Modern Living — If home design is done creatively, bigger isn't always better

Kenton Peters wanted something different.

Tired of the stucco, bigger-is-better world that is Utah, Peters designed a thoroughly modern home in the middle of the historic Capitol Hills neighborhood.

"I'm disappointed every time I drive by a new development where everything is just cookie-cutter McMansion style," said Peters, who works at KP2 Architects. "What it seems to be in Utah, for the most part, people are building quantity rather than quality."

Modern homes like his are rare in the Salt Lake Valley.

The stark lines, non-traditional use of building material (concrete floors, wood accent panels, steel frames), and unconventional placements draw attention to these uncommon structures, many of which have an intangible allure that draws the eye.

Peters designed the 1,900 square-foot home to "make a small house feel big." To achieve this goal, Peters designed numerous open spaces throughout the upper floor.

On a sunny day, the homeowner can roll open a glass and aluminum-style garage door that opens up to a deck and eat dinner outside. In the living room, a pair of french doors open up onto an enclosed courtyard.

Bright colors dominate the house. A yellow-cubed deck on the west side sits below the blue-arched roof. A red platform hangs over the front doorstep.

Peters lived in the home he designed with his family for three years. He said that although the home was small, the design concepts made it a "perfect fit" for his wife and two children.

"If you're creative, bigger isn't necessarily better," Peters said. "I think you can do a small modern house that lives really well, that provides the spaces that a family needs and also provides visual interest rather than just going bigger is better.

"This is something that is missing from the Utah architectural scene."

Peters said he never heard any complaints from neighbors about the home's unique design. "All the ones that I talked to said they loved it," Peters said.

But generally speaking, not everyone loves modern homes, said Elizabeth Mitchell, the executive director of the Utah chapter of AIA, an architectural society.

"Modern homes don't have a lot of comforting details that people really like," Mitchell said. "Modern can look pretty stripped down to some people. It's really a matter of taste."