Soft Modern:
The new purism
in interior design

more

Soft Modern – sounds like something we've heard before. Somehow self-explanatory. It simply means ‘soft’ and ‘modern’. But what's really behind it?

The term has been floating around the design world for quite some time. Now, in the summer of 2025, it is clearly gaining momentum and popping up with increasing frequency. At the beginning of its story, the concept was intended as a reaction to cool, sleek minimalism. Slowly, the term and its concept have taken on more nuanced forms. Today, it is simply understood as a design language that conveys emotion: sensual, minimalist, understated – but never distant.

Soft Modern originally emerged mainly in the context of interior design in Scandinavia and Japan. It was regarded as a refinement of the ‘Japandi style’ and in contrast to ‘New Minimalism’. Soft Modern combines the warmth of natural materials with the clarity of interior design focused on the essentials. Since around 2022, ‘Soft Modern’ has been increasingly used in professional media as a term for a conscious return to quiet design.  Contrasting over-staged Instagram interiors or so-called Dopamine Interiors, which aim to create a good mood with a focus on shapes and colours.

Soft Modern creates spaces with no intention of impressing – but rather of touching people. The path towards this goal is not paved with glitter and glamour. Materials, moderation, and ambiance are the key elements.

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Soft Modern vs. Minimalism

Classic minimalism was clear, consistent, and cool: typical design elements included smooth surfaces, white walls and black steel. ‘Less is more’ was the maxim. But ‘less’ also meant less emotional appeal.

Soft Modern takes reduction seriously, but not necessarily literally. How does that work? Instead of empty spaces, the concept promotes tranquillity. Instead of coolness, it encourages restraint. Instead of contrasts, it favours continuity. Shapes remains reduced, however, the atmosphere becomes softer. This allows you to feel at home, to cocoon, to breathe.

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The rules

A guide to soft modern. Or maybe not?

There are few absolute rules for this new sense of restraint. Rather, it emerges from a subtle balance of volume, materials, and proportion. The austerity of modernism is disappearing.

An approach that is partly based on the architectural concepts of Peter Zumthor or Tadao Ando: clear lines, but with material depth and a sense of space. The focus is on sensually perceptible quality; there is no room for quick effects. Spaces are not designed as a stage for the drama of life, but as a backdrop for everyday life.

Fabrics, colours, textures

Design on tiptoes

Soft Modern thinks of space in layers. Layering is a much-discussed topic – familiar to us from window design (and fashion).

Colours run tone-on-tone. Materials communicate with the help of their unique textures, not through wild and colourful patterns. Bouclé, linen, wool fabrics and matt woods are the design elements of choice. These materials that do not overpower, but rather create a sustainable atmosphere with their sheer quality.

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We've always wanted it to be cosy.

But with ambition.

Soft Modern adds another dimension. The concept is all about curtains in natural shades, sofas with interesting fabrics, and rugs with three-dimensional textures. Lighting is used softly and strategically. The idea is to go for diffused light instead of spotlights, and pockets of light instead of stage lighting. As always, the vibe of a room isn't created by individual objects, but rather by their smooth interaction.

Tone-on-tone concepts replace strong contrasts. Instead of black and white, beige meets sand and taupe meets stone. Coloured surfaces interact, touching but not imposing themselves. The language is restrained yet clear. This creates a lasting effect with the help of simple but carefully chosen means.

Soft Modern focuses on the effect of materials and on details that often only become obvious at the second glance.

Rooms that leave room

A core principle of Soft Modern: don't confuse spatial quality with opulence, but rather with character.

Don't fill spaces arbitrarily, instead use intentional empty space to create a sense of openness and, incidentally, excitement. It takes a lot of courage to allow for gaps, coupled with a keen sense of proportion. Expertise in the use of materials is fundamental.

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Project Spotlight

Bergmähder, Oberlech

The BERGMÄHDER alpine residence project is a perfect example of this: the architecture defines the style, while the furnishings provide a subtle backdrop.

Fabrics evoke a connection with nature, colours are muted, and textures speak softly. It is not a bold narrative, but rather a quiet design language providing for a unique character.

Project Spotlight

La Villetta, Dobbiaco

We discover something similar in La Villetta in Dobbiaco. Here, it is interesting to see how colours have been used to create a striking effect. However, it is crucial to consider their intensity and the colour combination.

Sculptural statement pieces of furniture, large textile surfaces, subtle patterns – it is clear that Soft Modern does not necessarily exclude colour. Yet everything seems to blend together seamlessly.

Project Spotlight

Restaurant Silva at the Naturhotel Forsthofgut

At the Restaurant Silva, a part of Naturhotel Forsthofgut, the atmosphere is created with the help of unique materials and a sophisticated, minimalist colour scheme. It is composed of dark velvet fabrics, subtle and carefully placed lighting, and tasteful decoration.

Design as a matter of character

Soft modern does not equal austerity. Rather, it is a decision to embrace clarity, tranquillity, and an emphasis on materials. The design is intentionally pared down.

Good structure is the foundation for this. Structure comes from a sense of order, which does not necessarily mean being overly strict. One of the tricks ist repetition – but not monotony. Open and closed spaces often alternate, lines run straight but with interesting interruptions, and balanced material contrasts catch the eye. What we observe is that architecture following these principles takes time. It is about revealing the hidden soul of a room and making it tangible.

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Project Spotlight

LIVING Rum — private living

LIVING Rum, a residential project by home IMMOBILIEN, is a prime example of how restraint can create high-quality living spaces: few colours, minimal materials, but a consistently applied concept. Here, living spaces are not merely furnished, but sensitively designed. On display: visualisations with furnishing options.

Interior Insight:

What do you need for a successful soft modern project?
  • Natural materials with a calm appeal (e.g. bouclé, linen, oak, stone)
  • Monochrome or tonal colour schemes (e.g. sand, terracotta, sage, slate grey)
  • Textiles with texture, preferably tone-on-tone patterns, often with a 3D effect or using different yarns from within the same colour family
  • Cohesive design language and proportions
  • Large surfaces, clean lines, minimally visible technology
  • Lighting with soft distribution (e.g., indirect light, wall washers)
  • The courage to be calm: fewer elements, conscious positioning
  • Planning conceptually: reduction not just as a visual effect, but as a conscious decision

  • Integration: viewing walls, floors, windows, and furniture as a total picture and transcending boundaries – e.g. a uniform colour scheme for walls and ceilings

Conclusion

Soft Modern is more than just a trend.

It is a reaction to the sensory overload of our times, to trends that view design as spectacle, to fast-moving furniture fashions.

Soft modern stands for a return to the quiet and consciously chosen quality of products and concepts.

Soft modern is not a style for everyone. Yet it is an answer for many. Those who embrace this style give space its fundamental quality: space. And thus exactly what many people desire today: a quiet and warm sense of the present.

We, as specialists designing and staging spaces with textiles, would be delighted to show you how we can work with you to implement the soft modern concept: visit our Design Centre in Mils and step into our soft modern world!

 
Photos: Nussbaumer Photography, M. Kottersteger, Horeca, Adobe Stock, home INTERIOR, home IMMOBILIEN, Alex Moling

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