The aesthetic style of your house adds a lot of the overall feel and character to your home. Contemporary design is one of the most popular styles in the current market, with homeowners enjoying its minimal yet on-trend aesthetics. In this article, we’re taking a look at contemporary home designs including what defines the style and its pros and cons.
What is a contemporary home design?
Contemporary home design is one of the most popular styles for new home builds. This is because it is a constantly evolving style that draws from the latest 21st-century trends and fashions. Therefore it is constantly adapting to what is popular, new and stylish. Current contemporary houses tend to be the opposite of traditional home designs in many ways, favouring sleek design, a range of materials and open floor plans.
What’s the difference between modern design style and contemporary home design?
Though they’re sometimes used interchangeably, modern design and contemporary home design are actually two distinct things. Despite its name, modern decor actually draws from a very specific time, mostly the 40s and 50s. While a lot of these design ideas are still common and popular in modern homes, true modernist architecture is actually an older style of building.
Contemporary home design is constantly evolving style, so it draws on what is popular at the time of the build. The cutting edge of design may include ideas that originate from the modern style.
What are the key features of a contemporary home design?
While contemporary design is fluid and evolving by nature, there are some key elements that can often be found in contemporary living. Some common features found in contemporary house plans include:
- Open spaces and open floor plans
- Curve designs (including interiors and ceilings)
- Oblique designs
- Living Walls
- Art Deco
- Large windows that promote natural light
- Smart home technology
- Straight lines and an overall minimalist look
- Architecture choices like skillion roof, butterfly roof
- Integration of the outside world and landscape
Contemporary home design pre-build considerations
- Before deciding on any style, it’s worth having a look at other styles to provide a point of comparison. If nothing else, it will confirm you’re making the right choice.
- Contemporary home design incorporates minimalism so you’ll need to take quality over quantity.
- If personalisation is what appeals to you about contemporary living, consider hiring a custom home builder.
What are the pros and cons of contemporary home designs?
Pros of contemporary home design
If a home design has become one of the most popular on the market, there must be some good reasons why. Here are some of the key benefits of contemporary house design.
Unique, personalised look
The contemporary design draws from a range of influences, meaning you’ll have the flexibility to personalise your home to suit your tastes and lifestyle. It’s also a chance to create a unique home unlike any other in your neighbourhood, potentially increasing your home’s street appeal and gaining the envy of your friends.
Low maintenance
A key aspect of contemporary home design is embracing minimalism. This means clean lines in your architecture and monochromatic colours, creating a sleek, modern look for your home. It also is a style that lends itself to less maintenance and upkeep.
Eco-friendly designs
The environment is a pressing issue on everyone’s mind, as is the price of energy. Contemporary homes that are currently being built embrace eco-friendly design ideas and features which include:
- Allowing natural light into your home.
- Using sustainable materials
- Solar panels
- Choosing the right orientation for your home.
Eco-friendly choices for your home have never been more relevant than they are now. If you’d like to find out more about the choices you can to make your home more sustainable, check out our article on eco-friendly homes.
Cons of Contemporary Home Designs
No home design is going to be perfect for everyone (otherwise they’d just have one home design and be done with it). Here are some of the potential downsides of a contemporary home design.
Expensive to Build
This will vary, but a lot of contemporary homes use higher quality materials and therefore end up being more expensive initially. The plus side is that they will also last longer, which will hopefully cut down on maintenance, repair and replacement costs in the long run. If you hire a bespoke home builder (also called a custom home builder), they’ll also add to your overall price but may be worth it depending on what you’re trying to achieve.
Difficult to incorporate other styles
The distinct nature of contemporary homes means that certain design ideas will clash with the overall aesthetic. If you’re someone with eclectic tastes, you may want to consider a more adaptable style for your home.
Might be more difficult to sell
The benefit of contemporary houses is they can be tailored to suit the personality of their owner. The inherent downside of this is not everyone’s taste is going to be as sophisticated as yours. It also means that knowing what neighbouring houses are selling for won’t be as useful to you as they’re likely to be quite different in style.
Get free advice on building your new contemporary home
Building a new home is a huge project and it can be a stressful, overwhelming process for anyone. Whether you’re building your first home, looking to upgrade or thinking of building an investment property, it doesn’t hurt to have an expert in your corner.
Buildi is here to guide and help you through your entire home-building journey. From finding the perfect builder for your project to ensuring your contract is upheld, we’re client advocates who give power back to the consumer. We’ve got the experience to know when something seems fishy and the common mistakes to avoid, helping you avoid paying extra or experiencing avoidable delays. To find out more about how we can help, get in touch today to discuss your next building project.
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