entertaining Archives - Modern Classic

Minimal Effort Methods for A Sustainable Green Home

Our Eileen Gray-Inspired Bibendum Chair and Finn Juhl-Inspired Chair 45 Pulled Up to Our Kjaerholm-Inspired PK61 Coffee Table

When it comes to living in a sustainable home, certain measures can be taken to have a bigger impact on preserving the environment than you may realize and, once set in place, require even less effort than walking all the way over to the recycling bin to throw away your water bottle.

Lightbulbs:  Replacing your five most used lights in your house with energy efficient lightbulbs, such as LED or CFL, in a year will save you enough for a mini-shopping spree (around $75-100).  What is most manageable and reduces waste is replacing any traditional incandescents with energy efficient bulbs one-by-one as they burn out.  This way you can gradually transition to an entirely sustainably lit home without wasting any incandescent bulbs already in place

Furniture:  Do you know where your furniture was made and where those materials were sourced and how their manufacturing practices might impact the environment?  Its a surprising number of well-known furniture manufacturers who do not have these answers.  By manufacturing all our furniture in our factory, we have full control over the entire production process, and a big part of it is ensuring the most sustainable methods are properly being practiced to minimize any impact on the Earth’s limited natural resources. Our sustainable practices value human safety and the environment, and our customers can feel good about having our furniture in their homes.

Non-Disposable Containers:  A few months ago, I bought a dozen glass water bottles and made a commitment to stop buying plastic water bottles.  This small change has saved so much money and trips to the recycling bin, not to mention is more stylish than a carrying a crinkled plastic water bottle.  This same practice can be applied to every type of container in the house and only requires a few adjustments how you buy the products going in each container (for example, buying in bulk or making your own cleaning formulas)

Making Your Own Cleaning Formulas:  Not only can these easy-to-make formulas decimate germs and bacteria just as well as anything store bought, but harmful chemicals are kept out of your home, thus protecting your health and the environment.

You can learn more and visit us at our showroom in Bellingham!

Color Blocking By Design: Easy As 1, 2, 3

Our Saarinen-Inspired Womb Chair and Ottoman in Our Exclusive Chartreuse Green Boucle

Color blocking is one element found in modern design that has always been my favorite part of the design process, especially  when it is one single color over a neutral palette, thus making it ‘pop.’ This is where you have the liberty to set the tone of the room however you wish based on your color choice. It can be introduced with a Cerulean duvet for a calming bedroom setting, or spry Living Coral throw pillows in the living room for a fun spot to entertain guests.

Platner’s Spot in 1960s Modernism

Platner Style Round Dining Table

Having worked for Eero Saarinen early in his career, it is clear Warren Platner drew influence from him by the soft curves of his furniture designs.  Still able to make a name for himself, the American designer created a revolutionary method of welding dozens of steel rods onto a circular frame, giving his collection of furniture a strong and beautiful structure and an icon of 1960s modernism.

Our Platner-Style Round Dining Table closely matches the dimensions of his original design.   Though he originally created the base from nickel-plated steel rods, today we have the option to use the more resilient and durable option of stainless steel for our base.  With a 5/8” inch tempered glass top, our version of this iconic table is the perfect focal point for any dining room!

Come check out this icon of 1960s Modernism plus more of what we have to offer in our Bellingham showroom!

Modern Home: Quick Cleaning In Minutes Before Guests Arrive

Our Exhibition Chair and Footstool in Black Leather

When life gets busy and your keeping your modern home tidy falls to the bottom of the list of priorities, there’s no better reminder its time to clean up than those 10 minutes before guests are due to arrive.  Considering it is going to take more time to get your modern home back to it’s usual pristine condition, focus on tackling certain areas for now and you can have your modern home look put together enough just as your doorbell rings:

Clear Surfaces: Its easy to let clutter build up on any available surface without paying much attention to it, but by clearing the dishes you may have on your kitchen counter and hanging up the jacket you mindlessly tossed on your Exhibition Chair (and all other surfaces in between) your modern home will already appear vastly tidier than it was before.

Bathroom: This is an area all guests will see at some point, and where you need to focus on straightening up and wiping down all surfaces, even if there’s not enough time to do a thorough deep cleaning until later.  It is the one spot in your home where being anything less than clean is hard for guests to ignore.

Sitting Area: Since this is the other area your guests will all see, take a few minutes to wipe down and vacuum the overall area.  It will create a fresh and welcoming area for everyone.

Love Is In The Details: But this is not the time to devote to arbitrary details as if you have all the time in the world.  Still, it takes mere seconds to light your new soy wax candle or to set out those fresh flowers, thus transforming your modern home into a comfortable environment for you and your guests.

Sparkling Clean Dishes and Glassware: Is there anything as cringeworthy as noticing foreign food particles on your wine glass just as you are going in for a sip?  Be sure not to put your guests in this awkward position and have everything cleaned and inspected before they arrive.

These are just a few of my tried and true methods, what are some of your favorites?  Share below or in person by visiting us at our showroom location in Bellingham!

Transition A New House Into Your New Home

Autumn Tan Leather Executive Armchairs and Modern Vignette For Your New Home

Transitioning into a new space is an exciting process, albeit settling in can at time feel a bit… unsettling.  Once the boxes are delivered and the movers leave, the process of transforming this new and unfamiliar atmosphere into your very own new home can begin.  In the years I have lived in Chicago, I have had five apartments and a list of my go-to methods I consider part of the standard moving procedure so I can immediately settle in and feel at home:

Modern Vignette:  If useful and beautiful are the criteria, consider a vignette to be a bit of both. Looking to an empty side table, mantel or empty shelf, a well-balanced modern vignette has a stronger transformative power on the entire room than you might realize.  There are no hard rules when it comes to creating a modern vignette, though I find sticking to three or five items and thinking symmetrically looks best, lest it turn into a knick-knack nightmare.  Exactly which items to use?  Consider it a chance to have fun with functional items as decor: clocks, lighting, plants, its up to you!  If it brings you joy when you see it, even just a little bit,  then you did it right.

Lighting– If mind-numbingly harsh LED overhead lighting is not your thing (what I call the alien mothership lights), look to the infinite other lighting options.  Whether its the ostentatious chandelier or a $5 table lamp, accent lighting instantly changes an atmosphere from a one-size-fits-all to your personal sanctuary.

Signature scent– We all know smell is the strongest sense linked to memory and moving into your new home means memories are in the making. Diffuse your signature scent (anything lavender or sage are my favorites), throughout your new home early on and soon it will become the first thing you, and everyone else, will notice upon walking in the door.  Years from now, this scent it will trigger all the memories of this settling in phase in your new home.

Furniture– Form follows function, in other words, step 1, make it useful then step 2, make it beautiful (not the other way around).  Comfort is a key ingredient in settling in, so if you are using the floor in your home office to sit, those Executive Armchairs  you’ve been considering are going to serve a critical purpose and address your immediate need which is to stop using the floor as a chair (and they happen to be beautiful too, two birds one stone).  After this, you can go crazy with your modern decor ideas you have been pinning.

Entertaining– There is a reason its not called a housecooling party, but even after you throw your housewarming party,  filling a new apartment  with friends and loved ones is always means good memories in a new home.

If you are looking for a bit of modern inspiration to bring into your new home, visit our showroom location in Bellingham!