Contemporary House in Seattle Merges Chic Style with Cool Quirks
The juxtaposition of sleek, contemporary house architecture beside odd and quirky elements is what calls attention to this one-of-a-kind house in Queen Anne neighborhood in Seattle. Architect Jim Burton of Blip Design came at this two-storey home remodel with a two-pronged approach, and an affinity for two very different genres. Chic and funky come together to play off each other, highlighting the other’s best features. Meticulous stone bricks meet a vibrant wood facade that almost glows in comparison. A flat roof is met by a pair of wild, upturned wings that top the funky side of this modern home. A lushly landscaped garden flanks each side of a stairway that leads up to the window-clad house. Judging by the bold exterior design, this 4,322-sq.-ft. design delivers on its unspoken promise of modern interiors, which are clean and contemporary by design. The four-bedroom, 3.5 bathroom design is currently listed on the market at a price of $2.4 million. Visit Queen Anne Modern for details. Blip Design.
Modern Twist on Simple Box House in Spain - Thinking Outside the Box
Life in a box is pretty sweet if your box is anything like this ultra modern house designed by the architects at Murado & Elvira. Espejo House located in Badajoz, Spain, puts a contemporary twist on a basic rectangular residence, incorporating rounded corners and a sleek, metal-clad envelope that lends the structure a look of clean simplicity. Butting up against the cool metal, sliding doors of rustic pine act as shutters, and can be completely opened or closed, depending on your mood or the weather on any given day. On further exploration of this cool design, white is a major player in its interior design. Vivid punches of color come in unexpected places – the turquoise bathroom, and the stop-dead-in-your-tracks red kitchen. Murado & Elvira
via Coolboom
photo credit: Miguel de Guzmán
Contemporary Sea-Side House - the Salt House
The Salt House by the architects at Alison Brooks Associates Ltd. is a modern sea-side residential retreat boasting a tradition of “beach house” construction with a uniquely modern twist. The two-storey home, located at Maldon in England, is clad in a weathered-looking wood, lending it an authentic “salty” appeal. The 3,500-sq.-ft. house is a three-bedroom, three-bathroom design that enjoys a contemporary open-concept interior layout. The main floor features floor-to-ceiling windows and a spacious, column-free layout that opens onto a central atrium. At the heart of the design, a modern twisting staircase leads upstairs to the second living area, where walls of windows flood the home with natural light. Alison Brooks Associates Ltd.
via World Architecture News
Modern Mountain Chalet in Colorado - Winter Wonderland by architect Michael P. Johnson
If you’re not a skier, you will be after checking out this modern mountain chalet by Arizona-based architect Michael P. Johnson. The cozy yet contemporary Hiller Residence in Winter Park, Colorado, truly is a wonderland of awesome architectural ability with and a sleek, sophisticated style. This two-storey 1,948-sq.-ft. house sits perched on a steep slope, overhanging the ravine below. The ground level houses the grand entry, a den and the master bedrooms, while the upper level is devoted to showcasing the surrounding views. Upstairs you’ll find the living room, dining room and kitchen, encircled in floor-to-ceiling windows. Interiors boast rich, dramatic finishes. Warm lacquered woods, large-format porcelain tile, and urbane appointments finish this rustic space in modern style. Michael P. Johnson
via Contemporist
Cutting-Edge Modernist Style House in Brisbane, Australia
Up on the auction block is this stunning, modernist style house in Highgate Hill, a suburb of Brisbane, Australia. This beautiful 4,617-sq.-ft., four-bedroom, two-bathroom house is a rare find indeed, boasting a modern blend of art and architecture, glass, steel and stone. The visually stunning exterior sets the stage for the imaginative, light-filled interiors. All bedrooms are located on the main level, accessed by a floating wooden staircase. The master bedroom overlooks the stunning deck and outdoor pool. Upstairs, a large den and dining room are enclosed in large windows that allow for panoramic views of the breathtaking city skyline. Interiors are simple and sophisticated, featuring a largely while palette. A spacious kitchen connects the living and dining areas and features an oversized island, stainless-steel cabinetry and coordinating built-in appliances. This contemporary house will be on auction on October 30. Visit Judy Goodger for details.
