Do you remember how popular French Country houses were in the 1980s? Before that architectural look went mainstream, tony Pierre Deux furnishings stores were stoking the desire of upscale consumers for this warm, traditional style. Then the Arts and Crafts movement reappeared, becoming one of the most popular house styles of the late 1990s and into the new century. Once again, the fashion in residential design was preceded by a furniture line. I recall admiring Stickley Furniture’s newly reintroduced line of classic Arts and Crafts furniture in the early part of the last decade.
Now, I think I’ve stumbled into a clue to the next big style in houses at my local high-fashion shopping district. The newest furniture store there is Design Within Reach, a chain that specializes in furniture inspired by the International school of design that flourished in the first half of the 20th century. My, the furniture was tempting.
But this isn’t the only clue to make me think you may be building more Modern houses in the future than you’re used to. I’ve noticed lots of other hints, big and small. For instance, Crate & Barrel recently brought out a line of dinnerware designed in 1952 by Eva Zeisel, a master of Modern pottery. The owner of Pottery Barn has diversified its business with a catalog of inexpensive but very Modern furniture called West Elm. I feel as though every time I tune into HGTV, some Gen X or Y homeowners are having their house done over in Modern style. From wide open lofts to techy Aeron chairs, the choices of many in the next generation of custom home buyers seem to be decidedly non-Traditional.
So what does this mean for custom builders, if anything? Well, while I think you’ll always have clients who want a Traditional house, you’ll also be getting more requests for Modern houses with their natural but expensive materials and their deceptively simple lines. I say deceptively because Modern houses leave little room for fudging: No molding to cover up less-than-perfect drywall work or to ease the intersection of different materials. Siting and layout that must be right before the first shovelful of dirt is removed, because every line in a well-built Modern house is established when the layout lines are snapped on the ground. Lots of glass to challenge you to provide a house that doesn’t heat up too much in the summer and doesn’t leak heat in the winter.
Modern design ratchets up the building challenge several notches. You can see that clearly in the houses featured in this issue’s Portfolio. They are all Modern, all concrete, all technically challenging, and all beautifully put together. They illustrate the level of skill and care that Modern projects demand and that the best custom builders bring to their work, no matter what style.
