Modern residential design is defined by an intentional, often subtle, elegance that elevates everyday living. A modern apartment is made with precise details that create a sense of calm, functionality, and sophistication in a home. These details are what transform a basic apartment into a modern sanctuary.
Modern apartment interiors often have minimal details that are thoughtfully curated, emphasizing simplicity, order, and precision. Key details include a focus on clean, straight lines and the use of open floor plans to create a sense of spaciousness and flexibility.
I am Jorge Fontan, an architect in New York and the owner of Fontan Architecture, a Manhattan-based architecture and design firm. At our office, we work on various project types, including all forms of residential remodeling and, of course, creating modern apartment renovations. Let’s look at some modern details from homes we have renovated in NYC. This post explores thirty specific, impactful modern design details that we have incorporated to refine living spaces for our clients. All photos are from our projects.
Open Plan
The open plan is a cornerstone of modern home design, fundamentally reshaping living spaces to reflect contemporary lifestyles that prioritize connectivity, flexibility, and light. By eliminating traditional partition walls between common areas, such as the kitchen, dining room, and living room, this layout fosters a seamless flow that makes spaces feel larger and more airy, even in homes with a modest footprint. This design philosophy fosters social interaction, enabling occupants to engage with one another while participating in various activities, such as cooking a meal, watching children play, or mingling with party guests. Furthermore, the open concept maximizes natural light throughout the home, enhancing ambiance and visual appeal while creating a strong, continuous connection between indoor and outdoor living areas.
Modern Apartment in NYC with Open Plan
Minimalist Design
One of the foundational principles of modern design is minimalism, a core principle of modern architecture and interior design. This approach emphasizes simplicity and restraint, creating an elegant and dignified aesthetic that lacks unnecessary ornamentation or “frills.” Fundamentally, minimalist design prioritizes functionality, focusing on clean lines, essential forms, and a deliberate lack of excessive decorative elements to achieve a sense of calm.
Minimalist Bedroom Design in an NYC Apartment
Wide Plank Floors
Incorporating wide-plank flooring is a great way to enhance a modern home’s aesthetic with a sense of spaciousness, simplicity, and warmth. Unlike the busier look of traditional narrow boards, the broad surface area of wide-plank floors reduces the number of seams, creating a clean and less interrupted floor. This minimalist effect enhances a home exceptionally well in modern and open-concept layouts.
Wide plank floors provide a seamless visual canvas that highlights the natural beauty of the wood’s grain and character.
White Oak Wide Plank Floors in a Manhattan Loft
Black Metal and Glass Doors
Black metal and glass doors are a great element to incorporate into a modern home’s interior design. These doors seamlessly blend industrial heritage with minimalist elegance. Their defining feature is the use of slim profiles, which, combined with expansive glass panels, maximize the flow of natural light, making spaces feel brighter and more open. The bold black frame provides a sophisticated, architectural contrast against lighter walls and neutral palettes, adding depth and a striking focal point to any room. This design allows for flexible space management, such as distinguishing a home office or kitchen from the living area, while maintaining visual connectivity. These doors offer a chic, long-lasting solution that elevates the entire home’s aesthetic.
Black Metal and Glass Doors in NYC Loft
Uplighting
Uplighting is an excellent choice for modern home design. This technique involves using light fixtures that direct illumination towards the ceiling, which then reflects down to fill the room with a soft, ambient glow. This method provides diffused, comfortable lighting, a great addition to modern interiors.
In the photo below, you’ll see a complete renovation of a modern loft apartment. To enhance the space, we installed custom light shelves on each of the existing beams. These shelves conceal linear LED strips, creating a series of dramatic uplights that gently illuminate the living room ceiling with a soft, ambient glow.
Uplighting a Modern New York City Loft Apartment
Floor to Ceiling Doors
Floor-to-ceiling doors have a profound impact on a home’s modern aesthetic. Eliminating the traditional header or transition above the doorway creates a seamless, minimalist vignette that emphasizes clean vertical lines. This design choice instantly enhances the perception of space, while the sheer size of the taller doors adds a sense of grandeur.
Modern Floor to Ceiling Door in a FIDI Apartment
Neutral Colors
Using a neutral color palette is an excellent approach to modern interior design. A neutral color strategy provides a serene foundation that exhibits sophistication. These palettes, which feature shades of white, gray, beige, and black, create a clean and calming atmosphere that allows other design elements, such as artwork, furniture, and architectural details, to shine. To prevent the space from feeling flat or sterile, a modern approach emphasizes the use of varied textures and layered materials, including natural woods, cool metals, and a range of textures and fabrics. This strategy adds depth and visual interest while maintaining the minimalist, cohesive aesthetic.
