What Is Contemporary Style? In a nutshell, contemporary style is current and new — it’s what today’s designers are creating. Of course, newness isn’t the only defining feature of this popular look. If you think of a spectrum of ornament, with the most embellished being traditional style, contemporary would sit firmly at the opposite end. This style embraces negative space, strong shapes and clean lines, while leaving room for interpretation and experimentation. Contemporary spaces are often minimal and white — but not always: They can also be vibrant, playful and full of color and pattern.

What Is Contemporary Style? In a nutshell, contemporary style is current and new — it’s what today’s designers are creating. Of course, newness isn’t the only defining feature of this popular look. If you think of a spectrum of ornament, with the most embellished being traditional style, contemporary would sit firmly at the opposite end. This style embraces negative space, strong shapes and clean lines, while leaving room for interpretation and experimentation. Contemporary spaces are often minimal and white — but not always: They can also be vibrant, playful and full of color and pattern.

Living Room Fireplace Photo. "Business in the Front, Party in the Back" This project provided Mark with the opportunity to revisit a project from the first year of his practice. Our clients were the third owners since Mark first worked on this house in 1987. The original project had consisted of a small addition to the rear of an existing single-story (over garage) house. The new owners wanted to completely remodel the house and add two floors. In addition they wanted it to be MODERN. This was a perfect fit for where the firm had evolved to over the years, but the neighbors weren't having it. The neighbors were very organized and didn’t like the idea of a large modern structure in what was a mostly traditional block. We were able to work with the neighbors to agree to a design that was Craftsman on the front and modern on the interior and rear. Because of this dichotomy, we sometimes refer to this as the "Mullet House". We were able to minimize the apparent height of the facade by hiding the top floor behind a dormered roof. Unique features of this house include a stunning roof deck with glass guardrails, a custom stair with a zigzag edge and a guardrail composed of vertical stainless steel tubes and an asymmetrical fireplace composition. Photo by Michael David Rose

The new construction luxury home was designed by our Carmel design-build studio with the concept of 'hygge' in mind – crafting a soothing environment that exudes warmth, contentment, and coziness without being overly ornate or cluttered. Inspired by Scandinavian style, the design incorporates clean lines and minimal decoration, set against soaring ceilings and walls of windows. These features are all enhanced by warm finishes, tactile textures, statement light fixtures, and carefully selected art pieces. In the living room, a bold statement wall was incorporated, making use of the 4-sided, 2-story fireplace chase, which was enveloped in large format marble tile. Each bedroom was crafted to reflect a unique character, featuring elegant wallpapers, decor, and luxurious furnishings. The primary bathroom was characterized by dark enveloping walls and floors, accentuated by teak, and included a walk-through dual shower, overhead rain showers, and a natural stone soaking tub. An open-concept kitchen was fitted, boasting state-of-the-art features and statement-making lighting. Adding an extra touch of sophistication, a beautiful basement space was conceived, housing an exquisite home bar and a comfortable lounge area. ---Project completed by Wendy Langston's Everything Home interior design firm, which serves Carmel, Zionsville, Fishers, Westfield, Noblesville, and Indianapolis. For more about Everything Home, see here: https://everythinghomedesigns.com/ To learn more about this project, see here: https://everythinghomedesigns.com/portfolio/modern-scandinavian-luxury-home-westfield/

Designing a modern accounting firm requires a delicate balance between focused functionality, acoustic privacy, and a welcoming atmosphere for visiting clients. For this commercial project located in Coimbra, Portugal, Rachelle Design Lab implemented a "Warm Minimalism" concept to move away from the traditional, sterile office environment. Key Features & Solutions: Acoustic & Visual Comfort: Extensive use of vertical wood-slatted panels not only adds warmth and visual height to the space but also significantly improves the acoustic quality of the open-plan areas. Smart Space Planning: Frameless glass partitions with frosted linear decals were strategically used to divide private meeting rooms and executive offices. This ensures acoustic privacy while allowing natural light to penetrate deep into the workspace. Employee Well-being: A fully equipped, ergonomic kitchenette and dining area was designed using calming taupe tones and durable materials, providing a comfortable space for staff breaks. Brand Integration: The color palette relies on calming neutrals (sand, light oak, grey) accented with deep burgundy tones that subtly echo the corporate identity of the company. The result is a highly functional, ergonomic workspace that promotes productivity while reflecting the company's reliability and modern approach.

