Current design trends fall in the contemporary area, as does any fad that has come and gone or is presently making its way through the field. A current residential kitchen trend is to design kitchen shelve units rather than closed cupboards so that all plates, glasses and dishes are openly exposed. The appeal of this design is only present when an attractive presentation is set forth of hopefully matching dishes. This is an example of contemporary interior design.

Another contemporary interior design area, especially in the twenty-first century, is that of reality-based and design-based television. Shows such as Trading Spaces and While You Were Out incorporate some of the nation's most successful designers and designs into a structure where both contemporary and retro design elements are used. There are many other television shows oriented on interior design that are finding success.

In literature, an author or journalist is considered to be contemporary if he or she is either still living or would be living in the case of the author passing at an early age. Contemporary interior design is defined slightly different by putting the focus more on the elements of design rather than the actual and specific age of the designer. If a new design is totally based on Victorian England ideas, then it is not contemporary.

Innovative usage of the most modern of technologies could be an excellent definition of what constitutes a contemporary interior design. Usage of design resources, such as computer programs and the newest design research, has aided many contemporary designers in their quest for newer and more interesting projects. No contemporary interior design is superior to any classic or retro design, and it must be noted that all can be equally wonderful.