There are many color strategies for a modern design, but a neutral palette is the most calming and subtle way to address color within a modern home.
Neutral Colors for a Modern Bedroom in a modern Manhattan Apartment Renovation
Stone Slabs
Stone slabs are large, full slabs of natural stone that can be used as an alternative to tiles. This option is more luxurious because it reduces grout lines, creating a seamless, modern look.
In the photo below, you can see a luxurious bathroom that we designed using Travertine slabs. We applied the slabs across the walls, floors, countertop, custom sink, shelves, and niches, creating a cohesive and sophisticated look. This extensive use of large-format stone results in an incredibly continuous aesthetic and a seamless, high-end finish that cannot be achieved with smaller tiles
Stone Slab Bathroom
Dark and Moody Color Pallet
When seeking a bold choice in color schemes, you can make a strong statement by opting for a dark and moody look. This aesthetic artfully combines deep, rich paint colors with dim, thoughtful lighting to set a sophisticated and intimate atmosphere. Integrating dark metals, natural stones, and warm woods further enhances this powerful mood, creating a design that is both elegant and impactful.
In the bathroom below, we combined bronze metal, dim lighting, and black granite to create a dark and moody feel in this bold modern bathroom design.
Dark and Moody Bathroom
Textured Walls
Modern home designs need not be exclusively defined by smooth, sleek surfaces; incorporating textured materials is a sophisticated way to add warmth and tactile interest while remaining fundamentally modern. We can achieve a modern aesthetic by balancing clean lines with rich textures, such as natural wood, stone veneers, rough concrete, or plush textiles. This deliberate layering prevents the minimalist space from feeling overly simplified, instead adding depth and a nuanced sensory experience that is both inviting and distinctly modern. This can be another great way to inject the personal character of the home’s residents.
Concrete Texture Wall in an NYC Loft
Flush Floor Transitions
A flush floor transition is a critical detail of modern interior design, defining a seamless and sophisticated connection between two different flooring materials without the interruption of a door saddle or uneven levels. This technique requires meticulous planning and subfloor preparation to ensure the top surfaces of materials—such as stone meeting wood are precisely aligned at the same height. The result is a clean, continuous surface that emphasizes the minimalist aesthetic by creating an uninterrupted visual plane. Beyond aesthetics, the flush transition enhances functionality by eliminating tripping hazards and making the floor easier to clean, allowing the eye and movement to flow smoothly from one space to another.
Flush Floor Transition in a Modern Apartment
Reveals
Architectural reveals are a distinctive modern detail used to create a clean, frameless look while also managing the practical issue of material shifts and potential cracking. Different building materials expand and contrast at varying rates, which can cause stress and visible hairline cracks to form at their seams over time, such as where drywall meets a door jamb. Traditionally, these transitional joints are concealed with molding or trim to hide the cracks caused by movement. In modern, minimalist design, where the goal is a seamless, trimless appearance, reveals solve this problem by incorporating a subtle, deliberate groove or shadow line between the two surfaces.
Recessed Baseboard in an Upper East Side Apartment
Wall-Mounted Toilets
Wall-mounted, or “floating,” toilets are a hallmark of modern bathroom design, primarily for their contribution to a clean and minimalist aesthetic. By concealing the tank and plumbing within the wall, only the bowl and a flush plate are visible, reducing visual clutter. Beyond aesthetics, a key practical advantage is ease of cleaning; the absence of a pedestal or a base touching the floor eliminates hard-to-reach areas, allowing for effortless mopping and improved cleanliness.
Furthermore, wall-mounted toilets can offer significant installation flexibility during renovation projects, particularly when dealing with concrete slabs or multi-story buildings. Unlike traditional floor-mounted toilets that require a fixed drain in the floor, wall-mounted units allow the drainpipe to be installed within the wall cavity and run horizontally to the main plumbing stack. This feature eliminates the need to cut into the concrete floor to relocate the plumbing, making it easier to reconfigure the bathroom layout and expand your options for locating the toilet. The result is a sophisticated, highly functional, and low-maintenance bathroom that perfectly aligns with contemporary living standards.
Wall Mounted Toilet in a Chelsea Apartment
Natural Materials
Adding natural materials to a space might seem contrary to the minimalist principles of modern design. Still, when appropriately executed, it is a great way to achieve depth, warmth, and visual richness. A skillful modern approach involves carefully selecting a curated mix of finishes—such as balancing smooth metal and glass with the organic tactility of natural wood, stone, or textiles—to create deliberate contrasts. This layered complexity prevents the aesthetic from becoming stark or sterile, ensuring the home feels sophisticated, inviting, and personalized while still adhering to the core tenets of clean lines and intentional design.