Art and Architecture Come Home to Contemporary ArtScreen Box House in Ghent, New York
It’s the art and the architecture that characterize the contemporary ArtScreen Box house in New York’s Hudson Valley. Designed by FT Architecture + Interiors, this modern, innovative home showcases a striking photograph by artist Joni Sternbach, transforming the home’s facade into a collection of waves, peacefully trapped in time. This architecturally scaled photo, which is printed on woven vinyl mesh, drapes the home’s second-floor studio space – windows and all – transforming any harsh light into a soothing glow. From the inside, it’s as though sunlight is streaming in through the water’s surface. Interiors are exactly what you’d expect from a house with waves lapping at its exterior. A clean and minimalist style enhances the modernity of the home. The base of this 1,500-fq.-ft. home’s lower level sits softly embedded in the eight-ft. slope of the hill. FT Architecture + Interiors.
Repurposed Water Tower, Now a Modern House in Belgium
This converted water tower house is recycling at its best. Designed by architect Jo Crepain of Crepain Binst Architecture, Moereels House represents a wonderful use of the existing to create something new, unique and totally modern. Located in Brasschaat, Belgium, the original concrete tower lends this conversion an authentic, industrial look. Surrounding the tower are U-shaped glass panels on three sides, and shallow balconies on the fourth. Around the tower’s base is a 20-ft.-high entrance level, which welcomes residents and visitors into the contemporary interiors housed within the tower itself. A series of steel staircases connect the various levels within the tower, which is lit up by out-of-this-world fluorescent lamps visible through the forest at dark. Crepain Binst Architecture
via Cool Boom via Materialicious
Ultra-Modern Concrete House in Yokohama, Japan
Designed by Japan’s Torafu Architects, this massive modern structure of concrete boasts a hard exterior edge, which is accentuated by sharp angles and little detail. But on the inside, this home tells quite a different tale. Located in Yokohama, Japan, this modern single-family, single-storey house has become a local landmark among its more traditional neighbors. It’s characterized by its unusual shape, which features three projections, pointing upward and topped by skylights. Interiors are unexpectedly sleek and contemporary, taking the same odd shape as dictated by the home’s overall form. The result is interior rooms with folded walls and ceilings. Furniture largely consists of build-ins to maximize on every inch of interior living space. Torafu Architects.
Modern “Little White House” in Albert Park, Australia ... with traditional Victorian look
Looks can be deceiving, and they certainly are in the case of this contemporary house in Albert Park, Australia. What resembles a traditional Victorian cottage from the outside (white picket fence and all!) invites guests into its cool and clean minimalist interiors, and an ultra-modern addition at the rear. George Residence, designed by architect Matt Gibson, sits on a narrow plot. This is what gives the house its unique character. The home is built surrounding two central courtyards with three building components. A wooden deck offers an uninterrupted runway leading through the home’s elongated layout, creating continuity between the indoor and outdoor living spaces. Matt Gibson.
