Modern House Plans

When people talk about Usonian house plans, what they’re in fact talking about are the homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright starting in 1934, although many homes have later been designed to look like those roughly sixty homes intended for middle-income families.

Yes, it’s not just modern, Mid-century homes that people are still interested in from the 20th century, these Frank Lloyd designed homes, as well as homes inspired by his style are still in high demand, because of the architectural genius they represent. The plans on this page have been made with the inspiration of the traditional Usonian style, while implementing the needs and functionality required by today’s homeowners and families, leaning more towards open floor homes and functionality.

Many of these architectural wonders can be found across the country, on lakefront and other places where they continue to make a statement.

Over time, many designers have sought to bring out the spirit of Frank Lloud Wright, and the way he intended for houses to look and feel like, including in the Imagine Series house plans.

The home plans on this page is not limited to a single series of homes, but is more an appreciation for the beauty through which a talented architect managed to change the architectural landscape across the world.

Other considerations

Although you may want a very modern house, there are a lot of other considerations that you simply cannot ignore that relate to the type of roof you will want, how big you want the space and what materials you are hoping to use for it. It might also just be that you have ended up on this page just because you wanted inspiration and haven’t actually decided in which direction you are currently hoping to take your project, in which case we will simply let you browse the website at your convenience.

If not, you  can read about some of the other factors that we often find our users looking for when it comes to whether this house style is right for them or not.

Do you want a single-storey or two-storey home?

Perhaps one of the biggest considerations in all of this is how tall you want the home to be, which is often determined by the plot of land that you are building on, why you want to figure out if you are building something that is intended to be a single-storey home or one with several.

If you are building a 3-story home it can become difficult to actually incorporate those really tall ceilings  that a lot of families love because of the feeling of spaciousness that it creates. These really tall ceilings also allow you to install really tall windows that can let in a lot of natural light. The choice that you make with regards to this question will either open up for, or rather limit you with regards to a bunch of different design options you might have.

3 or 4 bedrooms?

While you may be able to find bigger, modern homes, our average user on the website still requests what the average family wants – 3 or 4 bedrooms in their house. No matter if they have a specific style in mind for the home, this amount of bedrooms seems to correspond with the wishes of the masses, why these are also the options that we are focusing on having architects create for our platform.

If you know the number of bedrooms for sure that you want to have, you can simply go ahead and use the filters to narrow down your search. Otherwise our recommendation is often to look for a plan that has a bedroom more than you originally thought you wanted, because they always seem to come in convenient.

If you are suddenly having your in-law drop in on an unexpected visit where they may perhaps be staying slightly longer than you had anticipated, it makes sense to have an additional bedroom. If you were certain that 3 bedrooms were enough, and you build the home, we have found many families suddenly finding themselves wanting a 4th bedroom. It may be that they suddenly find out that they wish they had accommodated for a private office. It could also be that you suddenly find your family growing.

Interior patio

A cool feature that has been growing in popularity among people that are looking for these modern homes is having an interior patio. Perhaps this is the place you want to have your breakfasts every single morning. Perhaps this is the place where you wish to invite friends over on a warm Saturday evening.

Large or small – your choice

It should come as no  surprise to you that these houses come in a range of different size options, some being small, some being large, and the choice is yours to make whether you want one or the other.

There are times when the choice has almost already been made for you, like if you are building on a narrow lot, but there are also times where you may be more ambitious and desire to go with something bigger. Whether you want something simple or something more substantial is entirely up to you and the wishes that you have.

What materials do you want to use?

With the designs available on our site, you are free to use whatever materials you find suitable, and the floor plans that we are selling are meant to be suitable for various different design choices. However, we do occasionally come across users that may have a strong preference for designs that incorporate a lot of wood into their intended design.

However, you can make these options as big and luxurious as you want or you may also make them more simple, while still keeping it modern.

Building a suburban home or a country house?

The intentions you have with the house may dictate some of the building choices you may want to include. If, for example, you are trying to build a country house that you visit a couple of times per year, there are certain choices you may make rather than if you are building a full-time suburban home that you will be living in full-time. If it is one or the other, it may affect what amenities it is that you want to have included. If you know that you like having a sauna that you can use a couple of times a year, that might be the perfect thing to include in a country house, whereas it may just take up too much space in your regular home if you actually use it that infrequently. At that point you may just find that there are better uses for the space.

Do you want an attic or a basement?

If you are planning on living in the home full time, it is very relevant to consider if you want to either have an attic or a basement that are both places that are good to store belongings you won’t use daily. A basement could also be an excellent place to put that man cave you have always been dreaming of.

A single garage or a double garage?

For people that are very engaged in DIY work, having enough garage space can be of great importance if you are planning on creating a great workstation. However, a double garage may also come in convenient in a lot of other cases, like if you are very fond of being able to drive all the way into your house without having to get out of the car. If you have a clear preference for the number of garages in your future home, you can just use the corresponding filter to only have those options show up.

We understand that it is obviously a very personal decision whether you want one feature or another when you are building your future home, and we just want you to remember that we are here to help you out if you have any questions you want answered.

Features of these homes

While there are a lot of different options when it comes to modern homes, there are some of the features that will typically be repeated across the various options. However, the best way for you to see all the features is by taking an afternoon to explore all the various styles that we have available on here.

When it comes modern homes, perhaps the most common feature that you will notice is that modern homes tend to have open floor plans. This stands in starch contrast to some of the other homes we have available on this platform, like the typical ranch home. The most prominent feature for open floor plans is the idea that less is more. What that means is that you don’t want things obstructing your view. As you enter the home through the main entrance, you’re likely able to see most of the home’s features from where you are standing. That is at least the case for the floor that you are standing on. Where other home designs may have the very defining characteristics of narrow hallways, the open floor options will feel significantly more inviting, both in terms of letting you see all the various features but also in terms of letting more natural light enter the house. Besides providing you with great views, these phenomenal structures will also have bigger windows than you find in your typical home and make it seem like the indoors and the outdoors blend. If you have ever entered a home where you felt trapped, and where you didn’t feel welcome, it likely wasn’t one that embraced the idea of an open floor plan.

