17 Contemporary-Style Homes With Modern Curb Appeal (2024)

Featuring simple forms and geometric lines, contemporary house designs fit today's lifestyles. The architecture encompasses a variety of distinctive elements, often featuring unconventional shapes and innovative details. In addition, these contemporary-style homes showcase innovative materials with an updated and distinctly modern feel.

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Contemporary Architecture

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Contemporary architecture has a broad definition, which means homes of this style often vary widely in appearance. However, some key characteristics, including the asymmetric design and geometric forms shown here, can help you quickly identify contemporary houses. Strong linear lines define this home's roofline, and the facade is clad with a combination of wood planks, stucco, and fiber-cement siding.

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Contemporary-Style Ranch Home

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Contemporary houses are often built with sustainability in mind, using eco-friendly materials and aiming to blend in with the surrounding environment. This contemporary ranch-style home combines natural materials, including stucco, wood, and variegated stone, to integrate the building with the landscape. In addition, solar panels mounted on the flat roof help lessen the home's environmental impact.

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Contemporary Farmhouse

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With its metal roof and wood siding, this contemporary house could have easily taken on a rustic, farmhouse-style image. Instead, clean lines and simple forms, including the utilitarian metal overhang above the front door, give it a distinctly modern look. The whitewashed planks, installed vertically for a sleek appearance, let the natural wood grain show through for added texture.

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Modern Contemporary House

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Without decorative details, this contemporary house gains interest through contrasting materials and a single pop of color on the front door. The overall shape is asymmetrical, but expanses of horizontal wood planks repeat across the facade for balance. The square windows lack ornate trim or shutters to foster a clean, modern look. Guests enter through a gate that leads to the front door, adding drama to the contemporary home exterior.

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Midcentury Modern Design

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Contemporary-style architecture generally encompasses buildings designed in the latter part of the 20th century and beyond, which includes midcentury modern homes like this one. Positioned off-center beneath the low-pitched roof, the front door is surrounded by large panes of glass that follow the roofline's slant. These windows let plenty of light into the entry while offering a sleek look from the outside.

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Connecting Contemporary Houses to Nature

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This contemporary house is knitted to its site (not perched atop it) with natural materials and strong horizontal lines that keep it grounded. Glass doors, numerous windows, terraces, and balconies create a visual and functional connection to the outdoors. The siding and front door colors repeat the gray hues of the stones used in the landscaping.

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Repurposed Contemporary Home

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The boxy lines of an abandoned downtown laundromat offered the perfect starting point for this two-story contemporary house. The old parking lot in front blossomed into a private courtyard. Large windows and glass doors blur the line between indoors and out, promoting a calm atmosphere throughout the home. A new upper-level deck allows a view of the plantings below.

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International-Style Architecture

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Several features tie this contemporary house to the international-style architecture of the 1930s. It features unadorned, stark white surfaces, a facade that expresses the strength of its steel core, and a straight-lined design incorporating innovative insulation and glass corners.

The contemporary home exterior is clad in Trespa Meteon, a distinctive waterproof siding made in Germany. Arriscraft, a composite stone, frames the red cedar garage door that integrates with the entryway.

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Versatile Contemporary-Style Home

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This home's horizontal design makes it appear large from the curb. The modern American vernacular architecture has a familiar feel and works well in almost any neighborhood, but the home's straight, contemporary lines make it appear distinctive. The contemporary home exterior is clad in fiber-cement siding, which is less expensive than wood siding, far more durable, and easier to maintain. It's painted a greenish taupe that harmonizes with the foliage.

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Contemporary Home Design

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Contemporary houses are often designed with open floor plans that allow uninterrupted movement throughout the interior. Here, a modern version of classic post-and-beam design takes shape in this vacation home built of glass, steel, and stucco. The contemporary house plan features few solid walls and consists mainly of dramatic window walls and breezy passages.

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Contemporary Outdoor Living Space

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Built on a hillside, this contemporary home features a tucked-under garage and a one-story climb to the front door. The front stairs lead past a tiered, modern spillway to a slate-tile entry court. A few strides away, a gravel terrace with an outdoor dining area offers landscape views.

