Large and Expansive Contemporary House Exterior Ideas and Designs

1930s Modernist Masterpiece

ABQ Studio

This is an example of a large contemporary house exterior in Sussex.

Stratum

Unique Homestays

Inspiration for a large contemporary two floor front detached house in Cornwall with a pitched roof.

A House for Charlie

Tom Robertson Architects

jack lovel
Photo of a large and gey contemporary bungalow concrete detached house in Melbourne with a flat roof and a metal roof.

Kooyong Residence

Matt Gibson Architecture + Design

Shannon McGrath
This is an example of an expansive and brown contemporary two floor house exterior in Melbourne with wood cladding and a flat roof.

57 Tivoli Road, South Yarra

B.E Architecture

Peter Clarke
Large and gey contemporary two floor house exterior in Melbourne with stone cladding and a flat roof.

House in Cabarita

Zouk Architects

Photo of a large and gey contemporary two floor house exterior in Sydney with mixed cladding and a flat roof.

Modern Farmhouse

User

This modern farmhouse located outside of Spokane, Washington, creates a prominent focal point among the landscape of rolling plains. The composition of the home is dominated by three steep gable rooflines linked together by a central spine. This unique design evokes a sense of expansion and contraction from one space to the next. Vertical cedar siding, poured concrete, and zinc gray metal elements clad the modern farmhouse, which, combined with a shop that has the aesthetic of a weathered barn, creates a sense of modernity that remains rooted to the surrounding environment. The Glo double pane A5 Series windows and doors were selected for the project because of their sleek, modern aesthetic and advanced thermal technology over traditional aluminum windows. High performance spacers, low iron glass, larger continuous thermal breaks, and multiple air seals allows the A5 Series to deliver high performance values and cost effective durability while remaining a sophisticated and stylish design choice. Strategically placed operable windows paired with large expanses of fixed picture windows provide natural ventilation and a visual connection to the outdoors.

Viola E

Prodigy Homes Inc.

Karen Jackson Photography
Large and white contemporary two floor render detached house in Seattle with a hip roof and a shingle roof.

Royal River Home + Studio

BRIBURN – Architecture for Life

Irvin Serrano
This is an example of a brown and large contemporary bungalow detached house in Portland Maine with wood cladding.

Contemporary Glass and Stone Entry

Wolf Design Studio

Nick Springett Photography
Photo of an expansive and beige contemporary two floor detached house in Los Angeles with stone cladding and a flat roof.

Exteriors

Paula Ables Interiors

Taylor Creek Ranch

Upside Development

Upside Development completed an contemporary architectural transformation in Taylor Creek Ranch. Evolving from the belief that a beautiful home is more than just a very large home, this 1940’s bungalow was meticulously redesigned to entertain its next life. It's contemporary architecture is defined by the beautiful play of wood, brick, metal and stone elements. The flow interchanges all around the house between the dark black contrast of brick pillars and the live dynamic grain of the Canadian cedar facade. The multi level roof structure and wrapping canopies create the airy gloom similar to its neighbouring ravine.

Brentwood

Corr Contemporary Homes

Large and beige contemporary two floor glass detached house in Los Angeles.

Dramatic Vue

April Balliette

Large and white contemporary two floor render detached house in Tampa with a flat roof and a white roof.

Icking S 2

Lebensraum Holz GmbH

Photo of a large and gey contemporary two floor detached house in Munich with wood cladding, a pitched roof, a tiled roof, a grey roof and shiplap cladding.

Hillside Basalt

AXIS Productions

Design ideas for a large and brown contemporary render detached house in Denver with three floors and a flat roof.

Balmain Terrace House

Annie Bowen Design

Graced with character and a history, this grand merchant’s terrace was restored and expanded to suit the demands of a family of five.
Inspiration for a large and gey contemporary detached house in Sydney with four floors.

Modern & Contemporary Rustic House in Hartford Austin Texas Project By Darash

By Darash - Kitchen Cabinets, Vanities & Closets

Beautiful landscaping design path to this modern rustic home in Hartford, Austin, Texas, 2022 project By Darash
Photo of a large and white contemporary two floor detached house in Austin with wood cladding, a lean-to roof, a shingle roof, a grey roof and board and batten cladding.

