Stark Statement

Less is proving more with buyers.

Contemporary modernist design tends to favor industrial-looking finishes, as is the case with the kitchen in this Denver townhome. Photo courtesy Continuum Partners.

A "contemporary" design usually promises something different, even unexpected. Many of today's homes gain inspiration for these unexpected elements from an architectural style that dates back 100 years: modernism.

While traditional designs are adopting modernist-style open space plans and design details, such as clean lines, lack of ornamentation and exposed structural elements, a modern-inspired contemporary home is still the antithesis of the traditional colonial.

Modern style, with its stark, even cold, detailing appeared in the early 1900s, became popular in the United States in the 1940s, then fell out of favor in the 1960s. But it began a comeback of sorts in the 1990s when many modern architectural masterpieces, such as Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth house in Fox River, Ill., required renovation. Media attention paid to these classics revived interest in modernism, making it popular once again.

Art House kitchen with picture windows looking out onto patio. Photo credit: Ron Pollard

This time around, however, the clean look isn't just for custom homes. Some production builders are using elements of this style to help their homes stand out in what is becoming an increasingly competitive buyers' market.

One of these production builders is Optima, a Chicago-area design and building firm that has completed hundreds of elegant, spacious homes since 1977. The firm was formed by architect David Hovey, who wanted to design and build modern-style structures at a time when they weren't in vogue.

Todd Kuhlman, a senior design architect who oversees much of the production housing for Optima, says that he can create a simple, monolithic look in a kitchen by cladding appliances and cabinets alike in an industrial material like stainless steel. The availability of quality fixtures and other items makes it easier to carry this theme throughout the room. "One of the most interesting items we use is the hoodless range with a down-draft filter that pops up from the countertop," Kuhlman says. Although this type of technology isn't new, it clearly helps maintain a simple appearance in a complex design.

As part of his design strategy, Kuhlman also likes to highlight building materials. "Exposed brick or concrete can add richness to a bathroom," he says, noting that buyers respond well to knowing that a brick or concrete wall is actually part the structure, rather than a veneer.

This level of design integrity is especially unique in a production home. "You don't change the nature of the wall to accommodate plumbing; you change the plumbing to fit the needs of the brick or concrete," Kuhlman says. "You may have to do more work ahead of time to get it to come out right, but it creates a richer and more expressive use of materials."