Inspiration from a Modern Contemporary Home

Today the Washington Post featured a beautiful new contemporary home located nearby in Chevy Chase, MD.   The owners reluctantly replaced their cozy farmhouse with an entirely modern design after their home was destroyed by a fallen tree.  While many urban dwellers don’t have (anywhere near) this much space to work with, I think something can be learned from their design and layout.

Clean lines and lack of clutter make this already bright and open space feel even more vast.  Also notice how the colors and tones run for full lengths of each of the surfaces – providing an unbroken line.  For instance, the cabinets and wall beam are the same rich chocolate brown, floor to ceiling, and the blonde floors are not disrupted from room to room.  Think of it like wearing solid color slacks that almost brush the floor as opposed to patterned capris.  Sleek, unfussy and gorgeous!

In the dining room you continue to see the same use of continuous surfaces.  Also, the moulding in the ceiling, dining table, floor application and windows are situated in a way that accentuates the length of the room.

Modern Dining Room

A continuation of the same technique in the living area – solid sofas in a light oatmeal color also provide a sense of more space.

Modern Living Room

Finally, you can imagine the sense of space the solid white vertical stairway creates.  I’m not a fan of cutouts in general, especially in a seemingly random pattern, but I think given the otherwise blank canvas these walls create, it works.   In my own space I might have preferred to utilize some glass, no cutouts / one or two very large cutouts, or at least more of a rhythmic pattern.

Open Contemporary Stairway

So by using some of the techniques used here to emphasize the open look and feel of the space, we can all bring a bit more open feeling to our smaller spaces.

You can view the entire Washington Post article here.