StudioSmall prepare The Modern House for the modern world with an elegant identity system

Soon to be every designer’s favourite estate agent if they’re not already, The Modern House lists design-led homes across the UK with an appreciation for light, space and materials. Tasked at the beginning of 2020 to review and refresh their brand, London-based design consultancy StudioSmall devised an evolutionary update centred around a flexible holding system for the brand name. “The Modern House’s identity already worked quite well,” StudioSmall’s Darcy Ward tells us, “so it mainly required taking stock of the overall brand and revitalising it to make sure it was still as current and as progressive as it could be.” Typeset in Klim Type Foundry’s Söhne, replacing the previous identity’s choice of Gill Sans, The Modern House’s wordmark is sophisticated, spacious and straightforward. It forms the basis of the aforementioned holding system, allowing subbrands such as T Magazine H, Times M H and Talk M H to cleverly adopt the initials of the company name. Complementing Söhne, which performs as The Modern House’s primary typeface as well as its wordmark, is Caslon – a classic serif with distinct editorial qualities. Reminiscent of the materials found in the buildings The Modern House take pride in, StudioSmall incorporated earthy colours into the identity to add a warm character alongside their sophisticated typographic approach. The result of StudioSmall’s progressive work is a robust brand system rife with elegance that effortlessly prepares The Modern House for the digital requirements of the modern world.