Modern interior design doesn't necessarily have to be about monochrome and glass, as a new sourcebook reveals

You might imagine that a huge selection of colour photographs in a book about contemporary homes would be a mistake. After all, surely the look is all about acres of glass, monochrome fittings, smooth lines and white walls, without a pop of colour?

Well, you'd probably be half-right and, indeed, the new book, Living Modern: The Sourcebook of Contemporary Interiors, by photographer Richard Powers and writer Phyllis Richardson, is packed with beautiful images of modernist houses that fit this description.

For example, there are pictures of an open-plan house in California, in which shadows and reflections seem to fill the entire space, thanks to the sculptural shapes that are thrown by giant floor-to-ceiling windows. There's also a page that features a Los Angeles kitchen that is almost entirely constructed from sheets of aluminium and even features a matching kettle, while another image boasts a futuristic hillside house by modernist architect John Lautner, which resembles an unlikely hybrid between a spaceship and a pagoda.

However, despite the ubiquitousness of this glossy monochrome look which, we imagine, mainly graces the homes of successful designers and architects, this reference book reveals that the modern homes genre has a broader remit than you might think. Over 11 chapters, which cover materials, style, furniture and ambience, Richardson and Powers showcase a wide range of spaces that defy the stereotype.

"The word 'modern' is no longer weighted with expectations that predict, with regards to interiors, a regime of stark white and chrome, or purely functional spaces that are conceived as 'machines for living'," says Richardson. "Modernism, as it was practised in architecture and design in the 20th century, was about newness, using the best new methods and materials to their full advantage, rather than adhering to past traditions and styles. Being modern was always about having a wide rather than a narrow view. Today's interior might also have robust patterns on the walls, for example, decorative wallpaper, something that many devotees to modernism would not countenance."

There isn't, however, an awful lot of wallpaper in the book, although there is one trendy Californian residence which has dining room walls upholstered in a fuchsia pink illustration designed by its resident. This is offset by oversized skirting boards and sharp light fittings, which stop the space appearing too busy.

As Richardson explains: "The modern sensibility can use pattern to make beautifully nuanced interiors that are nothing like the many layers of printed curtains and fabrics and decorative wall coverings of old." If you want to see more colour, flick to pages in the mid-section of the book, where, in the function chapter, you'll find bathrooms, some of which have been clad in miniature mosaic tiles, to kaleidoscopic effect.

The variation in pigment of individual ceramic squares makes for a very futuristic, almost pixellated, look. This effect is exemplified by the bathroom featuring a pattern that resembles a computer-generated image of DNA strands, renderedin muted moss green and sea blue shades. If you can handle the grouting, this is a modern style with big impact.

"Tiles possess the allure of being both pleasingly tactile and highly practical," explains Richardson. "The range of tiles, from tiny uniform mosaics to handmade pieces in distempered colours, offers almost unlimited possibilities for uses and styles."

Also in this section are classic Metro tiles which, according to the author, were first used in the Paris underground. These bevelled-edge and brick-shaped white ceramics have been photographed on the walls of a high-ceilinged London apartment and could look slightly clinical, if it weren't for the contrast with an elaborate ceiling rose.

Again, this is not an obvious contemporary look but, then, it seems that almost anything goes in Living Modern. Even the building in which a modern interior sits doesn't necessarily have to be contemporary - although it certainly helps.

"Architecture is the beginning of the home environment," says Richardson. "A modern interior doesn't have to exist in a modern house. But the structure of the building as it affects the light, space and outdoor areas has a huge impact on how the interior can be configured and remade." In other words, if you've got a wee cottage, you're not really going to find the space for a glossy Poggenpohl kitchen.

However, that doesn't mean that natural materials are out of the window. Or, at least, they are (literally) in one of the book's images of a house built by architect Albert Frey in Palm Springs, in which one of the boulders that makes up the rocky desert outcrop intercepts part ofthe living and dining rooms, split down the middle by glass walls.

According to Richardson, this use of elements is sure to provoke a response.

"People can have an almost visceral reaction to materials," she explains. "Wood implies warmth. Concrete, glass and steel are cold. Brick and stone can also be cold, but a stone cottage with a nice fire says cosy, rather than draughty, and has an integrity that people associate with what are often valued 'honest materials': those that have not been manufactured or alloyed."

These varying elements are the bare bones that make up the modern home, but the book covers much more, from the role of light, to textiles and surfaces. After all, a modern interior is just the sum of its parts. As the author says: "Rooms are compositions made up of architectural features and the pieces that furnish and decorate them."

Living Modern: The Sourcebook of Contemporary Interiors by Richard Powers and Phyllis Richardson, published by Thames & Hudson, is out now, priced 24.95.

• This article was first published in The Scotsman on January 15, 2011