Futuristic Vision of Sustainable Living – Easy Domes Becoming an Easy Choice
The brainchild of Danish Architect Kari Thomsen and Engineer Ole Vanggaard, Easy Domes are a contemporary prefab home design with two ambitions – easy assembly and low energy. One short day can yield this totally functional and ultimately unique house. Originally built in 1992 for the Greenland Society of The Faroah Islands, Easy Domes are now available in a variety of configurations that include the 160-ft. Nature Dome, the 250-ft. Tuft Dome (pictured), the Duo Dome and Family Houses ranging from 500 to 2,200 ft., and the Cultural Dome at 1,000 ft. Composed of a single dome or a series, Easy Domes are all founded on the “icosahedron” shape, a collection hexagonal panels arranged to offer a layout maximizing interior living space. This futuristic design offers does not compromise the comforts of home, offering a two-storey layout complete with a living room, kitchen, bathroom and two bedrooms. Another modern twist on the traditional is that these homes are built using eco-friendly materials and methods. The design is vented on the exterior, and insulated with wood and flax. A green roof tops off these homes, complemented by solar roof panels, a wind turbine and other methods to harvest alternative forms of energy. Easy Domes
Prefab House Design in Maryland - Stunning, Stilted, Sustainable Loblolly by Kieran Timberlake Architects
As far as prefabs go, this design has a heightened sense of space. Set on stilts, Loblolly House by Kieran Timberlake Architects has a minimal footprint, and in turn, maximum impact. Located on Taylors Island, a barrier island off the coast of Maryland, this modern house blends nature and architecture in what could well be the future of prefabricated homes. The 2,200-sq.-ft. house is based on a more efficient building method. Thousands of “building blocks” that make up the house were fabricated off-site, and pieced together on location in less than six weeks. The unique home boasts a facade that “flips” open to reveal the outdoors, allowing passive cooling. Alternately, the home can be closed up to channel the sun’s energy for off-the-grid heat. Another sustainable feature of the house is in its simple construction – and deconstruction. The home’s many parts are designed to disassemble with ease, allowing for repairs, alterations, reclaiming and recycling without harsh environmental impacts. Kieran Timberlake Architects
via World Architecture News
Futuristic Spaceship-Inspired House Combines Technology and Nature in Frankfurt, Germany
It looks like a vision from a sci-fi flick, not something you'd expect to find in Frankfurt’s countryside. But Meixner Schlüter Wendt Architekten has brought its futuristic vision to fruition in this quaint German location. This modern, residential design blends technology and nature with stunning results. For these innovative architects, House F was all about creating a contemporary home that would ease itself into its hilly landscape. Set among the rolling slopes, the home’s modern, steeply pitched roof is clad in sheet metal, and resembles a machine in its form and finish. The roof seems to hover, set atop a glass-enclosed main floor. The ground floor of this unique house is quite literally a “ground” floor, submerged beneath the grassy lay of the land. Meixner Schlüter Wendt Architekten.
Modern Residential House Design in Australia, by Chenchow Little Architects - Szirtes has a tree within
This small but sweet residential design in Australia is inspired by practicality, with a twist. Sitting atop a small footprint, the modern Szirtes House, created by Chenchow Little Architects, is enclosed in an aesthetic armor that provides privacy from the outside. But at its heart lies a haven – a tree within an enclosed outdoor courtyard – which is the centerpiece of this contemporary home’s ultra-innovative layout. Floor-to-ceilings sliding-glass doors open onto this inner sanctum. Inside, each room offers a piece of this curious light-filled box, which beams through the center of this house with natural light and an unexpected taste of the outdoors. Chenchow Little
via Design Milk
Passive Cooling and Local Building Materials for the Palmyra Palm House in India
With more than 800 uses for the Palmyra Palm tree, Indian-born architect Bijoy Jain of Studio Mumbai has come up with number 801, making it the centerpiece of his contemporary, eco-friendly and fashionably functional modern house design. The Palmyra House rests on a coconut plantation in eastern India’s coastal town of Alibaug, on the outskirts of Mumbai. A short drive to the city puts this resort-inspired beach house within easy reach of urban amenities, but just far enough to enjoy peace and privacy. This waterfront home’s exotic location lends a distinct flavor to its luxurious look and authentic feel. Built of locally sourced Palmyra wood, the innovative louvered design is naturally ventilated and shaded, making it a sound sustainable choice for this tropical climate. The house encompasses 3,000 sq. ft. within a pair of structures that are separated by a 25-ft. wide courtyard. Studio Mumbai
via Architectural Record
Thoughtful T House Design Overlooking San Francisco
This modern house on the hill suits its surroundings to a T. The innovative architects at Ogrydziak/Prillinger had a few considerations in their plans for T House in San Francisco, California. The thoughtful T shape design maximizes on the breathtaking view and the available usable land, without obstructing the view enjoyed by neighboring homes. T House sits embedded in the steep hillside, offering a low profile when viewed from the top. But as the slope drops deeper and deeper, the house rises out from the hillside and overhangs the magnificent valley. The T shape allows for plenty of private yard space, flanking the home with two courtyards at its sides, and a large open space at the rear. Inside, the home boasts contemporary finishes and a sleek style that’s warmly offset by wood floors and ceilings, exposed beams and columns, and large windows to frame the endless views where city meets sky. Ogrydziak/Prillinger
via Contemporist
