Furniture styled in the contemporary look generally shares a few common characteristics. For example, it usually incorporates very modern materials in its design, with lots of chrome, metal, and glass. Sharp edges and angles abound in the style, with lines that are a bit asymmetrical to draw more attention to the overall composition. The texture of contemporary furniture tends to be quite smooth, with little to no decorative elements or carving.

Hi

The very first difference is that they both were popular in different times. The Modern style became popular around the start of twentieth century. Its roots can be traced back to the Modernism art movement. German schools have played a very important role in the progress of this style. Many designers who became very popular names in interior designing belong to this era. They main idea of Modern style was cheaper furniture which required lesser resources to be made. The Modern style started the mass production of the furniture, which proved to be extremely well for the poverty stricken economy before World War II. Modern design mostly used tabular steel, plywood and chrome plating as the alternative for wooden stuff. The materials were molded creatively to come up with newer designs. Later on, as the economy once again became stable, more expensive materials such as aluminum and iron were also used.

It was later in the mid of the century that a newer revolution started in furniture design. The designers used their full creativity, imagination and freedom of expression in the designs. Both Modern and Contemporary furniture involve clean lines and a sleeker look. The use of recyclable materials and the use of one piece of furniture for multiple purposes is a very popular feature in this style. Glass was also very much used to give a minimalist look. Most Contemporary furniture is made out of injection molding technique which allows more freedom to achieve the desired shape.

thanks