DESIGN ELEMENTS: REIMAGINING CONTEMPORARY
There is no design rule that says classic architecture and contemporary style don’t mix. The style police will not break through the door if sleek modern furnishings gather around a rustic stone fireplace beneath a coffered reclaimed wood ceiling that exudes Western history. JLF Architects creates houses that are timeless so that they can absorb any style of interior design.
Sculpted leather chairs and a large-scale overhead pendant light in the living room of this Montana house punctuate the traditional materials of wood and stone with modern form (photo: Audrey Hall).
A house is a living art form that evolves with the people who live in it. At JLF Architects, truth is that high-quality materials, scale, and personal connection are the keys to good architecture and design. The bones of the building will remain strong and distinct, while the objects on the inside move fluidly from year to year based on the owners’ passions and taste.
“A holistic design-build approach allows for the personality of our clients to show in the work,” says JLF principal Logan Leachman.
Whether the dwelling is a ranch or a ski chalet, the opportunities to blend cutting edge design with rustic materials are endless. In one Jackson Hole mountain home the traditional gabled roof and rustic wood belie interior statements of bold color and textures that bring the scale of the room down to a human level. Brombal steel windows add an industrial edge to the notion of a woodsy cabin. A banister that lines the second floor combines rustic timbers with tempered glass for a blend of old and new.
A traditional exterior is an envelope for creative contemporary style inside this Jackson, Wyoming home (photos: Audrey Hall).
When a house is built for the ages, interior design elements seamlessly punctuate its sound structure and form. Even in an Italian villa, set in the ancient hills of Montalcino, simplicity sets the stage for a contemporary retreat.
Streamlined forms and neutral tones lend simplicity to the dining room of Villa Palazzetta for a 21st-century update to this 16th-century Italian villa (photo: Ed Riddell).
The effect of simple lines, natural tones and strategic pops of color elevate a 400-year-old remodeled villa with the sensibilities of 21st-century living. Reimagining how modern furnishings and contemporary lifestyle find neutral ground is the essence of designing and building a home.