This bright and timeless dining room captures the essence of modern minimalism with quiet luxury. At its center, a custom-crafted natural oak dining table anchors the space, paired with sculptural cream-colored dining chairs for softness and warmth. Overhead, a linear woven pendant provides ambient glow and texture, echoing the home's design language of understated elegance. The space is wrapped in natural light, highlighting the pale oak floors and crisp white walls. Clean lines, thoughtful restraint, and subtle sophistication make this room feel intimate yet expansive. It's a dining space that's meant to be lived in—and lingered in—crafted by New Explode Construction with elevated simplicity in mind.

Designing a modern accounting firm requires a delicate balance between focused functionality, acoustic privacy, and a welcoming atmosphere for visiting clients. For this commercial project located in Coimbra, Portugal, Rachelle Design Lab implemented a "Warm Minimalism" concept to move away from the traditional, sterile office environment. Key Features & Solutions: Acoustic & Visual Comfort: Extensive use of vertical wood-slatted panels not only adds warmth and visual height to the space but also significantly improves the acoustic quality of the open-plan areas. Smart Space Planning: Frameless glass partitions with frosted linear decals were strategically used to divide private meeting rooms and executive offices. This ensures acoustic privacy while allowing natural light to penetrate deep into the workspace. Employee Well-being: A fully equipped, ergonomic kitchenette and dining area was designed using calming taupe tones and durable materials, providing a comfortable space for staff breaks. Brand Integration: The color palette relies on calming neutrals (sand, light oak, grey) accented with deep burgundy tones that subtly echo the corporate identity of the company. The result is a highly functional, ergonomic workspace that promotes productivity while reflecting the company's reliability and modern approach.

Designing a modern accounting firm requires a delicate balance between focused functionality, acoustic privacy, and a welcoming atmosphere for visiting clients. For this commercial project located in Coimbra, Portugal, Rachelle Design Lab implemented a "Warm Minimalism" concept to move away from the traditional, sterile office environment. Key Features & Solutions: Acoustic & Visual Comfort: Extensive use of vertical wood-slatted panels not only adds warmth and visual height to the space but also significantly improves the acoustic quality of the open-plan areas. Smart Space Planning: Frameless glass partitions with frosted linear decals were strategically used to divide private meeting rooms and executive offices. This ensures acoustic privacy while allowing natural light to penetrate deep into the workspace. Employee Well-being: A fully equipped, ergonomic kitchenette and dining area was designed using calming taupe tones and durable materials, providing a comfortable space for staff breaks. Brand Integration: The color palette relies on calming neutrals (sand, light oak, grey) accented with deep burgundy tones that subtly echo the corporate identity of the company. The result is a highly functional, ergonomic workspace that promotes productivity while reflecting the company's reliability and modern approach.

Designing a modern accounting firm requires a delicate balance between focused functionality, acoustic privacy, and a welcoming atmosphere for visiting clients. For this commercial project located in Coimbra, Portugal, Rachelle Design Lab implemented a "Warm Minimalism" concept to move away from the traditional, sterile office environment. Key Features & Solutions: Acoustic & Visual Comfort: Extensive use of vertical wood-slatted panels not only adds warmth and visual height to the space but also significantly improves the acoustic quality of the open-plan areas. Smart Space Planning: Frameless glass partitions with frosted linear decals were strategically used to divide private meeting rooms and executive offices. This ensures acoustic privacy while allowing natural light to penetrate deep into the workspace. Employee Well-being: A fully equipped, ergonomic kitchenette and dining area was designed using calming taupe tones and durable materials, providing a comfortable space for staff breaks. Brand Integration: The color palette relies on calming neutrals (sand, light oak, grey) accented with deep burgundy tones that subtly echo the corporate identity of the company. The result is a highly functional, ergonomic workspace that promotes productivity while reflecting the company's reliability and modern approach.

This serene dining space from our Glencoe Minimalist Elegance collection embodies the poetry of restraint and thoughtful proportions. Custom white oak floors ground the space in warmth, while crisp white walls and expansive windows invite in natural light, creating a tranquil, light-filled environment. A sculptural modern chandelier hovers above a streamlined dining table surrounded by softly curved white chairs, forming a sophisticated composition that's as inviting as it is elegant. It's a room where clean lines meet subtle textures, and simplicity becomes the canvas for elevated design. Brought to life by New Explode Construction, this dining room is where modern minimalism feels warm, welcoming, and deeply livable.

