December 12, 2004

9:02 AM

Apart from "modernist, very expensive, and very good", what words does one use to describe the kind of home architecture/construction in which there are no baseboards or traditional moldings, everything fits together perfectly, floors and walls meet seamlessly, etc.? What terms do I need to know in order to find someone who does this type of work?
posted by stonerose to (10 comments total)

"Specializing in recreating the work of Irving J. Gill"?
posted by omidius at 9:07 AM on December 12, 2004

Bauhaus? The Mies Van der Rohe school?
posted by damnitkage at 9:22 AM on December 12, 2004

"Igloos"?
posted by bingo at 9:56 AM on December 12, 2004

"Crackerbox?"
posted by SPrintF at 10:12 AM on December 12, 2004

minimalist
posted by Miko at 10:35 AM on December 12, 2004

Try Wallpaper* magazine.
posted by b1tr0t at 11:52 AM on December 12, 2004

Responsible, detail oriented.

Know you will pay a lot more for this and you will have to stay on the craftsperson's ass. Make sure you have a very clear contract and that your opinion is the ultimate QC. Anything less and you will find half inch cracks filled with caulk and sloppily painted over.
posted by jmgorman at 12:37 PM on December 12, 2004

my experience isn't in america, or with this style of building (or price level), but i'd strongly suggest doing everything through an architect or interior designer (is this building from scratch or decorating, or somewhere inbetween?). a decent architect/designer will be able to show you things they have worked on before, and you can see if they match your expectations. they will also have workmen they trust and will handle dealing with them and the qc.

in which case, you're question boils down to finding a suitable architect/designer. you culd probably just visit one at random, explain the style you want in the words you used here, and they will (for free, i would guess) recommend some people you can start with. or look through magazines or newspaper supplements, or visit your local university architecture dept, or ask a friend of a friend who is an architect, or ask here, giving your location...

a little googling turned up this organisation and this magazine. this semes particularly appropriate.
posted by andrew cooke at 2:05 PM on December 12, 2004

(maybe it's not clear, but a large part of their job is understanding what you want, whether you know the right words or not).
posted by andrew cooke at 2:07 PM on December 12, 2004

Thanks, all. I guess it's a matter of explaining what I want in detail - I thought I might be able to find a shorthand way of expressing it, just to have a point of reference from which to start. At least I know I wasn't missing something obvious!
posted by stonerose at 2:26 PM on December 12, 2004