Modern Homes Unveiled: The Real-Life Essentials You Can't Ignore in Today's Renovation Race
By Zephyr and Stone
A modern home encompasses clean lines, an open floor plan and design focused on functionality.
But since the Covid-19 pandemic and with more of us living in smaller homes, high density living, and with less outdoor space — what we expect from the ultimate modern home has changing somewhat. Now more than ever, there’s the demand for modern houses to be sanctuaries for rest and relaxation, and a real escape from the busyness of daily work and life.
And a modern home colour scheme? Well it’s undoubtedly neutral in colour, with a focus on natural materials like timber and stone throughout, and an emphasis on larger windows and natural light. But it doesn’t stop there… here are the other design features you’ll want to include when creating your modern home design in today’s renovation race… #letsgo
Zephyr and Stone • Retreat House Bathroom With Neutral Colour Scheme
McKimm • Modern Home Entry With Feature Front Door
Internal Courtyards
Modern homes might mean reducing the size of yards and outdoor living spaces, but a clever way to work in that all-important connection to the outdoors and abundant natural light is by incorporating an internal courtyard into the floor plan design.
An internal courtyard is an outdoor space that internal rooms flow off, making it a BIG focal point in a modern home. This gives you immediate access to the great outdoors to enjoy year-round, and makes your other internal spaces feel lighter, more calming and comfortable to be in.
Carla Middleton Architecture • Modern Home Design With Internal Courtyard Design
Modern Home Design Floor Plans
What are the important features on a modern home floor plan?
Good flow — Spaces and rooms that are planned in a way that makes sense for daily life. For example, an entry or mudroom off the garage to store bags and shoes after school or work.
Larger rooms — Since a lot of us spend a considerable amount of time at home including for work, larger rooms offer enough space for comfort, as well as the potential for multi-use such as a home office in a guest bedroom.
High ceilings — Something that is simple but super impactful in the overall look and feel of your modern home is your ceiling heights. Opting for extra height makes any room feel bigger instantly, not to mention light and airy — without increasing the size of the floor plan. Adding ceiling height really transforms rooms visually if you’re restricted on space when building or renovating.
DAH Architecture and Phinley Design Studio • Modern Home Design With High Ceilings
Kate Lawrence Interiors • Modern Home Staircase Design
Calming Colours + Muted Tones
Modern homes that successfully achieve that resort-like feeling all get this one thing right…
A muted colour palette — consisting of neutral colours like white, beige, grey and black in soft or pared-back tones, creating cohesion throughout each space, and allowing the eye to take in the entire room easily.
A“same same” colour palette approach is also great for promoting a calm and restful aesthetic, from the bedroom to the kitchen and even outdoor spaces.
Zephyr and Stone • Resort House Kitchen With Grey and Black Colour Scheme
Stephanie Brown Inc • Modern Home Design With Neutral Colour Palette
Timber Accents
If there’s one thing that is proven to help us feel calm and at ease when we’re indoors, it’s a connection to the natural environment. A fantastic way of incorporating a natural element into the overall design of your home is through the use of timbers.
There’s something about running your hand over the tactile texture of timber that adds an extra layer of enjoyment to the experience of a space. For us, we absolutely love to use timber or timber-look elements in our modern home designs, even in bathrooms, to create a spa-like experience.
Other ways you can introduce timber features in a modern home include external battens + shelves and wall hooks.
Zephyr and Stone • Coral House Bathroom With Beige Textured Tiles
Milieu Creative • Modern Home Entry With Timber Door and Wall Panelling
Large Windows + Filtered Light
A recognisable feature of a modern home design is large windows. Larger windows maximise natural light which makes a space look and feel bigger, brighter and more inviting. Using large windows in your modern home design can also frame external views and that connection to nature and the outdoors.
When it comes to window furnishings, every home will have different needs, depending on its orientation, outlook, and neighbouring buildings. Filtering light and sun with sheer curtains or plantation shutters softens harsh light and creates a calming atmosphere inside. It’s the final layer that really dresses any window and essential in modern home furnishing.
Luke Moloney Architecture • Modern Home Design With Large Feature Window
Hugh-Jones Mackintosh • Modern Home Design With Floor-To-Ceiling Windows
Cosy Corners
While we’re all about larger, open-plan spaces in modern homes, there is definitely a need for cosy and comfortable areas of the home to go for relaxation and rest.
This could be in the form of a parents retreat in the corner of a master bedroom design, a seating area in a home office for reading, or even a built-in bench with a great outlook. It’s vital to create these quiet zones and spaces in a modern home, that allow people in the household to retreat and take some downtime for selfcare and leisure, away from others.
Metcalfe Design • Built-In Dining Room Seating Nook Design
Michiru Higginbotham • Modern Window Bench Seating Area
Texture + Pattern
Rather than bold colour contrasts, use materials like mosaic tiles, wall panelling or wallpaper in neutral colours, to add texture, pattern and add contrast. Opt for patterned finishes to add the interest that a bolder colour might, but with a more calming effect that will suit your modern home design.
Some really easy areas to add texture into your space include…
Bed Linen — Layering your bed linen and throws or blankets creates a warm, comfortable look.
Backsplash — Your kitchen, laundry or bathroom splash back is a great chance to add texture or patten to a room design.
Rugs — They’ll instantly add texture, pattern and a soft touch.
Zephyr and Stone • Retreat House Bedroom With Layered Bed Linen
Michiru Higginbotham • Modern Bathroom Design With Textured Marble Tiles
Indoor Plants
Another instant way to transform your modern home into a calming retreat is with indoor plants. Not only do houseplants reduce harmful air pollutants + act as natural air purifiers, they’re also linked to improving mood and relieving stress for humans.
Indoor plants can be incorporated in any room of the home, big or small, to not only enhance the look of your space but help keep you feeling calm, focused and at ease.
Z+S Tip • Make sure you check the care instructions and light requirements for each indoor plant and match them to your space.
Zephyr and Stone • Resort House Living Room Indoor Plants
Bergman & Co. • Modern Home Office Indoor Plant
Comfortable Furniture
Once you’ve narrowed down your bigger decisions about colours and materials, furnishing your modern home is another important step that you won’t want to overlook. We often see people rush into purchasing furniture only to realise that the pieces aren’t the right size or style for the home they are hoping to achieve.
Furniture selections for a modern home should be light, neutral and understated — with a focus on subtle texture. Think linen, rattan, wool, timber and natural stones like marble and travertine for a contemporary and timeless look and feel.
Zephyr and Stone • Hamptons Project Living Room With Timber and Rattan Furniture
Chango & Co • Modern Home Beige Living Room Furniture
