Builder: Sims Luxury Builders
This is an example of a large modern two-storey beige house exterior in Houston with mixed siding, a flat roof and a metal roof.

The spa is cool in the summer and warm in the winter. A very energy efficient design, the salt-water spa holds 1200 gallons, is heated with solar electricity from the house PV, and the tub is insulated with a 6" cover in winter. photo: Rebecca Lindenmeyr

This master bathroom free-standing tub is located in the corner with beautiful mosaic tiles and modern brushed satin nickel fixtures for a spa-like and modern design. Vibrant blue hue tiles complement the space wonderfully. Scott Basile, Basile Photography

Photo of a large modern front door in Los Angeles with concrete floors, a pivot front door and a dark wood front door.

Design ideas for a mid-sized modern one-storey stucco white exterior in Phoenix with a flat roof.

Photo of a small modern open plan dining in Other with white walls and dark hardwood floors.

Gorgeous modern pool and spa with custom glass tile veneer, sheer descents, precast coping, tanning ledge, Caspian Sea Designer Series Sunstone plaster, and large spillway from the raised spa.

Mike Kaskel
Mid-sized modern galley eat-in kitchen in Chicago with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, stone tile splashback, stainless steel appliances, dark hardwood floors and a peninsula.

Inspiration for a modern exterior in Melbourne.

The design of this new four bedroom house provides a strong contemporary presence but also maintains a very private face to the street. Composed of simple elements, the ground floor is largely glass overhung by the first floor balconies framed in white, creating deep shadows at both levels. Adjustable white louvred screens to all balconies control sunlight and privacy, while maintaining the connection between inside and out. Following a minimalist aesthetic, the building is almost totally white internally and externally, with small splashes of colour provided by furnishings and the vivid aqua pool that is visible from most rooms. Parallel with the central hallway is the stair, seemingly cut from a block of white terrazzo. It glows with light from above, illuminating the sheets of glass suspended from the ceiling forming the balustrade. The view from the central kitchen and family living areas is dominated by the pool. The long north facing terrace and garden become part of the house, multiplying the light within these rooms. The first floor contains bedrooms and a living area, all with direct access to balconies to the front or side overlooking the pool, which also provide shade for the ground floor windows.

Design ideas for a modern backyard rectangular pool in Los Angeles with concrete slab.

Containment netting behind the basketball goal will help prevent balls from going into the neighbours yard. Total Sport Solutions Inc.
Inspiration for a mid-sized modern backyard partial sun outdoor sport court for fall in Toronto with concrete pavers.

Rosedale ‘PARK’ is a detached garage and fence structure designed for a residential property in an old Toronto community rich in trees and preserved parkland. Located on a busy corner lot, the owner’s requirements for the project were two fold: 1) They wanted to manage views from passers-by into their private pool and entertainment areas while maintaining a connection to the ‘park-like’ public realm; and 2) They wanted to include a place to park their car that wouldn’t jeopardize the natural character of the property or spoil one’s experience of the place. The idea was to use the new garage, fence, hard and soft landscaping together with the existing house, pool and two large and ‘protected’ trees to create a setting and a particular sense of place for each of the anticipated activities including lounging by the pool, cooking, dining alfresco and entertaining large groups of friends. Using wood as the primary building material, the solution was to create a light, airy and luminous envelope around each component of the program that would provide separation without containment. The garage volume and fence structure, framed in structural sawn lumber and a variety of engineered wood products, are wrapped in a dark stained cedar skin that is at once solid and opaque and light and transparent. The fence, constructed of staggered horizontal wood slats was designed for privacy but also lets light and air pass through. At night, the fence becomes a large light fixture providing an ambient glow for both the private garden as well as the public sidewalk. Thin striations of light wrap around the interior and exterior of the property. The wall of the garage separating the pool area and the parked car is an assembly of wood framed windows clad in the same fence material. When illuminated, this poolside screen transforms from an edge into a nearly transparent lantern, casting a warm glow by the pool. The large overhang gives the area by the by the pool containment and sense of place. It edits out the view of adjacent properties and together with the pool in the immediate foreground frames a view back toward the home’s family room. Using the pool as a source of light and the soffit of the overhang a reflector, the bright and luminous water shimmers and reflects light off the warm cedar plane overhead. All of the peripheral storage within the garage is cantilevered off of the main structure and hovers over native grade to significantly reduce the footprint of the building and minimize the impact on existing tree roots. The natural character of the neighborhood inspired the extensive use of wood as the projects primary building material. The availability, ease of construction and cost of wood products made it possible to carefully craft this project. In the end, aside from its quiet, modern expression, it is well-detailed, allowing it to be a pragmatic storage box, an elevated roof 'garden', a lantern at night, a threshold and place of occupation poolside for the owners. Photo: Bryan Groulx

A photo of the aquaspere - or sphere fountain with a large steel eye sculpture in the background that I placed in my garden at my home in Santa Barbara. Photo by Allison Armour

Kara Mosher © 2012 Houzz
Modern exterior in Austin.

A custom pool in a narrow backyard with a pergola attached to the house and supported with boxed columns, defines a cozy dining space at the poolside. Three sheer descent waterfalls pour from the face of the wall behind the pool, adding beauty to what would otherwise be a strictly functional retaining wall. We even found room at one end of the pool for a small outdoor grill island.

Inspiration for a mid-sized modern backyard rectangular pool in Other with a hot tub and concrete slab.

Inspiration for a large modern backyard patio in Kansas City with decking and a roof extension.

Inspiration for a modern living room in Other.