An inside look at 5 modern houses and their plans

This side-by-side plan by Buenos Aires-based architect LUCAS MC LEAN ARQUITECTO is for two split levels—the ground floor and the rooftop. Most notable is the interior garden that the home surrounds, and how that is considered not only in relation from the inside, but from the bird's eye view. 

It's important to consider all angles and proportions of spaces before even buying that first nail! 

Luckily, the reality is as wonderful as the dream. An expansive wooden deck takes center stage, with a rustic, country-style stone home built around it. Wide glass doors open up into the middle space which is made for late night dinners and long, casual lunches. 

Trees are planted thorough gaps in the deck, making the outdoors suddenly intimate and private. But most importantly, they have enough space around their trunks to grow.  

If you like this look, then you will love this exquisite country-side home.

These plans drafted up by NOVODECO have color added to help visualize the final result. It also helps define separated areas more clearly, and how to best place furniture, especially when space is fairly limited. Keep this technique in mind if you have one large open plan room, or if you want to see how to divide your spaces to avoid it feeling too cluttered.  

But just because you use color in the plans, it doesn't mean they have to be literally used in the actual home (the floor of course wasn't going to be blue)! This home has all of the furniture in the right places for a highly practical home, but has stuck with neutral colors, white walls and dark sofas and cabinets to keep it stylish and contemporary.

This compact home takes into consideration the property boundary, the deck and even the garage space. Once again when things are tight and space is limited, everything needs to be set in concrete, before you can even think about using actual concrete.

So detailed plans like these, with everything set out in it's place, and marking out where foundation pillars stand will become more than handy.

It's quite a different thing seeing a home from a two dimensional drawing to a three dimensional structure. The circles on the plans indicated the large pillars holding up the top floor and the stairs that were drawn in the corner now play a major part in the look of the lounge. 

In terms of the interior, the dark ceiling, long windows and wooden paneling give this an ultra-cool seventies feel without the kitsch or tackiness. 

As extravagant as the house they represent, these plans have it all, including the trees lining the boundary fence. The outside patio area has been shaded in a darker gray—a super useful tool for those with plenty of decking or a large terrace area. There is an accompanying guide for each room and exterior walls are drawn darker for clarity. 

The finished house is simply stunning—especially that smooth pale deck and superb swimming pool set in it. The facade is similarly flawless and large windows line the sides for unparalleled views of the garden and patio. Just wow!   

At first glance, these plans hardly look like you would expect a house to. But believe it or not, this is will be a livable home! With it's curved sides and curious shape, the finished result will definitely end up being outstanding and definitely intriguing. But you can see there are solidly defined bedrooms and bathroom areas that ensure this is a practical, as well as a bold structure. 

Just like the architectural plans, this property is a modern masterpiece. Clad in raw concrete, this is as close to living in an artwork as you could get. Slim windows feature along one side, and either end has a large opening—one for a garage, and one for the views over the village below. 

So if you are feeling brave, why not draw up your favorite shape (with the help of some professionals of course) and turn it into a home you can live in?