Einfamilienhaus

RK Next Architekten

Inspiration for a large contemporary two floor house exterior in Nuremberg.

The Paperbark - Heritage Renovations & Additions in Claremont

Coveney Browne Design

This is an example of a large contemporary two floor detached house in Perth with wood cladding, a pitched roof and a metal roof.

Large and Expansive Contemporary House Exterior Ideas and Designs

With so much attention devoted to interior design, the exterior of a home can often get overlooked, but as the first thing that welcomes both us and our guests, it is worth devoting some time tending to the outside of your house. Furthermore, focusing on the contemporary kerb appeal of your home can add significant value if and when it comes time to sell up. Georgian, Edwardian and Victorian homes, with their bay windows and elegant plasterwork, often benefit from built in architecture advantages, but even if your house design is unassuming from the outside, small decorative and structural improvements to the contemporary exterior of your home can equal huge impact. Key areas of building design to focus on are the front door, the driveway or approach to your home, the porch area, the windows, the facade and the roof. And just a note of caution... before any significant contemporary exterior architecture gets under way, check first whether you need planning permission for your exterior house designs– this applies particularly to listed houses or buildings in a conservation area, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Take a look through the house designs, exterior architecture and images of front doors and driveways on Houzz to inspire your facade or building design, or read on for a few more pointers when it comes to redesigning your exterior.

How do I give my home an exterior facelift?

You may feel like your home’s exterior architecture is unalterable but there are a wide range of options available to improve its external building design, no matter what raw materials you begin with. Begin with the front door and the pathway or driveway that lead up to your home as these are easy to improve without huge budgets. A driveway or pathway must be kept neat and tidy and you can consider replacing tarmac with attractive tiles or gravel. Repainting or replacing the fence, wall or gate that fronts your home can also offer an overnight transformation without breaking the bank. An area to not cut corners however is the front door, where spending a little extra can make a huge difference in quality, and painting it in a colour you love will pay you back every time it welcomes you home! Updating your windows can be a significant building design project but it is one that has benefits both inside and out, as well as potentially saving you money on energy later. If you are lucky enough to have period windows such as bay windows with sash or leaded windows, then maintaining them should be a top priority, but if they are beyond repair then there are plenty of window professionals that will offer modern, double or triple glazed equivalents that could still work in your bay window. Working with uPVC? Not a problem – the best improvement you can make is to ensure your windows are the right size and shape for your home's overall proportions.

How do I update my home’s facade?

When it comes to updating the facade of your home, painting is the quickest and most affordable way to achieve a contemporary makeover, and if you opt for a colour other than white it can really make a statement (although sticking within the palette of your road and local area is advisable). A makeover that requires a bit more patience but can add romance and character to the most mundane of homes is to adorn the walls with climbing plants – delicate trailing wisteria is ever a British favourite, whilst roses and jasmine offer fragrance as well as beauty. If you’re looking to make more significant changes to the exterior of your home, whether that is adding timber cladding, hanging tiles, installing a bay window or rendering, then you should first check whether your house designs require planning permission. A New England style wood boarded home is beautiful and bright, but remember that it will need frequent repainting if it is going to stay looking its best, whilst stucco render or Tyrolean render can tidy up a home's exterior but think carefully before covering over original brickwork.

What should I consider if building a home from scratch?

If you’re working with an architect on a brand new build, the options are endless when it comes to deciding on the exterior architecture. But first things first, you will need to check planning permissions, building regulations and local restrictions, such as being in a conservation area, to make sure your plans for your exterior house designs will meet stipulations. If you are building in a street with predominantly Victorian facades, with bay windows and side returns, you might need to ensure your house designs fit in with the rest of the homes on the street, but if you’re building in a more remote area you’ll probably have more freedom for your building design. There are many architectural decisions to make, do you want a flat, gabled, hipped, mansard or perhaps even a curved roof? Do you want bay windows? Crittall windows? Perhaps external shutters? Do you want glass walls? Do you want wood cladding? Do you want a very symmetrical building design or something more contemporary? The decision is all yours but remember to consider the benefits of various materials over others and the effects that some architecture styles will have on everyday life, for example glass walls will look attractive but will give you less privacy. Your architect or builder will be able to guide you through the best contemporary exterior architecture choices for your house designs.

United Kingdom

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