Besides that common feature, you will often find that living rooms have high ceilings creating the feeling of luxury, whereas older homes are more likely to have lower ceilings. While it may seem like you are wasting a lot of square footage by building something that could alternatively have been turned into an additional room on the upper floor, the idea behind it is that you create a feeling. You create a feeling of luxury that can only really be achieved with the feeling of abundance that high ceilings will give you. When you are already embracing the big windows, high ceiling and lots of natural light is just a thing you cannot be without.

There are also some building materials that are a lot more common for this type of home. Anything that embraces a sleek, elegant style can be used, but steel, glass and concrete are definitely more prevalent materials in this type of home compared to if you were building an average mountain cabin. While brick and wood are more common for your average home, those types of materials may be incorporated with this type of home, however they are just less common. Besides massive windows, the inclusion of massive amounts of glass will allow the natural light to more easily travel through the entire home, rather than trapping it the same way that your normal house would. While some people may not like the look of big, exposed concrete surfaces, the modern home style is one that embraces it. Massive windows that go all the way from the floor to the ceiling are common, as are double and triple pane glass that ensures that you won’t be spending all your money on your heating and cooling bill. While we only sell the drawing for the frame of the house on this platform, it is up to you to find out how you wish to decorate your house. That includes figuring out which materials need to go on the inside of the home, why you may choose to use less glass and concrete than is common for this type of home. The great thing about building your own house is that you get to make all the decisions yourself.

This typical home style is very progressive, often including design aspects that you won’t find for other types of designs. If you are feeling adventurous, we are happy that you landed on this page that allow you to explore some of the more unique options than we are featuring on the other pages of this website.

The modern style will often include aspects that ensure that you always feel very connected to the outdoor spaces, why it is also common that great outdoor features are included. By having these features, you are better able to embrace the nice aspects that come with outdoor living, why an outdoor kitchen or a pool are some of the most common features you will find. What is nicer than having a big sliding glass door that opens up to a beautiful outside area where you can enjoy a glass of win after a long day?

If you thought you were the only one likely to enjoy these features, you didn’t consider that your kids will love them too. A big pool is sure to be a success among your kids’ friends, and you might just find that they end up inviting over their friends more often. The outdoor features are also commonly characterized by the same features that you will find inside, like the minimalist appeal.

Clean lines and contemporary styles go well with flat roofs. While there are certain drawbacks related to the inclusion of flat roofs, there are certainly also a bunch of advantages including the possibility to create a nice patio section on top of the house. There is no place that will have the views you will be able to find at the top of a building, so rather than having that area of the house go to waste, we recommend you also take a look at some of the designs that make the best use of the space by including a cozy outdoor section. If you are building your home on a plot of land that is either small or narrow, it may even be that it is hard to get a nice outdoor section if you don’t include an outdoor section like this. The great thing about this type of home is also that they make it easy to feel like you are part of the social activities that are going on outside, even if you are standing in the kitchen preparing the food. With a combination of the massive sliding doors and the open floor design, you won’t feel like you are trapped in the kitchen the same way that other home designs may make you feel.

If you think of a traditional home, chances are that you think of large portions of the home that embrace symmetry. These modern homes don’t always use symmetry the same way that you will otherwise typically find, why they end up easily standing out in a neighborhood.

When you are building one of these homes, we additionally encourage you to work with a local builder who has a lot of experience innovatively using eco-friendly building materials, as these tend to go well with this type of home. People that build these homes often choose to do so in creative ways that embrace energy efficiency, whether it is through innovative appliances, solar panels or other initiatives. This type of home usually appeals to people that consider themselves progressive and desire to not just live in a space that pushes the perception of design, but also does so while honoring the earth’s limited resources, why the focus on sustainability is often at the center of the building process. Another thing that is great about the focus on being environmentally conscious when you build is that there are often very generous rebates that you can access, giving you discounts on things such as solar panels. In a lot of communities, you will also be able to sell any excess electricity produced back to the power grid, thereby also making the inclusion of solar panels a good investment. With the uncertainty surrounding the future of electricity prices, it is no surprise that homeowners are spending a lot of time focusing on these initiatives that aren’t just going to lower your energy bill, but that will also be good for the environment.

One of the things that we really like about this type of home is the amount of focus that it puts on the kitchen. While the kitchen may have previously been one of those places that just served the purpose of being the place where food is prepared, modern homes take a different approach to the space. The whole idea of a kitchen is really one of those fundamental principles that have been challenged over the last couple of decades as it has become more evident the potential that the space has. Gone are the days where it was simply a place of function. Today’s family embraces that the kitchen is the basis for a healthy future. It is the place where good habits are taught, and where you will spend a lot of time teaching your kids about healthy eating. The kitchen has grown to become one of the places where families gather, why it has a prominent place in the design of modern homes. The modern homes embrace the fact that a nice kitchen is the easiest way to better get to know your kids.

Rather than eating your dinner in front of the TV, modern families are finding that dinner can be eaten around a large kitchen island, while great conversation is shared. By having a great kitchen, you can also ensure that your kids start out their nutritional journey by learning the basic principles of good eating. By making the kitchen an inviting space, it is also a lot easier to actually make sure that kids grow up to appreciate the art of cooking.

These modern homes that we feature on the platform typically all have a significant focus on being great places to entertain both family members and guests in. With their open surfaces and inclusive features, you’ll be sure that you don’t feel like you are making a mistake by considering one of our designs.