Modern Home Design Tips for Blue Ridge Homeowners

Remodeling your Blue Ridge home can be fun and exciting, especially if you choose design elements and features that are timeless in their aesthetic appeal. For certain properties, modern home design can elevate a house’s look and feel.

But if your home doesn’t already have modern design aspects, it can be tough to know what you should upgrade or renovate. Let us help you kickstart your remodeling project with a few popular modern home design ideas.

What exactly is modern home design?

“Modern” home design is a specific home style or aesthetic theme that was common in the early-to-mid 20th century – think the 1920s to the late 1950s. Modern homes fully embrace the design style that was popular at that time, incorporating lots of clean lines, open spaces, and other key elements.

Key features of modern home design

Modern home design is characterized by several major aspects or looks. Here are some examples:

• Straight lines and "clean" geometry. Homes with modern design elements have straight walls, slanted rooftops, and lots of squares or rectangles for doorways or windows.
• Plenty of natural light. Some great-looking modern designs incorporate large, expansive windows that let in ample sunlight. Some homes feature big windows surrounded by smaller geometric windows to create a feeling of intentional asymmetry.
• Open floor plans. Modern home designs utilize big, open spaces, particularly for communal rooms like a kitchen, dining room, and living room (which may all flow into one another).
• Open-concept spaces are popular among homeowners for how they bring families together and invite guests to walk through the home.
• Neutral colors. Most modern home design themes rely on neutral paint palettes with gray, white, black, brown, and so on. This contrasts with later home styles in the 60s and 70s, which incorporated more colors.
• Natural materials, such as stone, wood, and exposed concrete. These materials can make your home boldly stand out in the neighborhood and seem minimalist and contemporary in some respects.

Thanks to these major elements, modern home design is still just as popular now as it always has been. If you’ve been looking to enhance your Blue Ridge home or give it a facelift, looking to the past for inspiration might help you achieve a head-turning property renovation that becomes the talk of the neighborhood.

Modern vs. contemporary home design

Don't be fooled by modern home design's name. Though modern is usually used as a synonym for contemporary, contemporary home design is a distinct architectural style.

As explained above, modern design follows the clean lines and architectural simplicity of the early-to-mid 20th century. In contrast, contemporary home design is always changing and evolving; it’s whatever happens to be popular right now.

Fortunately, contemporary home design is minimalist, geometric, and sleek – attributes that are shared with modern home design sensibilities. In effect, contemporary home design takes a few pages out of the book of modern home design!

Modern home interior design ideas

Thinking about renovating your home’s interior? There are lots of stylish ways to incorporate modern home design into your favorite rooms. Take a look:

• Combine the kitchen and dining rooms. Remember, modern home design leans heavily into open floor plans. Knock down the wall separating your kitchen and dining room to make your home feel much more open than before.
• Join the dining room and living room. By the same token, you can combine your dining and living room for a unified, open space where people and conversation can flow freely.
• Install wide windows everywhere. Big picture windows are the perfect companions for modern Blue Ridge homes; check out Simonton’s picture windows for some additional stellar options.
• Add wood accents to the fireplace, windows, and elsewhere. Wood accents bring natural materials and colors to your indoor spaces (plus add a touch of class).
• Update the kitchen with natural materials. Tile kitchen countertops can be replaced with materials like stone, such as granite or marble. Add stainless steel faucets for a complete rework that looks amazing.

Modern home exterior design ideas

Adding some modern design touches to your home’s exterior could be a great way to boost curb appeal, impress your neighbors, and give you something to appreciate every time you arrive home from work. Think about these design tips to jumpstart your imagination:

• Get a new entry door. A brand-new entry door with modern shapes or a big window in the middle is just the ticket. Waudena’s Westguard Smooth Steel Door combines modern design with exceptional durability, for instance.
• Install a sliding glass patio door. A sliding glass patio door doubles as a big window for letting in natural light and is a convenient way to get to your backyard.
• Repaint (or get new) siding. If your home’s siding is in a bright color, repaint it in a neutral shade to evoke the modern aesthetic. Alternatively, replace your old siding with new, insulated siding panels.
• Add modern LED lamps outside. Square lamps or geometric lanterns on either side of your entry door will welcome guests, brighten up the night, and contribute to a holistic modern home look.
• Opt for a sleek, simple garage door. Your home’s garage door can also contribute to a modern look. Choose one with a flat, streamlined surface for maximum effect.

Renovate your home with the experts

All in all, there are dozens of modern home design elements and features you can use for your Blue Ridge property. But no matter what project you choose to pursue, you should only get started with experienced contractors on your side.

Window World of the Blue Ridge has an expert team who you can call for window recommendations, entry doors, and so much more. We can help you throughout your home remodeling project from start to finish, plus provide you with peace of mind with our expert installation services. Contact us today, request a free quote, or visit our showroom to learn more!