The home plans of the modernist movement embody the sense of rebellion against previous styles, aesthetics and methods of more classical movements.  These home floor plans are hard to categorize, as the modern movement went on for approximately 60 years and incorporated many different architectural styles such as Arts & Crafts, Ranch and Art Deco. The stars of the modern architecture movement are still the most well known names in this art form, though. Architectural giants such as Frank Lloyd Wright in the United States, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in Germany and Le Corbusier in Switzerland made this movement the popular success that it was, and their works and influences live on today.

There are several elements that distinguish modern house plans from any other types of homes.  The floor plans include open living spaces, for starters, thanks to Wright’s influence.  He believed that separate rooms obstructed the natural flow of living.  You can still find floor plans with very open spaces for entertaining, relaxing and dining, as well as other modern factors such as large plate-glass windows and outdoor patio areas.  Outdoor spaces are integral to many of the home floor plans that you see today, as they provide more usable living space and allow for a blending of the outdoors and the indoors.  The modern home design also tends to utilize a lot of clean lines and geometric shapes without a lot of unnecessary decoration within the architecture itself.  Materials like steel, glass and concrete are also more common in modern house designs, as opposed to the natural stone, wood and plaster of traditional homes.

Home plans inspired by the modern movement put function before form and utilize wide open spaces to inspire a sense of community among the inhabitants, although some might say the utilitarian nature of these homes is not very homey.  But today it is possible to find floor plans that take many of the ideas of the modernist movement and combine them with some other classic ideals to create a contemporary look that is all your own.

The house designs that are considered to be part of the modern movement span a wide range, and they are often influenced by the geographical area.  These various architectural styles include arts & crafts, ranch and art deco.  One of the common ties that bind these various styles within the modern movement is the openness of the floor plan, which typically combines space for entertaining, relaxing and dining.  We can thank modern architects like Frank Lloyd Wright for this newer concept, as well as European architects such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in Germany and Le Corbusier in Switzerland.

Home plans are also often designed with a combination of modern aesthetics and more traditional influences, such as the modern country style.  This type of floor plan will typically include large plate-glass windows and outdoor patio areas that increase the living space while bringing a sense of the outdoors into the home.  The features that give any style a modern edge are clean geometric lines and a lack of unnecessary adornment.  While classical designs include embellished columns and arches, modern designs include space age materials and expansive open spaces.  Steel, glass and concrete are often used instead of stone, wood and plaster; and these materials are all put together with a focus on function before form.

Although modern house plans were born from a rebellion against traditional designs, the architects drawing today’s blueprints often prefer to bring together elements of traditional design with the modern focus on functionality, clean lines and an open community feel.  Geographic influences such as Spanish designs in the Southwest and Cape Cod designs in New England are also commonplace.  With a combination of clean lines, large windows, expansive spaces and natural lighting of the modern movement along with classic ideals and regional inspirations, the modern design for home plans has endless possibilities.