The Fear of Modern

Modern is Cold. Modern is SO not me!! WHY?

So often we hear this distaste/dislike/disgust at modern. And frankly, we don’t get it. While there is some modern design that exists purely for the cool factor, there is so much more modern that IS warm AND cool at the same time. Modern can be clean and unfussy but still family friendly. In the USA, we are so often “behind the times” when it comes to design. Think of the Scandinavians. Think of the Germans. Think of the Italians. They all have families. They all embrace design. And they live to prove that family and design can coexist.

This is not to say that you must give up your love for tchotchke. But rather, edit, edit, edit. Find the pieces you love THE MOST!! Embrace them. Allow them to define you and your history and your hopes for the future. But deny the clutter and the stuff that you inherited or that entered your life wrapped in a bow. Choose pieces that are easy to clean, unfussy and full of storage. For the timid modernist, consider mixing both traditional and modern in the same package. YES!! Choose a modern sink/tub with a traditional faucet. Or vice-versa.

These are some examples of the mix…

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Beachy Bath

Living at the coast inspires us to honor its beauty in our own homes. Our clients often ask for a “Beachy Bath”. There are SO many ways this can be achieved but this new vanity from Native Trails would be a great start. It’s made of caramel bamboo which satisfies our green-minded clients and it’s sexy curves add a touch of Bohemian Glamour–perfect for the city dweller in us who decided to run off n live by the coast (or at least feel like it!!).

Native Trails was founded by an inspiring woman who set out to find her own path to offer great design while respecting sustainable manufacturing. The copper in the line is recycled and the wood in the vanities is reclaimed or in the case of the Monaco, sustainably grown and harvested.

I see this vanity with glass tiles and pale natural stone paired with a brushed or polished nickel faucet. To add a bit of individuality, a faucet in a smoky gun barrel or graphite finish could be conversation worthy. I’m even going to recommend some cute sconces, Beachy–almost lantern-like–to further bring the beach indoors. All we need now are some sandy feet!!

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Visit California Faucets Made in California to virtually create your own faucet in their cool graphite finish. (I blog via my iPhone which means I have no access to Flash so I couldn’t create one for you)

Also, check out AquaBrass (made in Italy) to see the Belmondo or Batlo faucet as well as a host of other signature faucets. They offer Gun Barrel as a finish which can make for a SMOKIN’ bathroom ( sorry–I couldn’t resist the obvious humor!)

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