There is such a wide and wonderful world out there, and there are as many superb modern homes in it as there are homeowners with a vision. Today, we bring you the best of the best in terms of innovative architecture, creative design and eco-friendly housing. Young, contemporary and upcoming designers around the world, in Tokyo, New York, Cape Town and Sao Paulo have proven homes can be all that, and then some, while also looking incredibly good. Take a look if you don’t believe us, for a picture speaks louder than a thousand words…
1. 270 Canterbury Road St. Kilda West
Modern homes have never looked this attractive before… and feel free to take that quite literally, as this modern house design gem features none other than perennial sex symbol Pamela Anderson. Her blown-up portrait graces the façade in an iconic pose. The house is located in sunny Melbourne, Australia, and is currently up for sale. The auction ends on November 15, so if you can’t live without Pammy, hurry!
2. Oshikamo House by Koseki Architect Office
If Japanese minimalism is your cup of tea when it comes to modern house designs, then the Oshikamo House by Koseki Architect Office is just your cup of tea. The home is neither lavish, nor sumptuous. In fact, its whole charm lies in its understated, yet warm interiors. For a truly special features, the designers ‘dressed’ two of the façade walls in mesh grilles that produce a great light effect, both at night and during daytime. Light is filtered inside in playful patterns, making this design stand out among modern homes.
3. Front to Back Infill Project by Colizza Bruni Architecture
Small house design has been on the minds of home owners, potential buyers and designers alike lately. Most urban areas could never fit sprawling estates, yet the Front to Back Infill Project by Colizza Bruni Architecture proves that there is no need for such a waste of space. This home, located in Canada and completed in 2008, is actually a duplex, with one villa facing the street and the other one the rear of the narrow plot, coming in at just 25’’ by 80’’.
4. Vaulted Historic Residence by Pitsou Kedem Architects
Modern house design is not just about innovation, as some of the most striking modern homes out there are actually remodels. This one renovated piece of property, coming in at 100 square feet and located in the old Israeli port of Jaffa is a superb example of old-meets-new. Pitsou Kedem, one of Israel’s most talented and promising design practices made the bold choice of stripping the walls down to their century-old bricks and leaving them bare. The effect is spectacular and impressive to say the least.
5. Five-Room Maisonette, Utby, Sweden
House design and floor plans can be deemed truly successful when they manage to combine form, function and coziness. This is certainly true of the chic five-room maisonette available for rent in the Swedish town of Utby. The Swedes are masters of decoration and design and can make the most unassuming of modern homes look like the place you want to spend the rest of your life in. This home’s strong suit are its elegant terraces, whose furniture and views make you crave for coffee, good books and good times.
6. Casa en Altos del Sol by AMD Arquitectos
Modern house design is heavily focused on both minimalism and layering, as proven by the Casa en Altos del Sol by AMD Arquitectos. Located in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the home displays a façade that combines poured concrete, exposed red brick, wood lamellas and generous glazed surfaces. The apparently disparate elements come together to form a design that is striking in its complexity. Enriching the residence’s texture is its cantilevered structure, with several windows that expand across the height of both stories.
7. Mountain House by Van Der merwe Miszewski Architects
It is both a spectacularly vast estate and a hidden beauty – it is the Mountain House by Van Der merwe Miszewski Architects in South Africa. You can easily drive past it, as it is shielded and concealed by the rocky slopes of Table Mountain. However, once inside the property, the sight of this crown jewel of modern homes is sure to take your breath away. It features an undulating flat terrace roof, reflective pools, a lush, wild, garden, plenty of decks and patios and superb garden sculptures.
8. Dinesh Mills Bungalow by adnD
adnD, a Gujarat-based design practice, created the Dinesh Mills Bungalow, a spectacular example of modern house design that perfectly blends the contemporary style with traditional décor details and an ethnic, local feel. The home features a simple floor plan, an external staircase, three verandahs and a pool. Inside, it’s all about arabesques, Hindu gods and a lavish range of materials such as natural stone and marble.
9. House Holman by Durback Block Architects
Believe us when we tell you that you have never seen modern home designs quite like the House Holman, designed and built by Durback Block Architects. First off, its location seems impossible and, as a result, the entire structure is both elegant and gravity-defying. It’s positioned at the top of a 70-meter tall cliff in Dover Heights, a town west of Sidney, Australia. Its dramatically cantilevered volumes were allegedly inspired by Pablo Picasso’s revolutionary painting The Bather.
10. Cape Schanck House by Jackson Clements Burrows
The Cape Schanck House, designed and built by Jackson Clements Burrows in Victoria, Australia, was inspired by the shape of a hollowed out log. Indeed, the sleek contemporary design with bold cantilevered volumes seems to protrude from amid vast expanses of sand dunes, punctuated here and there by Ti-tree shrubs. Essentially, this modern home is a post-modern urban loft, expanded to the size of a luxury villa and sitting at the heart of the countryside.
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