Modern Contemporary Homes
At Scott Simpson Design + Build, we have been building modern contemporary homes featuring custom architecture and design elements for more than 30 years.
We love when a home features contemporary architecture home design elements. Key features include open floor plans, streamlined spaces, statement pieces and a variety of materials and finishes. Here are a few favorite SSDB contemporary home design and build project highlights:
- Contemporary Tudor – Kenilworth
- Contemporary Shingle-Style – Wilmette
- Eco-conscious Contemporary – Northbrook
- East Coast Elegant Contemporary – Northbrook
- Video: Touring a Contemporary Shingle Style Home – Wilmette
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Modern Contemporary Homes 101
(Source: Architectural Digest)
Defined by clean lines, decorated minimalism, and current trends, contemporary interiors are distinctly of-the-moment—even when the moment changes. Starting in the 1970s, the style was first seen as more of an amalgamation of various popular aesthetics of the time, like modernism, postmodernism and Art Deco. Slowly the term contemporary started to take on a meaning of its own.
Today when someone talks about contemporary style, they’re often referring to an aesthetic that bridges the gap between modern and minimalist, with a more neutral color palette that highlights the architecture of a space. Contemporary interiors are much more fluid and ever-changing. Modern homes, however, incorporate specific qualities and elements often derived from or inspired by the midcentury-modern movement of the ’40s and ’50s.
Though not an exhaustive list, many modern contemporary homes will make use of the following elements:
- Open spaces and floor plans
- Clean, straight lines
- Neutral color schemes with pops of color from artworks
- Layered textures
- Streamlined silhouettes and geometric shapes
- Statement chandeliers or pendant lights
- Breadth of materials including
- Soft textiles
- Metal accents
- Carved wood
- Natural woven elements, like jute
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Modern Contemporary Homes Architects and Builders
After more than 30 years of building luxury modern contemporary homes homes on Chicago’s North Shore, we believe SSDB offers the right combination of experience, expertise, references and local ties to deliver on your vision of a contemporary home design. Opting for a united design-build service is a smart way to secure licensed architects, builders, a dedicated project management team with long-standing subcontractors, suppliers, and craftspeople that pay close attention to detail.
Our team maximizes spending power and minimizes obstacles – allowing your family to enjoy the luxury of a collaborative, informed, and inspiring process all along the journey of building your dream home.
Our North Shore architects and builders specialize in new home construction, historic renovations, and eco-conscious green building projects. We would be happy to take you on a tour through some of our contemporary style homes in the North Shore suburbs. Please contact us, and we’ll get something on the schedule with our team of contemporary home architects.
A contemporary home architect designs homes around the defining principles of contemporary architecture, including clean lines, open spaces, streamlined forms, and a thoughtful combination of materials and finishes. At Scott Simpson Design + Build, our architects work alongside builders and project managers to create a cohesive design-build experience from the initial concept through construction.
Contemporary homes often feature open floorplans, clean and straight lines, neutral color schemes, layered textures, geometric shapes, statement lighting, and a variety of materials such as wood, metal, textiles, and natural woven elements. Custom contemporary homes are designed and built specifically around a homeowner’s lifestyle, property, and design preferences.
Yes. SSDB has more than 30 years of experience designing and building luxury custom contemporary homes throughout Chicago’s North Shore and nearby communities. Our portfolio includes contemporary homes in Kenilworth, Wilmette, and Northbrook, with each project tailored to the homeowners’ vision and the character of the property.
Modern and contemporary home design are related but distinct. Modern design refers to a specific design movement that developed primarily during the early to mid-twentieth century, while contemporary design is more fluid and reflects current design trends. Contemporary homes often bridge the gap between modern and minimalist aesthetics by incorporating clean lines, neutral palettes, streamlined spaces, and an emphasis on architecture.
CONTEMPORARY HOME DESIGNS
Happy Clients
“Having everything new and yet having everything feel old and comfortable is just what we wanted. They were wonderful to work with and we’re so happy with the result.”
~ Landes-Levenstam Family, Winnetka
“You have been the best team that we’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. You made the whole process so easy & with a global pandemic added to the mix!!”
~ Cullis Family, Highland Park
“We loved every minute of the process and even moved in 6 weeks early!! We really looked forward to our planning meetings and quickly became friends through the building process. They are truly a wonderful design/build company who honors what they say, is transparent with the budget and customizes the project to their client’s needs.”
~ Wenk Family, Northbrook
“Craftmanship of the highest standard! I give my highest compliment to the entire crew at SSDB for making our home so special and doing it with such thoughtfulness and love!”
~ Miller Family, Northbrook
“They share a true love of building and wanted to make sure that our home reflected both our needs and style. All of the subcontractors were very talented and routinely cleaned up every day. We may be the only homeowners to say, “we miss working with our builders every day.”
~ Krull Family, Renovation in Northbrook
“You were amazing at managing the big picture but not skimping on the quality details that make all the difference. We are so proud to have people over and so happy to be raising our family in this amazing space customized just for us.”
~ Champ and Lisa Raju, Northbrook
“Their expertise, accessibility and transparency sets them apart and their “product” is unmatched among other builders. Most importantly, they are remarkable people whose main goal is to create a beautiful and unique space for you and your family.”
~ Two-Time Client, Northbrook
“The quality of workmanship from every one of their contractors was five-star. We love our new home and continue to have a great relationship with the SSDB crew from start to finish and beyond! I would recommend them without hesitation.”
~ Design-Build Homeowners, Northbrook
“Every day we sit back and marvel at how much we love this house. It was the best decision we ever made. We appreciate the Simpson team’s company culture and the way they take care of business and are grateful for the fun we had building this house together.”
~ Harris Family, Northbrook
“The step by step process made us feel very comfortable and left no surprises with our budget. We feel so lucky to have worked with Simpson Builders and would highly recommend them to any of our family, friends, or anyone else!!”
~ New Construction Family, Northbrook
“I hope you are continuing to use us as reference whenever you need and my door is always open for you to walk clients through.”
~ Northbrook Family
“We are so happy with the house. It’s everything we dreamed. It’s like we dreamed it- imagined it- and now we’re standing in it!”
~Myers Family, Northbrook
“We love our house, are obsessed with it and never want to leave! We are so grateful for the hard work and patience of the whole SSDB team designing and building us a home that is exactly what we wanted.”
~ Ross Family, Northbrook
“Now that we are building again we didn’t even let anyone else bid on the project. They are really that good. Besides the quality of the work, they are super easy to deal with, always on top of things and always answer the phone.”
~ Donahue Family, Northbrook
“Everything exceeded our expectations. The design features, construction quality, and team dedication to our home’s design and construction, couldn’t have gone better.”
~ New Construction Client, Glenview
“We like the idea of having the coordination and collaboration of a team of people versus having an outside architect and builder. As the process unfolded, we really saw the benefit of that. We feel very fortunate that we made the right choice in builders.”
~ Dave and Nancy Huber, Glenview
“We can admit now – we picked you for what turned out to be the best reason of all – we liked you as people. And we really think that good feeling comes across in our home.”
~ Custom SSDB Homeowner, Glenview
“Making our home LEED certified was no easy task but your eco-building sophistication and connection to expert North Shore subs made this build possible – and beautiful.”
~ Glenview Family, New Design-Build
“I don’t believe that a day doesn’t go by where my wife and I say how much we love our home. Our house is perfection. Friends that come to visit are in awe and jealous of our home.”
~ Custom Home Clients, Glencoe
“SSDB built us a beautiful home. It was a great process. Even after the build, it’s good to know they will always be looking out for us.”
~ Barb and Bob Davis, Glencoe