Traditional Home Modern Casual Style 2023

You might be wondering why the Traditional Home brand has its name across a magazine with the word modern big and bold in the title. Fair question. Obviously, my team and I are passionate about traditional design, which is definitively the opposite of modern. That’s also fair. So much incredible design falls in between, resisting a label in deference to eclecticism and curation. In our quarterly subscription magazine, we strive to represent a range of what tradition means to people: reinvigorated Victorian mansions, sublime beach cottages, and new homes constructed and furnished to feel lovingly old. Classic taste for modern life has been a throughline for every editor in chief in this chair. Lately, though, we’ve seen an abundance of luxurious homes in which “modern” tips the balance a…

Recipes. Without them, no meal would be complete, falling short of the perfect flavors and textures. Well-designed kitchens, like recipes, are filled with specific selections unique to the eye of the beholder. Whether savoring its flavorful concoctions or the memories it holds, this Alabama kitchen is surely one thing—and that is style written in stone. “This kitchen is the hub of this home and is open to the living and dining spaces,” designer Sean Anderson says. “A lot of gatherings happen here. I wanted the space to be something special.” To find direction, Anderson made a list of the people who would be enjoying it. “The husband is very outdoorsy while the wife likes a light and bright look,” he says. “I wanted to marry those two styles and visions…

Buying land to raise a family while planting pastoral roots firmly in the ground had always been Andrew Patterson’s dream. Maybe his inherent love for nature or his grandpa Fred’s fondness for animals caused the craving. Regardless, Andrew always promised himself, “Someday I’m going to make enough money, and I’m going to buy a farm.” Then, one day, it became a reality. A custom residential builder based in Newport Beach, California, Andrew is no stranger to planning. However, sometimes the best things in life are unplanned, at least that’s how it worked for Andrew, his wife, Shannon, and their three daughters. “One weekend, my family and I camped in Santa Barbara County,” Andrew says. “It was so beautiful that, on a whim, I looked to see what property was…

South Carolina’s Kiawah Island promises residents an island paradise of white sand dunes, lapping waves, and maritime forest—unless you’re the new owners of a 1970s-era house with virtually no connection to the outdoors. “It’s not unusual to have a house that becomes old and dated over time,” Charleston-based architect Mark Maresca says. “But what made no sense in this case is that the house didn’t take advantage of the gorgeous views. There was no connection to the ocean or surrounding trees. We wanted to change that.” Work was in order to make this old home a true castle in the sand. Maresca took the house down to the studs. Small windows were ousted in favor of expansive runs of glass, including French doors that open to sprawling new outdoor…

A house should tell the story of the people who live there,” architect Jeff Dungan says. “I try to tell that story in the most beautiful way I can.” The tale he weaves in this Birmingham, Alabama, home is as delightful and distinctive as its owners, Charlie and Linda Israel. “I’ve known Charlie quite a few years,” Dungan says. “He’s like a father figure to me. He’s a cowboy—a Western-oriented guy. Linda, on the other hand, is elegant, refined. As they say, opposites attract.” When the empty nesters decided to downsize and bought land near Dungan’s offices, the architect couldn’t wait to start sketching the new house for his friends. “My vision for the house came from them—a beautiful yin and yang thing,” he says. “I wanted the exterior to…

In Ontario, lake living is a natural go-to. Encompassed by serenity, balsam, and endless open air. This is where New York native Anne Hepfer plays—with family and with design. Within this relaxed lake lifestyle, Hepfer proves that neutrals can be luxurious, too. As a passionate traveler, the designer is no stranger to the fuss and flurry of city lights. Yet prioritizing life’s most fleeting resource—time—seemed fitting while nested in a cottage on the outskirts of the rugged Muskoka region. After spending several years immersing herself in all the property had to offer, from the morning light cascading through windows to the billowing wind, Hepfer set her plan in motion. In hopes of preserving an everlasting sense of escapism, Hepfer carefully began to curate chic beginnings as her love for…