The bold and beautiful with Drake Design

“Now and then, we have a new client approach us with a keen interest in the work that we do, with some hesitation surrounding how modern or contemporary they want their house to look,” Jarrett said.

“While most have the experience and confidence to have us design the home of their dreams, some people are concerned about what their neighbours may think, whether the council will approve the proposal, or if a contemporary design will genuinely feel like home, and so they consider settling for a more traditional aesthetic.

“When it comes to your dream abode, however, there’s no need to compromise, and any great designer will be able to marry your brief with the challenges surrounding the site, context, budget and council restrictions.”

Jarrett explains that whether it be your forever home or a holiday house, everybody deserves a dwelling that reflects their individuality and how they want to live most positively and functionally possible.

“If you find yourself drawn to a clean and crisp contemporary style, then embrace it in all of its glory,” Jarrett says.

“Modernist homes have been around for over a century, so don’t fear that it’s an untried or untested architectural approach.

“While the style continues to develop and evolve, an excellent modern design will remain timeless and perpetually transcend any trends that come and go. A contemporary aesthetic offers a sense of drama, sophistication, and elegance to any home – which will always stand the test of time.

“With all of that said, you never want your home to feel too rigid or sterile. When taking a modernist approach to design, it’s important to consider and implement a sense of texture, layering and scale to relate it back to a human experience and retain a feeling of domesticity or homeliness.

“This means carefully considering your choice of materials, the proportions of spaces and how each element fits together.

“Our expertise in interior design becomes so important in this regard, where a palette of finishes, fixtures and fittings are selected to compliment and balance the overall design of the home.

“Contemporary design also lends itself to more sustainable and environmentally friendly design principles, making it easier to reduce your carbon footprint and live self-sufficiently.

“From the use of more environmentally friendly materials, efficient running systems and more natural means of lighting, ventilating, heating and cooling the home, a modern design can be a positive choice for the planet. Couple this with inherent qualities surrounding functionality and constructability, and you really can’t go wrong with a contemporary-style home.”

Suppose you’re still not entirely committed to a modernist aesthetic or concerned about how the house will sit in its context. In that case, Jarett reminds his clients not to forget that there are numerous fantastic ways to reinterpret more traditional design approaches for a contemporary setting.

“This works well with modern farmhouse designs, for example, where you can take the quintessential silhouette of a classic Australian farmhouse and play with more streamlined architectural elements and materials,” Jarrett explains.

“The same can be said for simplifying very ornate, classical styles in favour of a more honest and pure aesthetic with a calming, pared-back effect.

“We’d encourage any aspiring homeowner that may be questioning a contemporary aesthetic to reconsider attempting to reproduce – often poorly – styles befit of a bygone era in favour of something more reflective of our time and place.

“A clean, modern design is a great way to design for our local environment, climate, broader social context and our place in history – while also considering longevity and agelessness.”

Whether you’re searching for a bold, unique design or looking for a modern interpretation of something more traditional, you’d be surprised what a great contemporary designer like Drake Design can imagine for your site.