How to Achieve Organic Modern Style
See how designers use a mix of clean lines and natural materials to create warm, pleasing spaces
“Organic modern” is a style term bouncing around in today’s design lexicon, so it’s a good time to look at exactly what it means. The term refers to an overall design style — a balanced mix of modern lines and often crisp white surfaces contrasted with natural forms and materials, and neutral colors. Here’s a look at what the style means to designers and how to achieve it.
The architecture of this house in Sonoma County, California, is contemporary with nods to modern style, while the color palette and the majority of the materials used by designers Dawn Carlson and Carol Perry of MAS Design came from nature. Here in the living room, they covered the long fireplace wall with a rustic-cut limestone and used natural textiles. And the coffee tables resemble giant rocks that have been smoothed by a river.
Read more about this house | Find architects and building designers on Houzz
Read more about this house | Find architects and building designers on Houzz
Architectural Elements
The look is by no means limited to modern or contemporary homes — it is possible to add modern elements to a transitional or traditional home through the furnishings and the color and material palettes. In this transitional home, designer Ginger Curtis creates the style by blending rugged elements with minimalist, modern lines. She balances the two together until the results feel fresh and welcoming. One way she likes to accomplish the look is by using architectural elements like worn wood beams contrasted by crisp white walls. The wood of the bed has an organic feel, but its simple blocky shape is minimalist and modern.
Read more about this house
The look is by no means limited to modern or contemporary homes — it is possible to add modern elements to a transitional or traditional home through the furnishings and the color and material palettes. In this transitional home, designer Ginger Curtis creates the style by blending rugged elements with minimalist, modern lines. She balances the two together until the results feel fresh and welcoming. One way she likes to accomplish the look is by using architectural elements like worn wood beams contrasted by crisp white walls. The wood of the bed has an organic feel, but its simple blocky shape is minimalist and modern.
Read more about this house
Connection to Immediate Surroundings
For this coastal home on British Columbia’s Pender Island, designers Ian McLeod and Kerry Johnson looked to the surrounding water and beaches to come up with their palette. Here the pebbles from the nearby coast inspired the colors. “I often tell the visually overwhelmed to pick up a handful of pebbles to take to the paint store for guaranteed color harmony,” McLeod says.
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For this coastal home on British Columbia’s Pender Island, designers Ian McLeod and Kerry Johnson looked to the surrounding water and beaches to come up with their palette. Here the pebbles from the nearby coast inspired the colors. “I often tell the visually overwhelmed to pick up a handful of pebbles to take to the paint store for guaranteed color harmony,” McLeod says.
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Starla and Scott Campbell’s beautiful North Carolina forest and mountain surroundings inspired the organic modern style of their Asheville home. Large beams and dashes of green complement the trees outside the large windows, while the gray tones in the paint (Grizzle Gray by Sherwin-Williams) nod to the colors of the mountains. An example of the organic modern mix is the island countertop. It is made of natural stone (Fantasy Brown quartzite) with a leathered finish, while at the same time its profile provides thick, sharp, substantial lines.
Find a kitchen designer to help you select your materials
Find a kitchen designer to help you select your materials
Handcrafted Pieces
“We wanted to incorporate as many natural materials as possible because we wanted to bring nature indoors and because modern can get sterile. And we love to be surrounded by things that are handcrafted,” Starla says. In fact, an important part of the Campbells’ home is Scott’s workshop in the basement. This is an example of his handiwork. Starla designed this live-edge walnut shelf, and Scott made it. A bronze planter that looks like a piece of abstract art provides a spot for plants above it.
“We wanted to incorporate as many natural materials as possible because we wanted to bring nature indoors and because modern can get sterile. And we love to be surrounded by things that are handcrafted,” Starla says. In fact, an important part of the Campbells’ home is Scott’s workshop in the basement. This is an example of his handiwork. Starla designed this live-edge walnut shelf, and Scott made it. A bronze planter that looks like a piece of abstract art provides a spot for plants above it.
Finne dubs many of his projects “crafted modernism.” Whenever clients allow, the architect designs not only the architecture, but also as much of the furnishings as he can, blending handcrafted style inspired by nature with modern technology. For example, the light fixtures and table here highlight hand-drawn organic forms that resemble a river or a topographical line, but they were crafted on a modern piece of machinery, a CNC (computer numerical control) water-jet cutter. And the wooden bar stools he designed were milled using a CNC router.
Read more about this house
Read more about this house
Straight Lines and Striking Contrasts
Curtis likes to achieve the look by combining iconic modern pieces with elements “that feel like they were carved out of the earth.” The rustic farm table, hide rug and woven pendant lights warm this room with an earthy feel, while iconic midcentury modern Eames Shell chairs and the emphasis on strong horizontal lines maintain a modern vibe. “The result is something that lures you in for its comfort, style and creativity,” she says.
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Curtis likes to achieve the look by combining iconic modern pieces with elements “that feel like they were carved out of the earth.” The rustic farm table, hide rug and woven pendant lights warm this room with an earthy feel, while iconic midcentury modern Eames Shell chairs and the emphasis on strong horizontal lines maintain a modern vibe. “The result is something that lures you in for its comfort, style and creativity,” she says.
Find woven pendant lights
Meaning and Story
In this project, Carlson added pieces that also had a deeper significance within their context, telling Houzz that achieving organic modern design meant “softening up the minimalist modern aesthetic with pieces that have a meaning and a story.” For example these pendant lights have a history — they are repurposed Indonesian fishing nets lined in rice paper.
