“The term “Modern architecture” describes architecture designed and built within the social, artistic, and cultural attitude known as Modernism” Erin Midgol (1). There is a strong emphasis on experimentation. Modern architecture came around with advancements of engineering and building materials. With respect to architecture, modernism came around in the 20th century, and became more prevalent after WW1. The home shown below is designed by architect Mary Schicketanz, who is the owner of Studio Schicketanz, based out of Carmel, California. The home is known as a hideaway; this specific land development must be hidden from the main highway of Big Sur, California. As you can see in the first two images by Joe Fletcher (3) (4), the home is integrated into its surroundings. You can notice that the exterior of the home has a very warm color to it, complementing the cliff edge. The home exterior is also very open, and has large windows. The design is completely net-zero, making it sustainable.
Moving inside, homeowners say “‘It feels very calm here. Even if you are indoors all day, you feel like you’re outdoors’” Lydia Lee (2). The large windows allow you to view the ocean at all times. As you can see in the remaining images by Joe Fletcher (5)(6)(7)(8), the colors of the home complement each other extremely well, making it feel warm and inviting. The living room walls are covered in hemp, a rather unique material to use in home design. The furniture all have varying colors, like the green sofa and yellow coffee table, but they complement the hemp wall. The bedroom has a rather bland color scheme with a large formalist painting, but the rose color lamp, carpet, and blinds help balance out the room. The kitchen features a wooden ceiling, floor, and table, making the area feel like a tunnel. Once again, we see rose colored chairs and countertops, helping to emphasize the room. The bathroom also has the wood floor design, but has a smooth concrete tub with a large skylight above it. Modern architecture highlights simplicity, meaning specific proportions and surfaces cause the home to have marvelous features.
Modernism eventually influenced postmodernism, which is a more maximalist style, featuring layers of vibrant colors and textures. This was developed “as a reaction against the austerity, formality, and lack of variety of modern architecture” Ghisleni (9). It is designed to be distorted, rather than modernism’s intent of being “clean”.
“(1) Erin Midgol, 2020,https://www.getty.edu/news/what-is-modern-architecture-anyway/”
“(2) Lydia Lee, 2021,https://www.elledecor.com/design-decorate/house-interiors/a36027061/studio-schicketanz-big-sur-house/”
“(3) Joe Fletcher, 2021,https://www.elledecor.com/design-decorate/house-interiors/a36027061/studio-schicketanz-big-sur-house/”
“(4) Joe Fletcher, 2021,https://www.elledecor.com/design-decorate/house-interiors/a36027061/studio-schicketanz-big-sur-house/”
“(5) Joe Fletcher, 2021,https://www.elledecor.com/design-decorate/house-interiors/a36027061/studio-schicketanz-big-sur-house/”
“(6) Joe Fletcher, 2021,https://www.elledecor.com/design-decorate/house-interiors/a36027061/studio-schicketanz-big-sur-house/”
“(7) Joe Fletcher, 2021,https://www.elledecor.com/design-decorate/house-interiors/a36027061/studio-schicketanz-big-sur-house/”
“(8) Joe Fletcher, 2021,https://www.elledecor.com/design-decorate/house-interiors/a36027061/studio-schicketanz-big-sur-house/”
“(9) Camilla Ghisleni 2021, “https://www.archdaily.com/964625/what-is-postmodernism”
2 Comments. Leave new
This post was an informative, in-depth look at a particular modern house. You help describe what aesthetic this house fits and where it stands in relation to the larger aesthetic of modern architecture. It would be interesting to include the date the house was constructed to better inform the reader of what era of modern architecture this house fits in to. You describe the house as being developed specifically to go against the tired trends of modern architecture. The description and example you provide helps the reader recall the “clean” and “sterile” modern houses we are so familiar with, enhancing the visualization. Overall, the description of the material, coloring, lighting, and sound choices for the house help bring some imagination to this post and make the house sound like a desirable place to live, elevating it beyond just the images. It helps inform the reader of how deliberate design and architecture choices can elevate a living experience and why design choices like this are important for quality and sought-after architecture.
Hello Nic!
I’m glad you had a chance to look at the home and I’m glad the description helped elevate the post. After further investigation, I found that Studio Schicketanz built the home in 2020. I find it interesting that even with post-modernism, the designer chose an older style of architecture to best fit the coast of Big Sur.