Inside L A.s Most Iconic Example of Mid-century Modern Architecture
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Even though the style cropped up all over the U.S. during the middle part of the 20th century, the design vernacular’s emphasis on indoor-outdoor living has always been particularly well-suited to the Southern California climate. Today, the abundance of floor-to-ceiling windows and use of natural materials—like wood paneling and stone fireplaces often seen in such houses—continue to resonate. Below, we’ve selected some of the best midcentury-modern homes to be featured by AD in recent years. As you’ll soon find, each one displays a fresh contemporary take on a now classic style.
Work Ethic of Architects
There is no way around it, furniture is absolutely an essential part of creating a certain aesthetic. The main thing to remember when picking out contemporary style furniture is that this style needs to be timeless and yet very of the moment, which means that everything you choose needs to be simple and classy in order to never feel dated. The word seems broad and if not truly explained can feel too large to describe a single style with. This means that contemporary style is ever-evolving and, according to The Spruce, largely tied to trends as opposed to linked to a period in time.
Pick a minimalist palette
Daily updates on the latest design and architecture vacancies advertised on Dezeen Jobs. This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen's image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing domestic gyms, retro green bathrooms and colourful kindergartens. Local studio Debaixo do Bloco Arquitetura created an open-plan layout in this apartment, located in residential building 308S in the Brasília urban design scheme conceived by Lucio Costa and landscape architect Burle Marx.
Add Texture, Color, and Pattern
The Best Atlanta Interior Designers on the AD Pro Directory - Architectural Digest
The Best Atlanta Interior Designers on the AD Pro Directory.
Posted: Thu, 26 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
A notable example of modernist architecture, Farnsworth House is a rectilinear glass residence in Illinois that was completed by Mies van der Rohe in 1951. Located in Wyoming for its mountainous landscape, the residence was designed by American office Olson Kundig, which covered the facade with large wooden shutters that can be open or closed with pulleys. The house's geometric shapes are also echoed in its interiors, which include a large, open-plan living room with soft colours and earthy finishes that overlooks a meadow where cattle graze. Framed by expansive windows, the living room at Kew Residence also features distinctive Take a Line for a Walk armchairs by product designer Alfredo Häberli in a shade of pale blue. Located within Shakespeare Tower, the flat intends to fuse its original design elements with Japanese aesthetics, including tatami mats on the floor that contrast with surrounding concrete walls. If you have limited space to work with, consider hanging planters or terrariums so you don’t take up valuable floor space.
Modus Operandi constructs Ansui House Nosara
Often, opting for these sustainable versions of essential household and garden fixtures isn’t any more expensive and will save you money on your water bill and landscaping costs. There’s a lot to be said for relying on natural light whenever possible, and smart window coverings make it a lot easier to do just that, enabling a "set-it-and-forget-it" approach. Unseen compartments in drawers or cubbies in cabinetry and built-in benches corral stuff to keep spaces visually clean. The bonus of adding windows, especially large ones to foster the indoor/outdoor connection is gaining more natural light. The Car Park House was designed as a floating structure on a steep slope that places the residence’s carport on the roof. Building off this inversion, the project also takes advantage of unobstructed views of the San Gabriel Mountains to the northeast of Los Angeles.
Fish Creek Guest House // Carney Logan Burke Architects
Quick fact – The word ‘contemporary’ signifies ‘modern’, therefore, anything that can add a touch of modernism, easily translates to contemporary style. This sophisticated interior design style employs clean lines, minimalist trends, and neutral colors to express an innate need for form and function. So although a contemporary style home can mean different things at different times, some aspects have become non-negotiable. Words like subtle, simple, geometrical, neutral, serene, and warm all evoke what contemporary style is. As opposed to modern or industrial styles where minimalist is often synonymous with cold and empty, contemporary minimalism is closer to simplicity and serenity. If you're still lost, no worries, we'll take it step by step to create the perfect contemporary interior design.