A serene and sculptural transition space, this stair hall in Glencoe merges architectural grace with natural light. Anchored by a dark, curved handrail and crisp white risers, the staircase becomes a statement of movement and flow. Floor-to-ceiling arched windows invite in soft daylight and connect the home's interior to its lush exterior surroundings. Light wood flooring grounds the space with warmth, while the soaring ceiling and open sightlines set a tranquil tone for the rest of the home. Built by New Explode Construction, this entryway embodies quiet sophistication and timeless minimalism—offering an elevated sense of welcome from the very first step.

Designing a modern accounting firm requires a delicate balance between focused functionality, acoustic privacy, and a welcoming atmosphere for visiting clients. For this commercial project located in Coimbra, Portugal, Rachelle Design Lab implemented a "Warm Minimalism" concept to move away from the traditional, sterile office environment. Key Features & Solutions: Acoustic & Visual Comfort: Extensive use of vertical wood-slatted panels not only adds warmth and visual height to the space but also significantly improves the acoustic quality of the open-plan areas. Smart Space Planning: Frameless glass partitions with frosted linear decals were strategically used to divide private meeting rooms and executive offices. This ensures acoustic privacy while allowing natural light to penetrate deep into the workspace. Employee Well-being: A fully equipped, ergonomic kitchenette and dining area was designed using calming taupe tones and durable materials, providing a comfortable space for staff breaks. Brand Integration: The color palette relies on calming neutrals (sand, light oak, grey) accented with deep burgundy tones that subtly echo the corporate identity of the company. The result is a highly functional, ergonomic workspace that promotes productivity while reflecting the company's reliability and modern approach.

Designing a modern accounting firm requires a delicate balance between focused functionality, acoustic privacy, and a welcoming atmosphere for visiting clients. For this commercial project located in Coimbra, Portugal, Rachelle Design Lab implemented a "Warm Minimalism" concept to move away from the traditional, sterile office environment. Key Features & Solutions: Acoustic & Visual Comfort: Extensive use of vertical wood-slatted panels not only adds warmth and visual height to the space but also significantly improves the acoustic quality of the open-plan areas. Smart Space Planning: Frameless glass partitions with frosted linear decals were strategically used to divide private meeting rooms and executive offices. This ensures acoustic privacy while allowing natural light to penetrate deep into the workspace. Employee Well-being: A fully equipped, ergonomic kitchenette and dining area was designed using calming taupe tones and durable materials, providing a comfortable space for staff breaks. Brand Integration: The color palette relies on calming neutrals (sand, light oak, grey) accented with deep burgundy tones that subtly echo the corporate identity of the company. The result is a highly functional, ergonomic workspace that promotes productivity while reflecting the company's reliability and modern approach.

Designing a modern accounting firm requires a delicate balance between focused functionality, acoustic privacy, and a welcoming atmosphere for visiting clients. For this commercial project located in Coimbra, Portugal, Rachelle Design Lab implemented a "Warm Minimalism" concept to move away from the traditional, sterile office environment. Key Features & Solutions: Acoustic & Visual Comfort: Extensive use of vertical wood-slatted panels not only adds warmth and visual height to the space but also significantly improves the acoustic quality of the open-plan areas. Smart Space Planning: Frameless glass partitions with frosted linear decals were strategically used to divide private meeting rooms and executive offices. This ensures acoustic privacy while allowing natural light to penetrate deep into the workspace. Employee Well-being: A fully equipped, ergonomic kitchenette and dining area was designed using calming taupe tones and durable materials, providing a comfortable space for staff breaks. Brand Integration: The color palette relies on calming neutrals (sand, light oak, grey) accented with deep burgundy tones that subtly echo the corporate identity of the company. The result is a highly functional, ergonomic workspace that promotes productivity while reflecting the company's reliability and modern approach.

Bathed in natural light and grounded in soft minimalism, this Glencoe living room offers a harmonious blend of serenity and sophistication. Expansive picture windows frame the landscape and invite the outdoors in, while a sculptural light fixture adds vertical dimension and warmth. The crisp white palette creates a calm canvas for a tailored sofa and textural rug, while the built-in fireplace adds both visual and physical warmth. A central wood coffee table introduces organic contrast, anchoring the airy room with a modern yet approachable touch. Crafted by New Explode Construction, this refined living space evokes quiet luxury — thoughtfully designed for both beauty and everyday comfort.

