This month Gemma Munkley, an interior designer at Catherine Wilman Interiors, takes a look at the key elements of modern home design.
Getting a brief for a complete home redesign is always exciting and occasionally daunting for even the most experienced luxury interior designer. Planning lies at the heart of creating a modern home that is both functional and looks amazing.
It is important to have a home that works for your lifestyle. London is full to the brim with traditional Victorian terraces that never go out of style. With their luxuriously tall ceilings, ornate plaster work and elegantly proportioned rooms, they provide the perfect space for inspired design.
However, adapting these beautiful properties to fit modern London living often requires thinking outside of the box.
Functionality and flow of space is key to good design
Adjusting the layout of a space can create a more sociable area that works around a lifestyle. Primarily modern home design centres on the flow and functionality of a space. This is achieved through opening spaces to create a more open plan living area. But be sure to zone each area individually.
This five-story London home is currently being renovated by Catherine Wilman Interiors. New light-wells from the exterior and first-floor corridor were previously added by architect Cathie Curran to bring as much natural light into the front living area as possible. This space works well as one flowing area but has maintained two defined zones by a change in level between the kitchen and dining area and the living room.
The flexibility of this home is most prominent through the three-and-half-metre tall doors in the central living space that formed part of the previous architect's original design. These doors when closed create a wall, sectioning-off the front living room from the kitchen and dining while still maintaining a walkway between. These grand doors exaggerate the floor height and when opened give a dramatic sense of space and light, that sets the tone for the rest of the house.
Too many ideas can weaken the overall look
When designing a luxury modern home, there are a few things to consider. Keep the style reined in and cohesive throughout. It happens to the best of us. When looking for design inspiration there are often so many ideas and concepts on style alone, that a project if not careful can run away with itself.
A good luxury interior designer will always keep to a selected range of colour and materials to achieve a beautiful and cohesive space.
This Australian home designed by Architects FIGR is a great inspiration if your preferred style is more minimalist. The design pays homage to its beautifully simplistic palette choice. Set around a central courtyard, its stripped-back design direction makes every detail stand out.
The black and white colour pallet compliments the timber and concrete materials, contrasting with the bright green of the courtyard. By following this theme throughout the entirety of the home, each room functions individually but connects as one design.
Use materials and patterns to soften the design
The kitchen is a seamless display of white modernity, paired with a warm toned natural wood. This softens not only the look but as well the acoustics. This raw material really ties in the stark minimalism of the cabinets, making that connection from a 21st century home to the natural landscape. The second way this design is softened is the slight variation in materials and patterns.
The running theme throughout the kitchen is a clean white aesthetic with hard reflective finishes. The mixed medium of lacquer, marble and resin concrete complement each other, without fighting to be centre stage. This discreet change relaxes the entire feel of the space, making it homelier. This modern luxury interior design bursts with style.
If you enjoyed this article, share it on your social media. Click either the Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn below - or click the Link icon to copy and paste this page address into an email or post.