Welcome back to my Beyond the Modern Farmhouse blog series!  This series is intended to expand your design horizons, expose you to some new possibilities and give you fresh inspiration for your next project. Last time, we took a look at European Cottage Style and today I’d like to introduce you to Organic Modern. 

I think this is a style that will resonate with many of you…it certainly does with me!  Organic Modern contrasts modern design elements with warm, textural surfaces and curvilinear shapes.  It combines the simplified forms and minimal decoration that you would expect in a modern space and softens them with warm colors, natural materials and texture to create warmth and coziness. 

An Organic Modern home might have large windows, much like the iconic modern classic Farnsworth house, where architect Mies Van der Rohe was attempting to blur the boundaries of indoors & out.  For many of you, however, that home is a bit too sleek and modern to resonate with your daily life and that’s where Organic Modern comes in.  Let’s take a closer look!

Exterior Features

• Large expanses of glass: floor to ceiling windows, large glass sliding doors or folding wall systems to create a closely connected indoor-outdoor living experience
• Simplified forms and clean architectural lines.  A focus on quality craftsmanship rather than applied ornamentation.
• Celebrate the inherent texture found in natural materials like stone and wood to add warmth and interest to clean lines

Interior Features

• Natural materials – wood, stone, leather and natural fibers like wool & cotton.  Authenticity in materials is important to this style (and in all of design if you ask me!) so wherever budget allows, it is best to use the “real thing” over cheap imitations.
• Warm-neutral Color Palette – warm whites, soft beiges, muted greens and deep browns. Soothing and earthy. 
• Clean lines with soft curves – Furniture and architectural elements are simplified, but may also feature rounded edges or organic, curvilinear shapes that mimic shapes found in nature.   Some examples might be arched doorways and curvy furniture. 
• Serene Simplicity  – Organic Modern avoids excessive ornamentation and focuses on purposeful design elements that also have a function.  Quality craftsmanship is celebrated over ornamentation.  The result is a calm, relaxed space that give your eyes “visual rest”.
• Textural Contrast – Playing with texture is a key component of Organic Modern Style.   A textured boucle fabric next to a polished chrome side table is the key to making both textures really “sing”! 

Summary

The principles of Organic Modern are ones that I’ve used many times throughout my years designing commercial interiors.  We were often trying to create a feeling of warmth in modern buildings, so I frequently relied on texture, natural materials and contrast (or lack there of) to create spaces that were inviting and cozy. 

Maybe you’re easily overwhelmed by visual clutter (like I am!)  If so, Organic Modern would be a great style for you to pursue for your upcoming project.  It’s bold and decisive in it’s forms, but soft and serene in color palette and gentle lines.  This style also has a lot of staying power.  The ideas behind it – natural materials + clean lines – aren’t going anywhere any time soon.   

If you’re interested in this style and would like to learn more, here are a few articles for additional reading that might interest you:

Hello Organic Modernism, Goodbye Modern Farmhouse

Elements of Organic Modern Design

I hope you’re feeling inspired to think Beyond the Modern Farmhouse, to the plethora of beautiful design styles available to us! Until next time…