Add a Few Splashes of Color
“In college I studied business and industrial design, so I learned to approach business from a design perspective and vice versa. It made me realize that interior design is where my true passions lie,” Tagliaferri says. Across every aesthetic, home décor style, and color palette, it’s becoming increasingly clear that sustainable materials are here to stay. "Textiles like organic cotton, wool, and recycled fabrics are more popular for upholstery, curtains, and bedding due to their low environmental footprint and are often sourced from ethical suppliers," says Glaister. One rising trend for home interior design in Los Angeles is remodeling ADUs (accessory dwelling units). These detached structures, often garages, are repurposed as guest houses, rentals, or home offices.
Install Colorful Flooring
According to Sander, today when someone talks about contemporary style, they’re often referring to an aesthetic that bridges the gap between modern and minimalist, with a more neutral color palette that highlights the architecture of a space. A contemporary living room, for example, “might have fewer pieces in the room, but each of them have a more artistic or artisanal quality and high level of craftsmanship to them,” Sander says. Statham and interior designer Courtney Applebaum opted for a minimalist look for the home’s living room to better highlight the clean lines of the space. The black leather couch is Illum Wikkelso, and the red couch and armchairs are by Pierre Jeanneret. You can install pendant lights in enclosed rooms while installing a stylized chandelier in open spaces.
A California home with Italian style
Furthermore, curves have a natural ability to soften the sharp edges and straight lines often found in contemporary design. They also create contrast as the juxtaposition of straight lines and curves adds complexity to the space, making it visually captivating. Contemporary interior design is fluid, ever-changing, and a mix of what’s currently trending - which can also include modern touches.
We asked expert interior designers to shed some light on emerging sustainable home design and renovation trends—it’s safe to say these techniques are as chic as they are environmentally friendly. The city has a sense of history, with styles spanning Spanish Colonial to Mission Revival, Beaux-Arts to Art Deco, Hollywood Regency to streamline 1930s modern. The desire to preserve those design styles is strong, as is the need to make homes liveable for today.
Tropical design principles such as natural ventilation and illumination shaped Ansui House, particularly in its ground floor suites, which act as independent villas, each with green areas for privacy and natural cooling. Ansui House Nosara, designed by Modus Operandi, is nestled in the tropical dry forest on Costa Rica‘s north Pacific coast, integrating nature and architecture. The design embraces the unique climatic challenges of the region, balancing between the dry and dusty season and the humid and rainy season with a two-month transitional period. The fireside composition in the living room encompasses an Oscar Niemeyer Alta lounge chair and ottoman, a Ciuingam sofa by De Pas D’Urbino Lomazzi, a Ribbon chair by Cesare Leonardi and Franca Stagi, and a Jean Claude Dresse cocktail table.
Moving on to the living room, consider using some multifunctional furniture with glass or wooden textures. You can also use some neutral colors for area rugs by embracing the Japanese culture of implementing jute mats. Install storage spaces in ideal locations in a contemporary living room and shoe racks and overhead cubbies in the hall to hide away all unnecessary items from view.
"For our inspiration, we looked towards many of the early modernist Japanese architects, who were dealing with similar issues of identity when European modernism was entering Japan at rapid speed," explained the architecture practice. This is the latest roundup in our Dezeen Lookbooks series providing visual inspiration for the home. Previous lookbooks feature kitchen extensions, homes with indoor trees and purple interiors informed by Pantone's 2022 colour of the year. The word ‘contemporary’ doesn’t actually refer to a specific style, but rather a movement.
A design concept marked by bridging the gaps between people and the nature surrounding their homes, biophilic design is quickly gaining momentum in the world of home renovation and interior design. If sustainably minded design was once considered a fad, it’s become clear in recent years that it is only a matter of time before it’s the industry standard. Interior designers and builders continue to find new ways to innovate at every level of design to maximize efficiency, reduce waste, and protect the environment.
While “modern” and “contemporary” are often treated as synonyms and used interchangeably, there is a technical difference between the terms. A contemporary bedroom by Erin Sander adds a small pop of color through a textured bedspread.
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