And the designers nodded to one of the homeowners’ Japanese heritage by designing a custom bed and nightstand piece inspired by Japanese platform beds. While we’re talking organic, think of Mother Earth when creating organic modern style — this bed is made of sustainably harvested ash, and the walnut stain is water-based.
In this project, Carlson added pieces that also had a deeper significance within their context, telling Houzz that achieving organic modern design meant “softening up the minimalist modern aesthetic with pieces that have a meaning and a story.” For example these pendant lights have a history — they are repurposed Indonesian fishing nets lined in rice paper.
And the designers nodded to one of the homeowners’ Japanese heritage by designing a custom bed and nightstand piece inspired by Japanese platform beds. While we’re talking organic, think of Mother Earth when creating organic modern style — this bed is made of sustainably harvested ash, and the walnut stain is water-based.
Organic Textures and Sleek Surfaces
This condo in Vancouver, British Columbia, had spectacular 52nd-floor views, but its expanses of glass and modern bones left the space feeling cold. While the homeowners wanted to keep a modern aesthetic, they also wanted their home to feel welcoming. “These potentially cold, high-end high rises benefit hugely by walls of either wood or organic-textured wallcoverings. All add reassuring, natural warmth, which takes the edge off concrete, glass and steel construction,” McLeod says. Here he and his partner covered the plain drywall with a cork silver-backed birch bark wallcovering.
Read more about this condo | Find textured wallpapers on Houzz
This condo in Vancouver, British Columbia, had spectacular 52nd-floor views, but its expanses of glass and modern bones left the space feeling cold. While the homeowners wanted to keep a modern aesthetic, they also wanted their home to feel welcoming. “These potentially cold, high-end high rises benefit hugely by walls of either wood or organic-textured wallcoverings. All add reassuring, natural warmth, which takes the edge off concrete, glass and steel construction,” McLeod says. Here he and his partner covered the plain drywall with a cork silver-backed birch bark wallcovering.
Read more about this condo | Find textured wallpapers on Houzz
In this organic modern home in Oregon’s high desert, the knotty floors throughout provide organic texture and color. Meanwhile, either horizontal planks or white walls with minimal millwork make the walls modern. And the crisp white backdrop provides the best contrast for the gnarled tree trunk.
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Shop for hardwood flooring
Organic Shapes
Like that gnarled tree trunk, the not-perfectly-round shapes of these sculptures break up the strict straight lines in this contemporary Miami house. “These sculptures were chosen to relate back to the organic elements throughout the space,” Ivonne Ronderos of DKOR Interiors told Houzz. “The general concept was to bring the outdoors inside through the use of natural materials and textures. And the organic textures of the sculptures soften the starkness of the stair design.”
Like that gnarled tree trunk, the not-perfectly-round shapes of these sculptures break up the strict straight lines in this contemporary Miami house. “These sculptures were chosen to relate back to the organic elements throughout the space,” Ivonne Ronderos of DKOR Interiors told Houzz. “The general concept was to bring the outdoors inside through the use of natural materials and textures. And the organic textures of the sculptures soften the starkness of the stair design.”
An Outdoor Reversal
For the most part, we’ve explored boxy white interior architecture softened by organic elements. But outside, flip the script — because outdoor spaces generally give us a natural base, organic modern design outdoors usually means introducing strong modern elements. Here the straight lines of the pool, tiles and furniture, the simple shapes of the fire pit and oversize planters, and the solid colors and neutral color palette provide a beautiful contrast to the foliage and planted forms.
For the most part, we’ve explored boxy white interior architecture softened by organic elements. But outside, flip the script — because outdoor spaces generally give us a natural base, organic modern design outdoors usually means introducing strong modern elements. Here the straight lines of the pool, tiles and furniture, the simple shapes of the fire pit and oversize planters, and the solid colors and neutral color palette provide a beautiful contrast to the foliage and planted forms.
Sustainably Renovating
When designing in a way to highlight nature, it’s only fitting to protect it while remodeling. In this project, Burns Organic Modern used salvaged wood including walnut from Goby Walnut, a company that salvages wood from dead and dying trees, and plants five seedlings for every tree it uses. The PaperStone countertops are made of recycled paper and non-petroleum-based resins, and the paint used was zero-VOC (volatile organic compounds). And perhaps even more important, the team prevented as much of the construction waste as possible from ending up in a landfill by reusing the wood; recycling the metal, plastic, carpet and carpet pad; and donating the usable fixtures, cabinets, windows and doors for reuse.
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11 Ways to Get the Organic Modern Look for Less
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When designing in a way to highlight nature, it’s only fitting to protect it while remodeling. In this project, Burns Organic Modern used salvaged wood including walnut from Goby Walnut, a company that salvages wood from dead and dying trees, and plants five seedlings for every tree it uses. The PaperStone countertops are made of recycled paper and non-petroleum-based resins, and the paint used was zero-VOC (volatile organic compounds). And perhaps even more important, the team prevented as much of the construction waste as possible from ending up in a landfill by reusing the wood; recycling the metal, plastic, carpet and carpet pad; and donating the usable fixtures, cabinets, windows and doors for reuse.
More
11 Ways to Get the Organic Modern Look for Less
Find a designer in your area
One way architects and designers accomplish the look is to start with the framework of a modern house and use natural materials throughout the interiors. For example, the architecture of this kitchen is a simple clean-lined space, but architect Nils Finne filled it with highly crafted furnishings made of natural materials that include bamboo, stained elm, woven cattail and sea grass.