Modern Design Trends

Make Modern™ Like Never Before

It's Possible™ with James Hardie

Welcome to the James Hardie Modern Homes Forecast 2025, our annual research report on the future of home design.

Whether you or your clients are planning an extension, renovation or new build, this forecast will be an invaluable tool on your journey. 

About the forecast

At James Hardie, we’re driven by a purpose to build a better future for all by understanding how people want to live. Through an extensive research piece combining advanced AI-driven technology, desktop research and interviews with architects, designers and key industry professionals, we have decoded the current and future trajectory of home design. 

The drivers that shape the direction of modern design are in a continued state of flux and our research must keep up with pace of change.  There is an ongoing need to evolve and redeploy the research to identify how home design styles are evolving and keep James Hardie at the forefront of modern home design.  It's time to Build Your Modern Life.

Modern Design Trends
01

Modern Bach

Open. Airy. Light-filled. 
01

Modern Bach

Open. Airy. Light-filled. 

Inspired by relaxed Kiwi holidays at the beach, the Modern Bach style offers a contemporary take on traditional coastal design with laidback spaces, modern minimalism and dark, vertical cladding.

02

Barn

Easy. Flexible. Cosy.
02

Barn

Easy. Flexible. Cosy.

Combining dramatically high ceilings with flexible floor plans, the Barn offers rural charm in urban surroundings. As the style has evolved, the Barn has become illustrative of simple, relaxed design with an emphasis on function and family.

03

Box Modern

Bold. Contemporary. Precise.
03

Box Modern

Bold. Contemporary. Precise.

The Box Modern style is characterised by large blocks or cube-shaped volumes that are stacked, intersecting, or arranged to form compelling, contemporary residences.

04

Mid-Century Modern

Spacious. Light. Nostalgic.
04

Mid-Century Modern

Spacious. Light. Nostalgic.

Mid-Century Modern remains timeless and relevant thanks to its practicality, simplicity and sense of optimism. The style harmonises modern simplicity with the nostalgia of Mid-Century Modern architecture.

05

Modern Farmhouse

Cohesive. Classic. Comforting.
05

Modern Farmhouse

Cohesive. Classic. Comforting.

Modern Farmhouse style blends rustic style with modern convenience, with pitched roofs and large windows that create a sense of openness and connection to the landscape.

06

Japandi

Serene. Easygoing. Minimalist.
06

Japandi

Serene. Easygoing. Minimalist.

Japandi is hybrid architectural style combining Scandinavian functionality and Japanese rustic minimalism to deliver comfort and a connection to nature.

07

Modern Heritage

Timeless. Contrasting. Creative.
07

Modern Heritage

Timeless. Contrasting. Creative.

Modern Heritage is a renovation style that merges old with new, providing a unique glimpse into the past combined with contemporary contrasts through colour, shapes and materials.

08

Modern Classic

Elegant. Warm. Whimiscal.
08

Modern Classic

Elegant. Warm. Whimiscal.

Modern Classic is a contemporary twist on the elegance of a neoclassical exterior combined with the natural tones more typical of Mediterranean style homes, creating a balance between classic and whimsical.