Modern home design is always changing and evolving with the needs of modern families, as well as the economic trends. The economy is an important driver of building and home design trends, as designers, architects and other industry leaders need to align their processes and services with the financial capabilities of the homeowners. All of this is to say that house design needs to go through a modernization process.
Technical innovation is also making an impact on the industry, but so are the aesthetic changes, the multifunctional spaces, and the region-specific design principles – all of which we are going to go over today. Without further ado, let’s take a look at how you can modernize a house design and align it with the needs of the 21st century family.
Create a straightforward open floor plan
The floor plan and how it changed over the decades is one of the most striking differences between traditional and modern home design. Long gone are the days when homes were sectioned-off in a maze of hallways and rooms, and the modern homeowner wants and needs a more forward-thinking solution. The open floor plan, or an open-concept home, is an extremely popular house design choice nowadays, as it eliminates the unnecessary physical barriers that obstruct movement and the flow of natural light.
While every design choice comes with its advantages and drawbacks, there is no denying that the open-concept approach is more a modern home than its traditional counterpart. Typically, the open floor plan will blend several zones together, like the kitchen, the dining area, and the living room. You can also create a seamless transition from these spaces onto the patio. The other rooms that require privacy like the bedrooms and the bathrooms, will follow the more traditional approach, of course.
Bring form and function together
Some interiors are beautiful, and others are extremely functional, but modern homes should be both. Now that the younger generations of homeowners are increasingly downsizing and are choosing to live in smaller homes (for many reasons, including financial ones), designers and architects need to use their experience and skills to create multifunctional spaces that serve a variety of purposes. Moreover, these spaces need to be beautiful and functional as well.
Whether you’re building a new house or if you’re considering doing some renovations to refresh your home, your focus should be on the practicality of the space, but without sacrificing the aesthetic appeal. You can achieve this partly with the open floor plan, but also with multifunctional décor, and by purposely building the rooms for different purposes – such as a bedroom that doubles as a home office space.
Design for the region and the environment
Localized home design has been gaining popularity around the world, and it’s all about aligning the house design to the unique conditions of your region. This is like tailoring your living environment, but from the ground up, because you are building with your local conditions in mind. For example, in sunny regions of the world like Australia, homeowners are using this approach to maximize the potential of their properties.
In the Land Down Under, a homeowner will work closely with a building designer in Sydney to create a building plan that maximizes sun utilization, allows for easy solar system installation, facilitates airflow and passive cooling, and more. These are the kind of region-specific solutions that modern homeowners are looking for, and no matter where you are building your house, whether it’s the southern or the northern hemisphere, it pays to build with the local conditions in mind.
For example, localized home design in Scandinavia would, conversely, aim to maximize passive heat retention, and capture as much sunlight as possible through roof skylights.
Build with technology in mind
A modern home is built with technology in mind, simply because we rely on technology to make our lives more comfortable, efficient, and even financially stable on a day-to-day basis. Architects and designers are increasingly using 3D modeling technology to perfect their designs and showcase what the property will look like during the inception phase so that the client can easily visualize the space and make adjustments.
On the other hand, homeowners also need the space to be designed in such a way that it supports smart living and can integrate the numerous necessary gadgets they need on a daily basis. Living in a smart home is no longer a dream, it’s a realistic goal for many families, so it’s important to design with smart integrations in mind.
Focus on passive conservation
Finally, one of the biggest mistakes when building a new home that designers and homeowners tend to make is not focusing on passive conservation. Keep in mind that the 21st-century homeowner wants to lead a financially efficient life, meaning that one of their goals is to cut extraneous expenses whenever possible.
The modern homeowner is also more eco-conscious than their predecessors, so all the more reason to boost conservation wherever possible. This means introducing insulation in the floors, walls, windows, and the roof to conserve energy. During the interior design phase, it will also mean adding energy-efficient and water-conserving appliances, features, and technology to create a more cost-effective living environment.
Over to you
Modern home design is much different than what it was a couple of decades ago, and it’s moving in the right direction by bringing form and function together. With these tips in mind, you can modernize your house design and thus elevate its value in the saturated real estate market.
About the author: Derek Lotts is an experienced freelance writer and blogger. His main areas of interest are small business, home improvement, and sustainable living. He strongly believes in the power of sharing knowledge and ideas through the mediums of modern technology.