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1965 - Present: Contemporary House Styles

Modern Homes Take on Strange New Shapes

Contemporary homes are designed for today's lifestyles with huge windows and large, open spaces.
Contemporary homes are known for their large windows and unusual shapes.

Contemporary homes are known for their large windows and unusual shapes.

Photo © Jupiterimages Corporation

Contemporary houses have many of these features:

  • odd, irregular shape
  • lack of ornamentation
  • tall, over-sized windows, some with trapezoid shapes
  • open floor plan
  • natural materials such as cedar or stone
  • harmony with the surrounding landscape

Also look for:

  • Some contemporary homes have flat roofs. Other contemporary homes have gabled roofs with cathedral ceilings and exposed beams.

About Contemporary House Styles

"Contemporary" describes a catch-all style that can take on many different shapes. A Contemporary home can have the quirkiness of Postmodernism, but it will not express the same kind of irony or humor you find in a Postmodern house. Some Neoeclectic homes are called "Contemporaries," but a true Contemporary does not use odd mixtures of historic deals the way a Neoeclectic house does.

Confused? Your most important clue is the windows: A Contemporary home will always have expansive, very tall panes of glass.

Related Styles

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