Our interpretation of Modern/Minimalism

I thought I’d flesh out our interpretation of Modern/Minimalism as it relates to our new house. Pictured above are Bocci 22 electrical wall outlets. There are no face plates, just a simple, flush, functional outlet. To me, this illustrates one of the major factors in minimalist design—no unneccesary trim, embellishments, or just plain crap. This idea carries over into:

Process. We will try to keep construction simple by using standard sizes where possible for trusses, drywall, etc.;

Lifestyle. Attempt to declutter our lives by paring down non-essential material possessions;

Design. Keep to simple forms and colors that align with natural surroundings.

The minimalist approach also works well with “green building” principles. We will “buy local” where possible, use energy star appliances, minimize chemicals (i.e., no VOC paints) and, hopefully, install solar panels on the roof for our hot water, PV array for power, thermal or ground water heat exchange for, well, heating.

The reality is that these require larger upfront investment. Although there are financial incentives from the state and some power companies, many of these things end up costing more than the conventional systems that rely on oil or gas for combustion. So, some of what is on our wish list might not be possible.

The “modern” component of this relates to our love for great, classic design as exemplified by these well-known 20th century modernists:

Charles and Ray Eames

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

Le Corbusier

I tend to see things in musical terms. There’s been a minimalist movement in music for quite some time, going back to Erik Satie’s experiments with what he called “Furniture Music.” “In the midst of an art opening at a Paris gallery in 1902, Ambient music was born. Erik Satie and his cronies, after begging everyone in the gallery to ignore them, broke out into what they called Furniture Music—that is, background music—music as wallpaper, music to be purposely not listened to. The patrons of the gallery, thrilled to see musicians performing in their midst, ceased talking and politely watched, despite Satie’s frantic efforts to get them to pay no attention.”

Contemporary music minimalists that I love include:

Arvo Part

Goldmund




Library Tapes



Olafur Arnalds




I’ll save my interest in foot-pedal faucets for another post. Stay tuned.