Achieving a Beautiful Contemporary Home Style

If you are remodeling your contemporary home or are building a new contemporary house design and are trying to envision the perfect exterior, contemporary home siding is a great way to add color and accentuate its style.

The difference between modern and contemporary styles

Many people may confuse “contemporary” with “modern” home architecture as the common usage of the words often mean the same. But when it refers to the style of house, there is certainly a difference. The modern house architecture is a design built specifically between 1900 and the late 1950s and includes several styles like the Ranch and Mid-Century Modern. “Contemporary,” on the other hand, refers to the “style of the moment.” It’s also free form. The most remarkable and interesting part of this type of design is that it’s heavily influenced by the current culture.

Defining contemporary style

It often seems that "contemporary style" is a catch-all for architecture that's difficult to define. Instead, contemporary style showcases the most popular designs at the time the house was built-yet they all share specific architectural details, like:

• Varying rooflines with an irregular, asymmetrical front
• Strong geometric shapes, including both straight lines and arches
• Lots of windows, but positioned asymmetrical and in different sizes
• Mixed materials on exterior

Contemporary designs also tend to change with the different regions of the country. Matthew Schultz, director of residential development at Elevated Custom Builders in Ankeny, Iowa, certainly agrees. "We've seen modern farmhouses stand out as the contemporary style here. However, many people from out of town have a different architectural style in mind when they say 'contemporary,'" says Schultz. "To me, contemporary homes are closer to a modern craftsman, but how customers translate contemporary style is all about where they're from."

Contemporary home siding ideas

Whether you’re drawing inspiration for your new home build or seeking to renovate an older contemporary build, it’s important to choose the right contemporary home siding to complement the asymmetrical lines of your house. “The clean lines we get from LP^® SmartSide^® Lap Siding work really well on contemporary house styles,” says Schultz. LP SmartSide Lap Siding also comes in a variety of widths to help you achieve your design goal.

Schultz also advises emphasizing the windows on contemporary homes. "Beef up the window trim to accentuate them. Or use a board and batten look to emphasize a certain architectural feature and then use a 1˝ x 2˝ trim and pull tight around the window," says Schultz.

Another benefit to LP SmartSide siding is the workability. Schultz says, "Our installers love working with LP siding products. They're easy to maneuver, cut and install. And they save us time versus other products on the market."

Making the right color choices

Contemporary homes tend to stick to a limited palette of whites, grays or beiges. While your installer can customize any color for you, LP^® SmartSide^® ExpertFinish^® Trim & Siding offers 16 beautiful shades just right for your contemporary home.

Ready to be inspired? Start planning now for your dream home remodel.