Modern Thought: Space versus Void
After a recent conversation where the subject of large versus small square footage was brought up, I began to contemplate. While our cell phones, laptops, and even vehicles get smaller, it seems that new home builders in the valley are still having a hard time following suit. While the “urban lifestyle” craze has got things stirred up in the condo and loft market, freestanding dwellings are ever expanding, reaching new limits of interior volume as the exterior walls stretch dangerously close to property lines.
As much as we long to fill our modern spaces with sleek and sexy furniture to show off our design savvy, the scale of the big picture must come in to play. Most classic modern and contemporary furniture is low-slung and smaller in scale than traditional counterparts. Forcing thoughtfully designed human-scale pieces into expansive rooms with 14-20 foot plus tall ceilings isn’t just doing a disservice to the electric grid, it’s stealing all the thunder from your modern masterpieces as well! A well designed space achieves its full potential when its function is apparent and concise, like a haiku or a clever sonnet where every word counts. Filling a large room to make it feel full just doesn’t take advantage of the less-is-more philosophy of modern design, and certainly doesn’t turn your space into a haiku!
Think about it, modern space is a philosophy. A place to live, work, be modern!