Modern Wood Paneling
Floating Mirror with Edge Lighting
Lighting is a critical part of modern home design. Thoughtfully integrated into the architecture and interior design, various lighting techniques can illuminate spaces effectively and create dramatic effects.
The image below shows a custom floating mirror with edge lighting in a modern apartment we designed in NYC. The mirror is mounted slightly forward from the wall, and linear LED strips are installed around its perimeter. This design creates a glowing and floating effect while highlighting the mirror’s form, adding a modern touch to the space.
Floating Mirror with Edge Lighting
Integrated Elements
Equipment must be integrated seamlessly into the home design, carefully avoiding clumsy or bulky oversights. In the photo below, you can see a prime example of this attention to detail: a slot diffuser creating a subtle, clean groove within the upper cabinet wood paneling. This air vent is neatly detailed and built into the custom millwork, ensuring functionality without disrupting the visual flow.
Further enhancing this seamless, minimalist design approach in this luxury apartment is the kitchen hood, featuring a custom-made burnished metal enclosure that maintains the continuous aesthetic. The cooktop itself is installed recessed and flush with the countertop surface, and its control knobs are elegantly integrated directly into the countertop apron.
Modern Kitchen Design in a Manhattan Apartment
Linear Shower Drain
Linear shower drains provide a sleek, minimalist option that is ideal for a modern bathroom aesthetic. They are available with a traditional metal grill or, as often utilized in contemporary design, feature a channel designed to integrate the surrounding bathroom floor material directly into the drain itself.
In the example below, we have a concrete-textured bathroom that incorporates a matching concrete insert within the drain body. However, this recessed tray can hold any material, most commonly tile, to create a continuous finish. Water drains efficiently through the subtle perimeter groove, and the top insert is easily removable for routine cleaning and maintenance.
Linear Shower Drain
Geometric Play
Modernism is renowned for its emphasis on clean lines and simple geometry; however, these core principles can be manipulated to introduce complexity while preserving the overall modern aesthetic. By strategically shifting geometric forms and intentionally creating a sense of dynamic imbalance, we can make a modern home feel more unique, engaging, and architecturally striking.
Marble Countertop for Kitchen Island
Color Drenching
Color drenching is a bold interior design technique that makes a powerful visual statement by using a single, monochromatic color palette throughout an entire space. The chosen color is applied to almost all surfaces—including ceilings, trim, doors, and sometimes even the floor or furniture—to completely saturate the room. This total immersion in one color creates a seamless, sophisticated, and calming effect that eliminates visual breaks, allowing the eye to sweep across the space uninterrupted. The result is a dramatic look that is both intentional and cohesive.
One point to note about color drenching is that it actually does not originate from modern architecture. Color drenching was popular in Victorian and Gilded Age 19th-century homes and has experienced a resurgence in recent years. Although it has a historic reference, when done properly, it can fit in quite well with a modern home.
Color Drenching a Modern Bathroom
Mixing Materials, Textures, and Tones
To create a design with greater depth and complexity, a highly effective technique is the strategic mixing and layering of various materials and textures. By juxtaposing seemingly disparate elements—such as combining a cool smooth surface with the organic warmth of natural wood, the space gains immediate visual and tactile interest. This layering prevents the design from feeling one-dimensional. Instead, it builds a rich sensory experience that is more inviting, resulting in an environment that is both sophisticated and engaging.
Modern Kitchen with Mixed Materials
Accent Walls
A commonly perceived drawback of modern home design is that it can feel cold, sterile, or impersonal. To counteract this, thoughtful design should always reflect the unique personalities, lives, and characters of the inhabitants. This mentality is precisely where the strategic use of an accent wall becomes a powerful solution for adding warmth and personalization. The accent feature can be as simple as a paint color change or incorporate richer, tactile materials like warm wood paneling, textured wallpaper, or natural stone. As long as the accent wall is designed to accentuate and elevate the space, it effectively breaks up the monochromatic modern palette, making the home feel more inviting and distinctly customized to the family living within.
Modern Red Accent Wall Chelsea NYC Apartment
Industrial Details
Modern architecture emerged from the industrialization of building technologies and a desire to move past historic motifs. It is therefore highly fitting to implement a strong industrial aesthetic within a contemporary home design when appropriate. Incorporating raw materials like exposed concrete and steel beams, or integrating subtle industrial details such as sleek hardware and utilitarian lighting fixtures, can be a great addition to a modern home. This approach honors the functionalist roots of the movement, adding a layer of authenticity and textural contrast that feels both intentional and sophisticated without sacrificing the minimalist elegance that defines the style.
industrial door hardware
Seamless Shower Niches
Modern design is all about the details; every single element of the home must be thoughtfully considered and carefully designed to achieve a cohesive aesthetic. One critical area that is often overlooked is the shower, specifically the shower niche. We can elevate this functional space to be minimal, modern, and luxurious by wrapping it in a single material, such as large marble slabs. Utilizing precise miter cuts—where the edges are cut at a 45-degree angle—allows the stone slabs to meet with a clean, sharp edge and no visible seams. This sophisticated detailing is an exceptional way to enhance the overall design of any bathroom.