To play off the home's contemporary architecture, a collection of raised planters and retaining walls were built from cement block and painted white. The smooth blocks match the materials from the house itself, carrying its style into the landscape. Each wall contributes straight lines, rectangles, and squares that underscore the home's modern geometry.

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Contemporary House and Landscape

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This multilevel contemporary house is made primarily of concrete, steel framing, wood, and glass, making the most of a sloping lot that developers had deemed "unbuildable." Outdoor rooms were designed simultaneously as the house to create a cohesive appearance in and out. For these areas, the homeowners chose materials, such as wood and stone, to complement their architecturally modern home while connecting the outdoor spaces to the surrounding natural environment.

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Coastal Contemporary House

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Coastal style combines the ease of a seaside cottage with the impressive lines of a contemporary home. The low metal roof of this home tops an expansive porch and windows that take full advantage of cooling ocean breezes. The home boasts a modern take on the wraparound porch, with an upper-level open-air living space that runs along two sides of the house. The exterior color palette, which includes cream, deep green, gold, and natural wood tones, was inspired by the nearby beach setting.

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Nature-Inspired Contemporary House

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Drama on the flat-faced exteriors of contemporary-style homes often comes from a dynamic mix of contrasting materials and textures, exposed roof beams, and flat or low-pitched roofs. Here, a strong connection to nature and the surrounding landscape is established through large expanses of windows and the use of natural materials and colors.

Front and back courtyards help blend indoors and out, and almost every interior room opens to the outside. Steel and concrete accents add an industrial feel, while vertical panels of board-and-batten siding create a sleek, modern exterior.

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Two-Story Contemporary House

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This simply-styled contemporary house blends comfortably with its more traditional neighbors. However, the two-story home's slanted rooflines and unique combination of siding set it apart as distinctly modern. The contrast of dark gray and buttery yellow siding makes a strong contemporary statement, and the metal porch railing repeats the horizontal lines that appear across the facade.

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Contemporary House Materials

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A desire for high-quality materials and a strong indoor-outdoor connection influenced the design of this contemporary-style home. Laminated fir ceiling beams extend outside, supporting eaves edged in zinc, and glass walls alternate with rough-sawn cedar siding and taupe-colored stucco. The sheltered patio extends the lower level of the house. Between the seating area and the house is a reflecting pool fed by a scupper that extends from above a window.

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Industrial Contemporary Home

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Two brick walls of an abandoned T-shirt factory were transformed into this contemporary house. Between the walls, a network of steel sections supports floor-to-ceiling glass panels that look out to courtyards on either side. The courtyard seen here occupies an area that was once the factory's front office space.

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Contemporary House Designs

Contemporary house designs are characterized by their modern and innovative features, often incorporating unconventional shapes and materials. They are designed to fit today's lifestyles and often prioritize sustainability and eco-friendly elements. Let's delve into the key concepts related to contemporary house designs mentioned in the article.

Contemporary Architecture: Contemporary architecture encompasses a broad range of styles, often characterized by asymmetric designs, geometric forms, and strong linear lines. These homes may feature a combination of materials such as wood planks, stucco, and fiber-cement siding [[1]].

Sustainability and Eco-Friendly Materials: Contemporary houses are often built with sustainability in mind, utilizing eco-friendly materials such as stucco, wood, and variegated stone to integrate the building with the surrounding environment. Solar panels are also commonly incorporated to lessen the home's environmental impact [[2]].

Modern Contemporary House Features: Modern contemporary houses often focus on contrasting materials, clean lines, and a minimalist aesthetic. They may feature asymmetrical shapes, horizontal wood planks, and square windows without ornate trim or shutters [[4]].

Open Floor Plans and Outdoor Connections: Contemporary houses are often designed with open floor plans that allow uninterrupted movement throughout the interior. They also emphasize a visual and functional connection to the outdoors, achieved through glass doors, numerous windows, terraces, and balconies [[10]].

Materials and Exterior Design: Contemporary house exteriors may feature a variety of materials, including stucco, wood, glass, steel, and concrete. The design often aims to create a strong indoor-outdoor connection, with features such as laminated fir ceiling beams, glass walls, and rough-sawn cedar siding [[16]].

