Outside the box bungalow designs

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House Mosi: Renovations to create a single-storey home with an urban feel , Nico Van Der Meulen Architects Nico Van Der Meulen Architects Modern houses
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The word bungalow conjures up images of retro one-level living that lacks modern style and design aesthetics, but don't be too quick to judge! Let go of all the stereotypes that you associate with bungalow designs and open your mind to a new, modern and effortlessly chic way of living that negates the need for stairs or multiple floors!

Take a look at this selection of bungalow designs and see if you could be tempted to embrace a lack of elevation in your home.

Boxy and beautiful

El Refugio Inteligente, NOEM NOEM Modern houses

Admit it, this is nothing like what you were picturing when we started talking about bungalow designs is it? Every aspect of this build from noem is simply incredible and breathes a new, modern energy into single floor dwelling styles that brings bungalows so up to date they are almost futuristic! The curved corners, vertical cladding and crisp white all combine to make a home so far removed from our minds'  image of single story buildings that we are almost left in total awe. Fabulous, flawless and wonderfully flat, this really is enough to have us drawing up new blueprints!

Luxuriously long

Negating on height does not mean that you have to accept a smaller property than you would like, in fact, modern bungalow designs often utilise length instead. We love this fabulous example that really shows the scope of what is possible with a sizeable plot of land and an architect with a great eye! Nothing has been added for show and the property, as a whole, is long, elegant and perfectly useable, offering spacious living on one floor!

Touch of the Mediterranean

Wow! What a fabulous colour scheme! The baby blue cladding and the perfectly picante terracotta roof tiles are contrasting and amalgamating so wonderfully that we can't help but feel as though we are on the continent, enjoying some hot midday sun! This truly does overshadow bungalow designs of the past and brings single story living into the 21st century with a pop. A pop of colour that is! Simple in style, it is the detailing that makes this home so eminently covetable and by including a perfectly landscaped garden, the overall effect is absolutely amazing.

Material medley

When bungalow designs can look this glorious, it's a wonder that any of us still have stairs in our homes at all! We love the way that the main body of the house has been kept relatively simple, with a cream render and neutral roof tile selection, but then, on the side, a huge and stunning conservatory comes into play. Complete with fully folding walls, the space opens up to include the decking and garden in the open plan living space that boasts a comfy sofa and ultra modern woodburner. With such an incredible addition, we don't think stairs are at all necessary!

Self-contained

We love the 'u' shaped appearance of this home that almost seems to act as a perimeter wall and house all at the same time. Allowing for easy access to every room inside, this style is a little more reminiscent of bungalow designs of the past, but by keeping sleek and clean lines and using modern materials and techniques, the overall effect is of something very cutting edge. Extensive glazing allows for a modern vibe and brings the outdoors in to offer a sense of space, while the bright white barge boards act as a modern 'topper', reminding us of the scale of the build. Wonderful!

Spectacular shape

Now for something VERY different. When is a bungalow not a bungalow? We can only assume the answer is when it's a spaceship, which this building must secretly be! The length of this amazing property allows for high end, luxurious living but it's the overall shape that is really catching our eye. The sloping roof, angular walls and cutting edge styling that is simply out of this world makes bungalow designs and the potential that they offer really come into their own. With clean, low maintenance materials in use, the ease and convenience of bungalow living remains, but with an ultra glamorous face lift. 

Big can be better

We know what you're thinking but yes, this IS a bungalow. With just one level throughout the entire property, this may be one of the biggest bungalows we've ever seen and thanks to the inclusion of staggeringly high ceilings, it could be easy to not think of this in terms of bungalow designs, however, this building is a key example of exactly how wild you can let your imagination run! Open plan, one storey living, with a spacious and luxurious edge is making us forget all about stereotypical imagery of the bungalows of the past and we are suddenly wondering why stairs were ever invented!

Functional and fabulous

Now here is an interesting design that offers all the practicalities of a bungalow, with an added extra for when you need it! The property itself is single story, with all rooms on the same level, but the roof has been exploited as an extra socialisation area in the form of an incredible veranda. By utilising the flat roof space, the design team have really put their own stamp on traditional bungalow designs and offered an alternative to patios and decking for al fresco dining and we think it is just stunning! 

Naturally neutral

A huge space, this building has been subtly camouflaged by the use of natural materials on the main body of the exterior. Helping to blend the property into its surroundings, the dark grey stonework on the outside not only grounds this house, but really detracts from the fact that it is a modern incarnation of traditional bungalow designs. A sleek, expansive and perfectly proportioned building, it is difficult to really consider this to be a bungalow at all but one thing is for sure, we would never miss stairs if we lived here!

For more modern home design inspiration, take a look at this ideabook: 9 fascinating modern houses.

Are you open to leaving stairs behind? Tell us below!

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