We have another post dedicated to niches, if you’d like to read more about Shower Niche Design.
Seamless Marble Shower Niche in an UES Bathroom
No Tile Bathrooms
You do not have to rely solely on traditional tiles for your bathroom design. Several alternative materials are available that allow you to avoid the maintenance and appearance of grout lines effectively. For instance, you can utilize waterproof plasters to create a completely seamless, continuous surface that offers a sleek, monolithic aesthetic.
Modern Concrete Look Shower design
Exposed Elements
Incorporating original elements of an existing building is an excellent way to achieve a balanced look that is simultaneously modern, historic, and rich in texture. For example, exposing the original brickwork is a fantastic way to add warmth, character, and tactile texture to a contemporary loft apartment, bridging the gap between the building’s history and modern design sensibilities.
Exposed Brick in a SoHo Loft
Statement Furniture
The selection of furniture is crucial and must work cohesively with the home’s architecture and interior design. This balance can be achieved by incorporating seamlessly integrated pieces that follow the established design direction, alongside carefully chosen statement furniture that introduces character, focal points, and personality to the space.
Statement Furniture for a Modern Apartment
Built-In Lighting, Accent Lighting
Built-in accent lighting serves a dual purpose in modern design, offering both visual drama and practical illumination. By recessing light fixtures into architectural elements such as cabinetry or shelving, we achieve a clean, minimalist look. Instead of drawing attention to the light source itself (like a bulky lamp or fixture), the installation highlights the effect of the light. This technique creates intentional shadows, dramatic contrasts, and a warm wash of light that draws the eye to specific textures, art pieces, or architectural features, making the space feel sophisticated and curated.
Beyond aesthetics, this lighting provides targeted and practical illumination. It can serve as “task lighting” in a kitchen by brightly illuminating a countertop, or act as subtle “ambient lighting” in a hallway or bedroom, guiding movement and enhancing safety without the harsh glare of overhead fixtures. The result is a layered lighting scheme that is adaptable, effective, and seamlessly integrated into the home.
Under Cabinet Lighting LED Light Strips
Weathering, Burnished, or Antiqued Metals
While incorporating metal is an excellent way to achieve a sleek, modern aesthetic, excessive use can sometimes leave a home feeling cold and lifeless. The key is balance and texture. By using metals that develop a rich patina and weather naturally over time, or by selecting options that already have a burnished or antique finish, you can introduce depth, warmth, and character to an otherwise flat material.
Modern Metal Shower Niche
Trimless Recessed Lights
Trimless recessed lights are a modern, elevated lighting option for homes, taking the sleekness of standard recessed fixtures one step further. While typical recessed lights feature a visible trim ring that can create a visual interruption, trimless fixtures are designed to be integrated directly into the drywall. This type of installation results in a seamless, flush design where the light source appears to emerge directly from the ceiling, completely eliminating the visual clutter of a trim. We refer to this effect as a “quiet ceiling” due to its visually clean, minimalist surface, free from distraction. The result is a refined and sophisticated lighting scheme that contributes to a serene, uncluttered, and modern atmosphere.
Architect Jorge Fontan in a modern NYC apartment designed by Fontan Architecture
Make It Your Own
The most crucial element of custom home design is a deep sense of personalization, ensuring the final result is a true reflection of its inhabitants. To achieve this, when we design someone’s home, the process begins with getting to know the client, understanding their lifestyle, aesthetic preferences, budget, values, and priorities. By incorporating a comprehensive understanding of these elements, we craft a custom home that is not only functional and beautiful but also a distinct and personal representation of the individual who lives there.
If you prefer a more balanced design we have another article featuring our projects that explores Transitional Details in NYC Apartments.
Modern Apartment Renovation in NYC
Thank You for Reading Our Article on These Modern Details from NYC Apartments.
I hope this was helpful. If you would like to speak with an architect about a potential project, please get in touch with us directly at Fontan Architecture.
Contact Fontan Architecture
This post was written by Jorge Fontan AIA a Registered Architect and owner of New York City architecture firm Fontan Architecture. Jorge Fontan has earned 3 degrees in the study of architecture including two degrees from the City University of New York and a Masters Degree in Advanced Architectural Design from Columbia University. Jorge has a background in construction and has been practicing architecture for 20 years where he has designed renovations and new developments of various building types.