The GO Home, USGBC's LEED for Homes 2011 Project of the Year. Built in an old field with minimal disturbance to the healthy existing landscape. Deep winter snow cover reveals the simple, essential design of the site layout. ©2010 Ann Kearsley Design

Bentley is a distinct living room sofa that sits at the intersection of mid-century and today, with clean lines and tailored cushions expertly tension-tufted by hand. Now a Locus Habitat classic, its pure 1960s aesthetic is scaled deep so you can sit firm and upright, but also slouch back in comfort. Well-suited to make a great impression. Leather is often considered the ultimate symbol of class and luxury. Because of its dual quality of strength and durability, the material is used to make various products and accessories, especially furniture. But not all leathers are created equal. What exactly then is genuine leather, how do tanned leather behave and age? Find them out only at Locus Habitat. The only place in Singapore where you can find the whole library of original tanned and Bison leather. Frame: Handcrafted of kiln-dried hardwood with corner-blocked joinery. Suspension: Sinusoidal spring and firm support bands. Feet: Crafted of solid Birch and fitted with antiqued brass casters (optional) Feet finish and studds varies by leather color. Cushions: Premium quality fill seat cushions feature polyfiber wrapped around multiple layer high density foam core Optional Down-feather fill seat cushions feature feather and down wrapped around a foam core. All cushion backs are upholstered in fabric that allows leather to breathe Cushion configuration varies by frame size. Upholstery Consideration: Fabric and leather dye lots vary; pieces purchased at different times may not match exactly. Premium white glove delivery. Care: Brush, dry microfiber cloth wipe or vacuum with an upholstery attachment to remove dust. Rotate cushions for even wear. To minimize fading and dryness, avoid placing in direct sunlight. Check with our consultants for leather care.

A bold statement and a warm welcome — that’s the tone our client set for this Guest Bathroom Renovation In Bucktown. The blue labyrinth vanity wallpaper introduces a striking element to the room, boasting bold geometric patterns that elevates the overall design. Secret Silver tiles grace the shower wall, niche, and floor, creating a sophisticated atmosphere with its marble effect and contrasting tones. The gray-painted wall and white ceiling tie everything together to create the perfect balance without overwhelming the space. The space is enhanced with the decorative accent of Newbury Glass Penny Mosaic in the shower floor, giving the bathroom an additional creative expression through its distinctive shape and color. The Shadowbox mirror from Shades of Light features a sleek matte black finish, providing depth in the border for both aesthetic appeal and function. The Industrial Triangle Shade Three Light lights up the vanity, embodying industrial minimalism, making the room burst with light and style. This guest bathroom brought our client's vision to life – a modern and inviting space that is functional at the same time. Project designed by Chi Renovation & Design, a renowned renovation firm based in Skokie. We specialize in general contracting, kitchen and bath remodeling, and design & build services. We cater to the entire Chicago area and its surrounding suburbs, with emphasis on the North Side and North Shore regions. You'll find our work from the Loop through Lincoln Park, Skokie, Evanston, Wilmette, and all the way up to Lake Forest. For more info about Chi Renovation & Design, click here: https://www.chirenovation.com/

Front Facade Photo. "Business in the Front, Party in the Back" This project provided Mark with the opportunity to revisit a project from the first year of his practice. Our clients were the third owners since Mark first worked on this house in 1987. The original project had consisted of a small addition to the rear of an existing single-story (over garage) house. The new owners wanted to completely remodel the house and add two floors. In addition they wanted it to be MODERN. This was a perfect fit for where the firm had evolved to over the years, but the neighbors weren't having it. The neighbors were very organized and didn’t like the idea of a large modern structure in what was a mostly traditional block. We were able to work with the neighbors to agree to a design that was Craftsman on the front and modern on the interior and rear. Because of this dichotomy, we sometimes refer to this as the "Mullet House". We were able to minimize the apparent height of the facade by hiding the top floor behind a dormered roof. Unique features of this house include a stunning roof deck with glass guardrails, a custom stair with a zigzag edge and a guardrail composed of vertical stainless steel tubes and an asymmetrical fireplace composition.Photo my Thomas Kuoh