Clean open spaces are synonymous with modern design, and look both striking and memorable. We’ve all seen pictures of wide open spaces, filled with sleek lines, the bare touches of colour and smooth, organic, abstract shapes. Modern design still has a touch of futurism to it, and can make a space feel exciting and novel. However, sometimes it can become cold and impersonal – for all its photogenic qualities, sometimes it can feel nothing like a home. The trick to creating a modernist space in the home is to balance style and function – to create a space that is both pleasing to the eye, and warm and inviting for your friends and family.

The best way to create a balanced and liveable space is to focus on features that will define the mood of the room. In a dining room, you can build the room around the table, which will be the biggest and most important piece of furniture in the room. A bold, minimalist circular design looks breathtaking in white. Alternatively a glass dining table, or a sleek black ash wood table can look dramatic and create an energetic feel to the room. Modernism doesn’t just mean having monochrome furniture in cold, manmade materials – a sleek, organic- look oak or pine table, with a simplistic shape and bold, unadorned presence, can look just as contemporary as glass.

In the living room, think about the size and space of your room and plan around that. For a wide open space area, a modular seating arrangement can look very effective, with large soft furnishing arranged artfully across the space. If you are short on space, have some feature armchairs that will provide both impact and comfort. Finish with a trendy minimalist coffee table, or a cool open bookcase.

If you’re working from home, then a modern design to your home office looks both appealing and practical. Rather than having lots of unnecessary adornments cluttering your workspace, a clean and minimal arrangement can be more conducive to productivity. Have a spacious desk as the focus of the room, in monochrome or plain wood. Add a touch of colour with funky seating, such as swivel stools in bright primary colours. Ensure you have effective and easily accessible storage with a well-sized bookcase and cabinet, to keep unsightly necessities such as stationary out of sight.

A modernist design can also be effective in the bedroom. It’s important to keep this room both inviting and relaxing, so balance the more design-orientated touches with key elements of comfort. A simple four poster bed looks both contemporary and romantic. Keep your storage unobtrusive with plain ash or oak units, with minimal adornment. Add colour and character to the room with fresh flowers, soft rugs and precious photographs in vintage frames, to give a touch of contrast and surprise.

Modernist design can look enviably attractive and is surprisingly easy to achieve. Balance the vision of a cool, contemporary space with the practical comforts and needs of your home, to make sure your home is both beautiful and comfortable.