There are new home décor trends today, and the most preferred by would-be homeowners are the modern ones. Designing a modern home is not easy. It requires patience, skill, and thought. But what makes a home modern, and how do you know if the layout of your house is modern? If you’re designing a home (either on your own or with the help of a designer) and are wondering if you have a modern home design, here are some design tips and features to keep in mind to make sure you’re on the perfect path with your modern home design.

Consider the Materials

Modern homes use materials that look consistent with the overall feel of the space. Regardless of the materials, you will come across simplicity and consistency in textures and details. This can be achieved with larger materials such as large format tiles, wide wood planks, and large uninterrupted fabric panels such as concrete, glass, alloy, and sheetrock. Eliminating openings and gaps in the material (and drilling them out if there are any) simplifies the overall look of the materials. You won’t find a lot of uneven surfaces such as wallpaper, knotty wood, small tiles, thin strips of wood, or carpets, as in traditional homes.

Simplify the Architectural Details

Modern houses have simple, clean details and this applies to both exterior and interior design. Traditional homes are not overly complicated but have a typical vocabulary that makes them commonplace. When you think of traditional house siding, you think of vinyl. When you think of window trim, you probably think of a profile made up of several pieces of wood. When you think of traditional decking, you probably think of posts and railings, probably posts.

The modern design, on the other hand, consists of simple clean lines and minimal adornment. You won’t find complicated siding purposes, ceiling details, or reliefs. And the materials are simple, modest, and basic in design.

Create a Simple Floor Plan

You can usually tell if a floor program is a traditional or modern style just by looking at it. And this is one of the biggest differences between the two, aside from the floor plan layout and shape of the house. The spaces of a traditional house look right using a logical progression from room to room, but suddenly it looks like whoever did the design simply took what was left of the rooms and squeezed it into the remaining floor openings. But in modern homes, you tend to see the more idiosyncratic organization. You find an axis of flight. You see symmetry. You see spaces arranged in a logical way that makes sense. The resulting design looks simple and has a very simple design form. Again, modern homes tend to be minimalist. They are smooth and simple, nothing superfluous or over the top.

Choose Minimalist Furnishings and Accessories

A house would not be complete without touching on the fixtures, products, and accessories that stylize the home. Another thing to say is that everything in modern homes has been intentionally localized and customized. The modern home’s interior is an all-encompassing category to consider when furnishing your home. Pay close attention to each product you choose and be sure to choose items that are simple and modern.

You should also be aware of the way the hardware is finished. Satin nickel and stainless steel are good contemporary finishes, but depending on the layout, other finishes can look modern as well.