How to go modern without being "that" house

Are you interested in modern architecture?  Are you interested in potentially making your house bigger one day?  Would you like to combine the two previous questions and put a modern addition on your house?  For most people these days, the answer to all 3 questions is yes.  The big “but”
comes in some variation of, “But if I put a modern addition on my house, won’t it stick out like a sore thumb in my otherwise-traditional neighborhood?”

Well, like with anything, there is good design and then there is design for its own sake.  When I see something like this (which was done by a well-known architect), I tend to think that the client said, "I think we'd like something modern," and the architect heard, "Sweet, I can do anything I want here" (I could be wrong...just a guess):

The existing house and the addition have two completely different design vernaculars.  Literally, the only thing they have in common is that their window frames are black.  That would be like if I moved to France on a whim and immediately married the first woman I met.  The only thing we would share would be that we are both people.  That isn’t a relationship.  And moving-to-France-and-marrying-the-first-woman-you-meet is the exact thing that I think scares most people away from creating the modern addition that would otherwise make them happy.

So, let’s look at some modern additions done right.  Additions where the designer took care to study the existing aesthetic and then found ways to incorporate pieces of it into a more modern vocabulary:

Farmhouse Exterior by Philadelphia Architects & Building Designers Wyant Architecture

I love this addition.  It is very obviously modern while also being part of a cohesive design.  This team took the time to incorporate traditional details, like the standing seam roof and stone, so that the new would blend with the old.  Here is the addition from the other side:

Farmhouse Exterior by Philadelphia Architects & Building Designers Wyant Architecture

The stone used on the addition was taken from adjacent on-site fields to ensure a seamless look.

Here's another addition that strikes a good balance between old and new:

Contemporary Exterior by Washington Architects & Building Designers William L. Feeney Architect LLC

This addition uses the red brick from the existing house as a tie-in with the addition.  Personally, I would have opted for larger panes of glass with less fenestration on the addition, but I don't think the current configuration detracts from the way the addition blends with the rest of the house.  The wood deck and stairs also adds to the traditional-vocabulary/modern-application style of the addition.

So...if you've been thinking about going modern, but haven't quite been ready to take the plunge, consider this the gentle push you've been waiting for.  Check out my services page and contact me for a free consult.

Bye for now,
TJ