These concepts collectively define the essence of contemporary house designs, showcasing a blend of modern aesthetics, sustainable elements, and a strong connection to the surrounding environment.

17 Contemporary-Style Homes With Modern Curb Appeal (2024)

FAQs

What is a modern contemporary style home? ›

What Is A Contemporary-Style Home? A contemporary home is a house with design elements and features that reflect today's architecture style. Although similar to a modern home, contemporary houses come with common characteristics such as clean lines, natural lighting and a minimalist feel.

What does modern contemporary house mean? ›

Modern refers to the art direction at the beginning of the 20th century while contemporary refers to the method of construction that goes hand in hand with a specified time period. Read on to find out how these two styles differ and what 21st century houses have adopted from the legendary modernism.

Is it more expensive to build a contemporary house? ›

The cost to build a contemporary home varies depending on the location of your home, the cost of labor where you live, the quality of the materials you choose, and your desired square footage. But one thing is certain: building a contemporary home is more expensive than building a traditional one.

What is the difference between modern and contemporary? ›

Contemporary is, by definition, what's happening in design at this very moment in time. This definition makes it more fluid and hard to pin down. Modern design, on the other hand, has a distinguishable aesthetic that emphasizes crisp lines, warm neutrals, and balance.

What are the cons of a contemporary house? ›

Cons Of Contemporary Houses

Challenging to incorporate other styles: Because contemporary-style homes have a specific look, trying to blend in other design styles can be challenging. If you like changing your home design frequently, a contemporary design may not work for you.

What is modern contemporary interior style? ›

Modern contemporary style is a distinct interior design concept which privileges simplicity, texture, clean lines and sophistication. It is not to be confused with modernism or modern interior design.

Where are contemporary houses most common? ›

The modern style is marked by geometric but asymmetrical silhouettes, large windows and open floor plans. In addition to California, contemporary homes are common in Hawaii. Both states have by steep land costs, meaning most homes sit on small lots.

Does contemporary mean modern or traditional? ›

Contemporary can be confusing because of its slightly different meanings. In everyday use, it generally means simply "modern" or "new".

What is the difference between a contemporary house and a traditional house? ›

Contemporary homes focus on more modern architecture from the 20th century. They reject classical flourishes to have a simple, clean design. Contemporary homes do away with all the extra elegant detailing and let the structure speak for itself.

How much does it cost to build a 1500 sq ft modern house? ›

Cost By Size
SizeAverage Cost Range
1,500 sq. ft.$150,000 – $300,000
2,000 sq. ft.$200,000 – $400,000
2,500 sq. ft.$250,000 – $500,000
3,000 sq. ft.$300,000 – $600,000
3 more rows

How much does it cost to build a 2000 sq ft modern house? ›

On average, to design and build a house costs between $201,000 and $310,000 for a 2,000-square-foot home.

What is the most expensive style of house to build? ›

Beach Houses and Mediterranean-style homes are the most expensive in the U.S. and are often found on prime land close to the ocean.

What does a contemporary style house look like? ›

These homes typically have an asymmetrical or otherwise irregular geometrical layout and use mixed materials on the exterior. Most often, on a contemporary house, you will see natural materials like wood, concrete, and metal used with a sleek approach.

What year is modern contemporary? ›

Modern history is usually defined as beginning in the 15th century and continuing through the present. Modern history can be further divided into Early Modern History (15th–late 18th century), Late Modern History (late 18th century–1945), and Contemporary History (1946–present).

What comes first modern or contemporary? ›

One answer is simple: time. Modern art came before contemporary art. Most art historians and critics put the beginning of modern art in the West at around the 1860s, continuing up to the 1960s. Whereas, contemporary art means art made in the present day.

What is the modern house style called? ›

Modern houses, often known as mid-century modern, are gaining popularity among homeowners. These residences were built between 1935 and 1975 and are divided into two types: ranch and split-level. Features: Connected garages and open kitchens.

How many stories is a contemporary house? ›

Common features of a Contemporary home design include a spacious, open floor plan, perfect for entertaining family and guests, and large, tall windows on one or two stories. This style of house plan is often found in a “U” or “L” shape to incorporate outdoor living space into the design.

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