Designing a Modern Home
Our homes are our safe havens shared with loved ones, and beautiful modern home design is something many homeowners aspire to attain. Trends come and go but modern design has staying power. Indeed, who wouldn’t want large expanses of windows with natural light filtering in and an invitingly open floor layout?
What can sometimes be confusing is some people believe modern design means either contemporary or traditional. However, regarding home planning it basically refers to a design fixed on minimalist style that retains function. For example, open living spaces, earthy hues, and natural materials such as cedar and stone are all vital to a modern living space.
Achieving modern-day building style is effortless when you bear in mind the individual elements of design.
LINES
To begin with, a modern floor plan is more symmetrical and intentional than traditional floor plans that were somewhat haphazard and not as well thought-out. Modern floor plans are open and flow sensibly from one room to the next.
Further keep in mind that modern architecture embraces clean lines with minimal embellishment.
ATMOSPHERE
Modern home design connects the indoor living space with the outdoors. After considering your local climate and landscape, think about implementing an organic garden, indoor trees, sliding exterior walls, and a spacious deck.
Longhouse Specialty Forest Products specializes in only the highest quality timbers and delivers cedar wood decking, a popular choice in modern home design, in several custom profiles. Lustrous Douglas Fir post and beam is also a sophisticated material used to accentuate a modern home.
COLOUR
Warm, earthy tones are often an integral characteristic of modern home projects. For the interior or exterior of the home, natural cedar wood, including rich Western Red Cedar, can be delivered pre-stained in the colour of your choosing by Longhouse.
DETAILS
Consider how even the smallest details affect the overall look of a home. Energy efficient windows and modern cupboard hardware are timeless design features.
FOCAL POINT OR FEATURE
Thoughtfully planned homes often include a focal point for family gatherings and leisure. For instance, a modern cedar deck incorporates an outdoor kitchen, hot tub spa area, or even a soothing water feature.
HARMONY
Eliminate busy wallpaper, old fashioned small tiles, carpet, and slender strips of wood—major design elements in traditional schemes. Instead, opt for wide plank Douglas Fir flooring—ideal for high traffic areas with a fresh, organic grain.
If renovating, simply replacing old paneled doors with sleeker designs and hardware provides a straightforward update.
ORGANIC FORM
Architects respect ‘vernacular’ designs, otherwise known as local trends, and that applies to West Coast style. Coastal homes incorporate the warm, natural beauty of Cedar siding, a prime choice in modern design. Cedar creates a gorgeous design aesthetic as decking, eaves, fascia, siding, and soffits.
SHAPE
A flat roof is another indicator of modern house design, in addition to simplified eaves and other streamlined roofing materials. Minimalism is a popular trend in modern home design, and these elements help to achieve a minimalist style in the home without sacrificing on comfort or aesthetics.
VISUAL TEXTURE
Natural looking textures incorporate the warmth of nature into your modern home. Cedar wood is available in visually smooth or knotty textures, distinctively natural characteristics. Douglas Fir plank flooring also provides a vibrant, natural feel to modern living spaces.
Modern homes are best built with sustainable, natural materials that are recyclable and renewable. In achieving modern home design, consideration must also go into installing efficient heating and cooling systems, and of course, energy efficient appliances and lighting.
Founded in Parksville in 1985, at Longhouse Forest Products we are proud to provide our customers with the highest-quality locally sourced forestry products. Over the past four decades, Longhouse has been involved in more than 14,000 construction and design projects around the world. We manufacture custom cut yellow cedar decking, solid wood flooring, cedar fascia and soffits, different varieties of FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)® certified cedar siding, Douglas Fir products, Japanese grade spruce siding, white oak flooring and specialize in producing locally-sourced Western Red Cedar products.
We are committed to providing sustainable forest products to ensure the renewal of our forests for generations to come. Longhouse has maintained FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)® (Forest Stewardship Council) certification by the Rainforest Alliance since 2007, and we are also a member of the Canada Green Building Council and the Greater Vancouver Home Building Association. Longhouse Forest Products also belongs to the Living Building Challenge Foundation and Passive House Canada, through which we continue our commitment to helping design and build energy-efficient and affordable homes for Canadians.
With our decades of experience in the forestry product industry and numerous accolades, Longhouse can provide the products and the know-how to turn your dream project into a reality. Call us toll-free at 1-800-811-2010 or email us at info@longhousecedar.com to find out more about the products and services we can provide for you.