It’s not hard to appreciate modern homes . They give off a sophisticated, one-of-a-kind vibe that design lovers can’t seem to get enough of. Clean lines and industrial materials are hallmarks of contemporary design, but the style's not limited to any one set of rules. These eye-catching homes from the AD archives interpret the idea of a modern house in a variety of ways. From a multicolor sculptural retreat in New York to a Los Angeles residence with surprisingly sleek stucco walls , there is no right or wrong way to make it work. Browse through these stunning structures and see bold exteriors done right.
With the help of architect Toshiko Mori, a tech-savvy couple built a Hudson Valley compound that boldly reimagines glass-house living. At night the structures glow from within.
Knoll CEO Andrew Cogan's Shelter Island beach house , designed by architect Michael Haverland, as seen from its drive.
The slotlike main entrance of this Leroy Street Studio–designed Hamptons guesthouse leads through the house to the rear deck.
Warm-tone iroko wood was added to the exterior of this family retreat outside Moscow by designer Gabhan O’Keeffe.
Specht Harpman Architects created a sleek, light-filled home for New Canaan, Connecticut, marketing executives Avery and Nada Stirratt. The house affords abundant views of its wooded setting.
Architecture firm Langdon Wilson based this Los Angeles house on initial designs by Frank Gehry. The Indian-sandstone forecourt includes a stainless-steel wall as well as those made of asymmetrical stucco volumes.
Legorreta Arquitectos designed this Hawaiian home, working alongside decorators from the Wiseman Group. The vibrant enclosed pool was inspired by jacaranda blossoms. Not only do the bright walls protect the lap pool from rain and excessive sun, they also provide a stunning color palette.
“It’s primitive modern,” architect Robyn Morgenstern Rosenblatt says of the copper-clad house she designed with West Elevation Architects, in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
Architects Peter Stamberg and Paul Aferiat created a house for themselves on New York’s Shelter Island that “synthesized—from years of looking at, thinking about, and discussing—the art and architecture that resonates for us,” says Aferiat. Their vision yielded an 1,100-square-foot residence, shielded from the street by walls of painted aluminum.
“Our objective was to make a modern-day cowboy house based on Spanish haciendas,” architect Geoff Sumich says of B & B Ranch, a 4,000-square-foot residence and guesthouse he designed for Bruce and Barbara Goldreyer in Murrieta, California.
While constructing a contemporary house for a couple in Sonoma, California, architect Harvey Sanchez and his son, Conrad, asked designer Ron Mann to help with the architecture and build out and decorate the interiors. Mann added the poolside terrace and used a large fragment of ceiba-tree root as a curtain for the outdoor shower.
This East Hampton, New York, retreat , created by Leroy Street Studio with KA Design Group for a Manhattan family, comprises a trio of inventively interconnected buildings, seen here from the back lawn.
Though the adobe style is the area’s defining aesthetic, architect Antoine Predock was “interested in a straightforward, contemporary response to the site” of this 4,030-square-foot home outside Taos, New Mexico .
David Piscuskas of 1100 Architect and landscape architect Steven Marc Dauber collaborated with Kelly Klein on the spare scheme of her Palm Beach, Florida, home . Palm trees are placed like sculptures around the European-edge pool, which is framed by limestone coping.
The staircase leads from a terrace to the roof deck of this Sawyer|Berson-designed residence in Bridgehampton, New York.
The architecture and landscaping of this Malibu, California, home are by Scott Mitchell Studio.
“The house looks like a fish that turns shades of gray, white, and silver as the sun reflects off of it,” says architect Thomas Roszak of his house outside Chicago.
