Modern style as an interior label is often confused with "contemporary" or "current" — but it specifically refers to the modernist movement of the early-to-mid 20th century. Think Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, the Bauhaus. The design philosophy: form follows function. Decoration that doesn't serve a purpose should be eliminated.
In a residential context, modern style shows up as flat planes, large windows, open plans, and furniture that's honest about its construction — leather and steel rather than carved wood, exposed structure rather than hidden joinery. Colors lean toward neutrals with single bold accents (a primary-color chair, a black wall against white). Materials matter more than ornament: travertine, stained concrete, walnut, brushed steel.
Modern style aged well because its principles transferred — most current "contemporary" design is ultimately modern with a few decades of refinement layered on. If you're shopping for furniture and someone calls a piece "modern" without specifying mid-century or contemporary, they usually mean this.