Modern House Design – Trends, Techniques, and Inspiration
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Modern house design focuses on differentiating new homes from older styles. It uses a blend of modern materials, shapes, and features that contrast with previous generations of homes to provide a fresh new look for homeowners.
In this guide, we’re highlighting current modern house design trends and techniques to inspire your new home project.
Table of contents
- What is Modern House Design?
- The Design Process for Modern House Plans
- Modern House Design Trends and Techniques
- Open Floor Plans and Flexible Spaces
- Sustainability
- Use of Technology and Automation
- The Importance of Space Planning in Modern House Design
- The Use of Materials in Modern House Design
- The Importance of Lighting in Modern House Design
- Creating a Connection to the Outdoors in Modern House Design
- The Future of Modern House Design
- Inspiration for Modern House Design
- Conclusion
What is Modern House Design?
Architects sometimes disagree over the true definition of modern architecture. In general, modern house design emphasizes clean lines and geometric shapes. It trades arches, interesting rooflines, and other opulence for square edges, simple design, and deliberate asymmetry. It blends vertical and horizontal lines to create a dramatic impression without overpowering the eye.
Popular features in modern housing designs include a focus on natural light, open floor plans, a monochromatic color scheme in neutral colors, natural materials, and smart home technology.
The Design Process for Modern House Plans
A custom plan is usually the path forward for the modern architectural style. This allows the house plans to adapt to unique needs, such as a narrow lot or specific sq ft plans. However, if you find contemporary house plans you love on a competitor’s web site, your architect can recreate the exact same plan to fit your needs.
Designing your modern house plans starts with research and inspiration. Looking at other modern homes provides a great starting point for what to include in your own home.
From there, the designer will develop a conceptual design to bring your ideas to life. This is your opportunity to tweak and refine your ideas.
The schematic design adds a layer of detail to modern house plans. It maps out the exterior and interior of the home as well as its systems.
Next, the design development phase reviews the schematic design and includes the necessary details for constructing the modern house plans.
Last, we develop construction drawings that will be used to build the home. We’ll assign the house plan a plan number and each page will have a page number for easy referencing.
Modern House Design Trends and Techniques
Let’s look at the trends and themes that are defining modern house plans:
Open Floor Plans and Flexible Spaces
Open layouts offer breathing room and brighten up living spaces. They enable flexibility for homeowners to address different needs, from entertainment to home offices. Common inclusions are a basem*nt bonus room, patio dropzone entertaining space, a main floor master or two-master bedroom layout, unique bath and kitchen features, and a private master bedroom wrap-around porch, among other unique spaces.
Sustainability
More homeowners are becoming eco-conscious and prefer sustainable materials and green building practices in their house plan. Building with sustainability as a priority ensures planet-friendly elements are integrated into the design process.
Use of Technology and Automation
With the implementation of 5G, the Internet of Things is enabling a new wave of home technologies. From appliances to smart home assistants to security, more homeowners aim to make daily life easier and hands-free.
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The Importance of Space Planning in Modern House Design
Modern house plans are more intentional with space planning. It considers how the home will be used now and in the future to ensure a functional and efficient space. This means considering the amount of natural light, ventilation, and sustainable designs, all while balancing form and function within the house plan.
With better space planning, homeowners can continue to love and evolve with their modern home for decades.
The Use of Materials in Modern House Design
The sustainability movement defines materials sourcing for modern home plans. Homeowners want materials that offer aesthetic appeal and texture, are durable and low maintenance, but also don’t cost a premium.
Finding this balance between cost and design on a materials list can be challenging. This usually requires using a blend of materials — wood, stone or stone veneer, concrete, brick — that creates a unique but cohesive aesthetic.
The Importance of Lighting in Modern House Design
Natural lighting is a hallmark of modern house plans. Designers take into account things like land layout and the direction the home is facing to ensure adequate lighting.
Artificial lighting design and placement balances natural light in modern and contemporary house plans. Lighting impacts how homeowners feel and should be chosen to adapt to how a space is being used.
Creating a Connection to the Outdoors in Modern House Design
After a pandemic spent mostly indoors, more people are eager to bring the outdoors inside, like we did with the Fairfield House. We see more blending of nature in the use of natural materials as well as color palettes rich in greens, browns, tans, and grays.
In a modern house plan, roll-up doors, covered patios with fireplaces, sunrooms, and window boxes help to create this bridge between indoor and outdoor living. Ensuring well-lit space is available for indoor plants can also invite nature inside.
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The Future of Modern House Design
The modern house plan is constantly evolving — what’s a “modern home” today won’t be considered modern in 50 years.
Developing a modern house plan that’s primed for growth will be key to creating a dream home that works today and in the future. The ability to upgrade smart home tech and increase the demand on the power grid will all play a role in the home’s future functionality.
Inspiration for Modern House Design
Modern architecture examples abound to help you start designing your own floor plans.
For example, this Hamptons beach house does a great job of using crisp lines and blending the indoor and outdoor living spaces.
This home in Aspen combines old and new concepts, offering a blend of natural elements and textures in neutral tones.
If you need more inspiration, you can also check out the works of modern house plan architects like Frank Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier. It’s also helpful to explore Google search results to compare different styles and features of contemporary architecture. For example, you might do a porch search to inspire your outdoor space or see how a stone veneer deck might play into your design.
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Conclusion
Modern home plans evolve over time, bringing fresh ideas, features, and styles to align with the modern lifestyle. As modern housing design continues to change, homeowners will always have something new to discover.
Explore modern house design and its possibilities with confidence. To learn more about our low price guarantee, current special sale price, or guidance for first time homebuyers, schedule a consultation today!
