Is a Modern home design right for you? Let’s have a closer look at what Modern Homes are, including some of their defining features, the pros an cons of the design and whether a modern home is right for you.
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What is a modern home design?
Despite what the name suggests, there are Modern Homes that are over a hundred years old so the term has nothing to do with age. Modern home design first came about as a response to the highly decorated, cluttered and fancy architecture of more traditional designs like Edwardian, Victorian, etc. In this spirit, a modern home will often have strong horizontal parts, large windowed areas, intentional asymmetry and a big emphasis on open plan living. Think homes with a sharper, square look in comparison to more traditional designs.
Modern House Design Considerations
Like any home design, there are a few things you’ll need to take into account when building a modern home design.
Structural Considerations
Part of the appeal of Modern design is the open space. Fewer walls create more challenges for the builder when it comes to structuring. This is especially true with a double-storey home, which includes adding structural beams to hold up the top floor.
Materials
Due to the structural issues listed above, you’ll need to use durable materials (like concrete) to make your house stable. These materials will cost more than the bricks often used in traditional home designs. Using these innovative materials can add to the price. For example, larger and/or custom windows can’t be bought in bulk and will cost more than traditionally sized windows.
Hire the right Builder
For a modern design, you may need to hire a specialist builder. The more creative, innovative and unique your project, the more experience you’ll want in your contractors.
Window placement
The windows in a Modern House are going to be expensive, so why not get your money’s worth? When planning your window placement, consider what will benefit you most. By using your window to take advantage of natural light, you can really cut down on your energy costs.
What are the features of a modern Australian home design?
Progressive
Modern houses are often built with a progressive mindset and are forward-thinking in their design. Along with the overall look and open living spaces, modern houses often have environmentally friendly features, like the embrace of natural light to reduce energy consumption.
Open Plan Living
Emphasising open plan living is a key component of Modern Home design, blurring the boundaries between indoors and out. Open plan living helps create the feel of sprawling space, with minimal use of walls and enclosed areas. A common example of this is having the kitchen, dining room and living area all being part of a larger area so that each room seamlessly blends into the other.
Large glass doors/windows
Building from the idea of open plan living, Modern home designs will often feature large windowed areas, allowing natural light and nature to enter the home and create a feeling of spaciousness.
Connected Outdoor Areas
The outdoor area will be connected and integrated into the indoor areas. It’s possible to open living areas up to the outdoor parts of the home, effectively creating one large space.
Intentional Asymmetry
Unlike more traditional designs, Modern architecture will often deliberately go for an asymmetrical design. This will give your home a distinct look and is also an opportunity to create a floor plan that makes the most of natural light and your surroundings.
Flat Roofing
One of the distinctive features of a Modern design is the flat roofing. This will give your new home a very distinct look.
Modern Single Storey Home Designs
Here are a few examples of Modern Single floor Home Designs for some inspiration.
Modern Double Storey Home Designs
Here are some Double Storey Modern House designs and floorplans.
Are contemporary style houses easy to build?
Compared to traditional home designs, modern/contemporary style houses tend to be more difficult to build and more expensive. This can be chalked up to the level of precision required for building modern designs. Here are a few ideas for building a Modern Home on a Budget:
Keep it simple
With the sleek lines and eccentric architecture, floor plans for Modern Homes can become complex. However, a simple floorplan can reduce construction times which, in turn, will save you money.
Make the most of Open Space
When done well, an open living plan can make a house seem larger than it is.
Embrace Less is More
Though Modern Homes can lend themselves to complicated floor plans, they’re also very suited towards minimalistic designs. This applies to the exterior and interior designs. It’s easy to get carried away in the excitement of building a home, but ask yourself if you really need a feature before making it part of your floor plan. The upside is less clutter and more space.
Compare Specialist Modern Home Builders
Brighton Homes
McCarthy Homes
Metricon Homes
Homes by CMA
Need help finding a Builder?
At Buildi, we help you find the right builder, save time, reduce stress and stay on budget.
How We Can Help You
Building a home is one of the biggest decisions you’ll ever make. At Buildi, we’ll be there throughout the entire building process, guiding you step by step so you can avoid any pitfalls. We will help you by following these steps.
- Free Consultation – We will sit with you to understand what you are looking to accomplish.
- Due Diligence – We work with you to ensure you’re buying the right block of land at the right price without hidden problems.
- Builders tender – We will take your requirements out to the market of builders and they will bid to win your business.
- Present solutions – We will compile the top 3 options and present you with a comprehensive proposal on builders’ strengths & weaknesses along with prices and specifications.
- Contract Signing – We will work with you and your selected builder to ensure there is full transparency in what you are entering into.
- Building your home – We work closely with the builder to ensure all service levels are met and your project is on schedule.
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