkable hospitality interiors and furnishings—the cornerstone of our procurement practice. She has worked alongside industry leaders in custom furniture, providing her with a wealth of experience. Her unique background in both interiors and procurement allows her to offer creative solutions that consistently exceed client expectations.

Project Experience:

  • Vintera Resort at Napa Creek, Napa, CA
  • Hotel De Novo - Tapestry by Hilton, Springdale, UT
  • Hotel Maya, Long Beach, CA
  • DoubleTree Gilbert, Gilbert, AZ
  • Cliffrose Springdale, Springdale, UT
  • Nuri Steakhouse, Dallas, TX
  • The Tin Building by Jean George, New York, NY
  • Solis Park, Irvine, CA

Adam Ford, NCIDQ

Senior Interior Project Designer

As a Senior Interior Project Designer at DyeLot, Adam leans on his expertise in interior design and theatrical storytelling to bring designs to life. Having extensive full-service and focused service hotel design experience, he is attuned to both branded work with Marriott, Hilton, and IHG and non-branded/independent projects. Adam helps create immersive and functional spaces that resonate with guests and elevate brand identities. His collaboration with hotel brands has honed his ability to blend aesthetics with practicality, ensuring seamless guest experiences and maximizing operational efficiency.

Project Experience:

  • Hotel De Novo - Tapestry by Hilton, Springdale, UT
  • DoubleTree Gilbert, Gilbert, AZ
  • Where The Wild Greens AR, Fayetteville, AR
  • Camp Creek Golf Resort & Inn, Inlet Beach, FL
  • Hotel Cyrus, Topeka, KS
  • Delta by Marriott, Thornton Northglenn, CO
  • Tribute South Park, Austin, TX

Brittany LeBlanc, NCIDQ, CID

Senior Project Designer / Associate

With a multi-disciplinary design and architecture background, Brittany continues to create unique user experiences for diversified projects. Brittany concentrates on designing spaces that provoke interest, emotion and encourage brand longevity. After studying interior design, Brittany continues to grow and expand her knowledge of interiors and architecture by working within both disciplines. Brittany’s experience comes from a vast range of industries including hospitality, food and beverage, retail, and experiential marketing.

Project Experience:

  • Vintera Resort at Napa Creek, Napa, CA
  • Hotel De Novo - Tapestry by Hilton, Springdale, UT
  • Hotel Maya, Long Beach, CA
  • DoubleTree Gilbert, Gilbert, AZ
  • The Wilder's Lounge, Springdale, UT
  • Anu Restaurant, Springdale, UT
  • Wolf and Shepherd, Manhattan, NY

Gustavo Neri

Director of Branding

Gustavo Neri serves as the Director of Branding, leading branding and signage/wayfinding campaigns for hospitality and residential projects Neri creates the narrative for a project before it begins – setting a strong aesthetic and identity for the project to ensure its message and character is carried through the life of the design process. Neri’s view of design is that it must be seen through the lens of the viewer, not the designer. One must take into account the experience of the person perceiving his work as they are guided through it, taking all elements into careful consideration and removing himself from the experience.

Project Experience:

  • Hotel Indigo, Savannah, GA
  • DoubleTree Gilbert, Gilbert, AZ
  • Hotel Amarano, Burbank, CA
  • Glenmark Hotel, Glendale, CA
  • Eminence Boston Hotel, Boston, MA
  • Hilton Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale, FL
  • Alexan Long Beach, Long Beach, CA
  • Wolf and Shepherd, Manhattan, NY

Krystle Fader, NCIDQ, CID

Design Manager / Senior Associate

As a Design Manager at DyeLot Interiors, Krystle brings over 15 years of professional experience in interior and architectural design to the team. With experience in a range of markets including food & beverage, multi-family housing, hospitality, workplace and healthcare, she brings her combined knowledge from each and is able to apply that to new project opportunities. With an education in interior architectural design and a passion for efficient solutions, Krystle has been able to grow into a leadership role managing projects from design concept though completion of construction.

Project Experience:

  • Alexan Long Beach, Long Beach, CA
  • Alexan Arcadia, Arcadia, CA
  • The Monde, Scottsdale, AZ
  • Partake Collective, Long Beach, CA
  • Port of Long Beach, Long Beach, CA
  • Swing Set Productions, Long Beach, CA
  • Din Tai Fung, Various Locations
  • Fogo de Chao, Various Locations

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Alex Kuby, AIA, WELL AP

Associate Principal

Alex is a licensed architect specializing in hospitality and experiential interior design, with a foundation built on years of practice across high-end hotels, branded environments, and lifestyle-driven residential spaces. His work is grounded in architectural rigor and elevated by a narrative-driven approach that shapes immersive, memorable experiences. With a deep understanding of design theory, construction, and project execution, Alex brings a holistic, strategic lens to each project—bridging spatial storytelling with operational excellence.

Hospitality Experience:

  • Vintera Resort at Napa Creek, Napa, CA
  • Hotel De Novo - Tapestry by Hilton, Springdale, UT
  • Hotel Indigo - IHG, Los Angeles, CA
  • Grand Hyatt - Baha Mar, Nassau, Bahamas
  • Pullman Baotou, Baotou, China
  • Hilton Resort Wenchang, Hainan Island, China

Residential Experience:

  • Perla Luxury Condo Tower, Los Angeles, CA
  • Watermark Assited Living, Westwood, CA
  • Alexan WestEnd, Long Beach, CA

Jackson Thilenius, AIA

Senior Principal

As Senior Principal of DyeLot Interiors, Jackson operates at the intersection of strategy, design and implementation, driving innovative and authentic solutions to hospitality projects around the world. With over twenty-five years of practice in architecture and interior design, combined with a comprehensive understanding of the hospitality industry, Jackson collaborates with clients to establish project objectives which produce original designs and tailored brand positioning. Jackson has created a broad range of award-winning projects across the globe, leveraging his understanding of operational trends, local culture, and narrative-driven design.

Brand Experience:

Marriott
Hilton
Pacifica Hotels
Hyatt
Equinox
Loews Hotels
IHG
Karisma Hotels and Resorts
Oxford Capital Group
Marcus Hotels
Blackstone
Radisson Hotels
Starwood Capital