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Small Contemporary House Exterior Ideas and Designs

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Trellis & Firepit Area - West View
Trellis & Firepit Area - West View
Krueger ArchitectsKrueger Architects
Unlimited Style Photography http://www.houzz.com/photos/41070934/Trellis-and-Firepit-Area-West-View-contemporary-exterior-los-angeles#lb-edit
Black on Beal
Black on Beal
Design 5 Landscape ArchitectureDesign 5 Landscape Architecture
Derik Olsen Photography
Inspiration for a small and beige contemporary two floor detached house in Other with wood cladding and a pitched roof.
Cleft House
Cleft House
Form Found DesignForm Found Design
Conceived of as a vertical light box, Cleft House features walls made of translucent panels as well as massive sliding window walls. Located on an extremely narrow lot, the clients required contemporary design, waterfront views without loss of privacy, sustainability, and maximizing space within stringent cost control. A modular structural steel frame was used to eliminate the high cost of custom steel.
Contemporary Lake Cottage Design - Marcellus, Michigan
Contemporary Lake Cottage Design - Marcellus, Michigan
Keystone DesignsKeystone Designs
Photo of a small and yellow contemporary two floor detached house in Other with wood cladding, a pitched roof and a shingle roof.
Orchid Studio
Orchid Studio
First LampFirst Lamp
Alex Crook
This is an example of a small and white contemporary bungalow house exterior in Seattle with concrete fibreboard cladding and a lean-to roof.
Hyde Park Residence
Hyde Park Residence
Mezger HomesMezger Homes
Inspiration for a white and small contemporary bungalow detached house in Austin with mixed cladding, a pitched roof and a metal roof.
Futteralhaus. Vorgefertigtes, ökologisches, netzunabhängiges Haus
Futteralhaus. Vorgefertigtes, ökologisches, netzunabhängiges Haus
transstrukturatransstruktura
Qualitativ hochwertiger Wohnraum auf sehr kompakter Fläche. Die Häuser werden in einer Fabrik gefertigt, zusammengebaut und eingerichtet und anschließend bezugsfertig ausgeliefert. Egal ob als Wochenendhaus im Grünen, als Anbau oder vollwertiges Eigenheim. Foto: Dmitriy Yagovkin.
GUESTHOUSE at CONN CREEK
GUESTHOUSE at CONN CREEK
RGArchitectureRGArchitecture
Terraced steel plate steps up with the entry stairs. Old olive trees create shade at the outdoor dining in front of a steel plate fireplace.
Photo of a small and gey contemporary bungalow render house exterior in San Francisco with a flat roof.
Hawk's Nest
Hawk's Nest
Wiedemann Architects LLCWiedemann Architects LLC
Front entrance to home. Main residential enterance is the walkway to the blue door. The ground floor is the owner's metal works studio. Anice Hochlander, Hoachlander Davis Photography LLC
Capitol Reef | Main House
Capitol Reef | Main House
Imbue DesignImbue Design
Modern Desert Home | Main House | Imbue Design
This is an example of a small and white contemporary bungalow house exterior in Salt Lake City with metal cladding and a lean-to roof.
Olson Residence
Olson Residence
Valdez Architecture - InteriorsValdez Architecture - Interiors
Valdez Architecture + Interiors
This is an example of a small contemporary two floor house exterior in Phoenix with metal cladding.
Randall Mars
Randall Mars
Randall Mars ArchitectsRandall Mars Architects
The Pool House was pushed against the pool, preserving the lot and creating a dynamic relationship between the 2 elements. A glass garage door was used to open the interior onto the pool.
Tom Kundig: Houses 2
Tom Kundig: Houses 2
Princeton Architectural PressPrinceton Architectural Press
False Bay Writer's Cabin in San Juan Island, Washington by Olson Kundig Architects. Photograph by Tim Bies.
This is an example of a small contemporary bungalow glass house exterior in Seattle.
North Seattle Rambler
North Seattle Rambler
Emerald City Construction & RenovationsEmerald City Construction & Renovations
We took this north Seattle rambler and remodeled every square inch of it. New windows, roof, siding, electrical, plumbing, the list goes on! We worked hand in hand with the homeowner to give them a truly unique and beautiful home.
Inner-city suburban tiny house
Inner-city suburban tiny house
Tiny House CompanyTiny House Company
A freshly planted garden is now starting to take off. By the end of summer the house should feel properly integrated into the existing site and garden.
Strawberry House
Strawberry House
Nakamoto ForestryNakamoto Forestry
From SinglePoint Design Build: “This project consisted of a full exterior removal and replacement of the siding, windows, doors, and roof. In so, the Architects OXB Studio, re-imagined the look of the home by changing the siding materials, creating privacy for the clients at their front entry, and making the expansive decks more usable. We added some beautiful cedar ceiling cladding on the interior as well as a full home solar with Tesla batteries. The Shou-sugi-ban siding is our favorite detail. While the modern details were extremely important, waterproofing this home was of upmost importance given its proximity to the San Francisco Bay and the winds in this location. We used top of the line waterproofing professionals, consultants, techniques, and materials throughout this project. This project was also unique because the interior of the home was mostly finished so we had to build scaffolding with shrink wrap plastic around the entire 4 story home prior to pulling off all the exterior finishes. We are extremely proud of how this project came out!”
MoBu's (Modern Bungalows)
MoBu's (Modern Bungalows)
Ziga Architecture Studio, PLLCZiga Architecture Studio, PLLC
Modern Bungalows Infill Development Project. 3 Dwellings modern shotgun style homes consisting of 2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths + a loft over the Living Areas.
Small and multi-coloured contemporary two floor detached house in Other with concrete fibreboard cladding, a pitched roof and a mixed material roof.
The Sunny Brook
The Sunny Brook
Blenker ConstructionBlenker Construction
Photo of a small and multi-coloured contemporary bungalow detached house in Other with mixed cladding, a pitched roof and a shingle roof.
Green Mountain Getaway - Guest House
Green Mountain Getaway - Guest House
Flavin ArchitectsFlavin Architects
The guesthouse of our Green Mountain Getaway follows the same recipe as the main house. With its soaring roof lines and large windows, it feels equally as integrated into the surrounding landscape. Photo by: Nat Rea Photography
Cocoon Cabin Southampton
Cocoon Cabin Southampton
Cocoon9Cocoon9
Genevieve Garrupo
This is an example of a small and brown contemporary bungalow house exterior in New York with wood cladding and a flat roof.

Small 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.
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