Building Trends 2021

With this year almost all wrapped up, it's time to look forward to the next exciting years trends. The emerging style for the next decade is focused on purity of design and a bright aesthetic. Clean lines inside and out featuring open floor plans which create clean, utterly roomy, informal living spaces. 

‍

‍

10 Features which reflect the essence of the modern home 

1. Lack of gratuitous ornament
   

The new style eliminates decorative mouldings and elaborate trim, giving way to a clean aesthetic where materials meet in simple, well executed joints.

The accent being on rectangular forms and horizontal and vertical lines. 

2. Rectangular forms and horizontal and vertical lines
   

Shapes of houses are based on boxes or linked boxes. Materials are often used in well defined planes and vertical forms juxtaposed against horizontal elements for dramatic effect.

3. Low horizontal massing, flat roofs emphasising horizontal planes and broad roof overhangs 
   

Modern homes on generous sites are able to feature meandering single storey plans. Many examples hug the ground and appear part of the site, not in contrast to it.

4. Featuring modern materials and techniques
   

Steel columns are used in exposed applications and concrete blocks as finished material. Concrete floors are exposed and stained. Long span steel trusses permit open, column free spaces and radiant heating systems provide warmth and comfort.

5. Using traditional materials in innovative new ways
   

The use of materials such as wood, brick, stone reflect the new modern aesthetic. Exterior cladding is limited to large, smooth planes. Brick and stonework are simple, unadorned and used in rectilinear masses and planes.

6. An emphasis on honesty of materials 
   

Interior and exterior wood is stained rather than painted to express its natural texture and character throughout the passage of time. 

7. Relationship between interior spaces and sites
   

A prominent feature of contemporary design is expansive windows, both to take in natural light and to capture the natural scenery from each room. 

The use of large expanses of glass brings the entire site into the building taking advantage of dramatic natural features and landscaping. 

8. Emphasis on open, flowing interior spaces
   

Living spaces are no longer defined by walls, doors and hallways. Living, dining and kitchen spaces tend to flow together as part of one continuous interior space, reflecting and more casual and relaxed way of life.

9. Generous use of glass and natural light
   

Windows are no longer mere portals to the outside but large expanses of floor to ceiling glass provide dramatic views and introduce natural light deep into the interior of the home.

10. Use of sun and shading to regulate interior temperatures
    

The best modern homes are energy efficient. Orientated to take advantage of nature’s forces to provide passive solar heating in the winter while long overhangs and recessed openings provide shading to keep the home cool in summer.

Canterwood specialises in creating homes rather than houses. Chat to us about your dream home…