Homes Where Artistry Meets Innovation.
30.07.2025Many luxury properties are still based on traditional styles, as if they came from other cultures or times. Well, times are changing and buyers are getting younger, having grown up with modern design and different expectations.
But real estate architecture can also be different. The 20th century’s modernism gives us simplicity, minimalism, geometric lines, and site-specific designs that embrace their environments, writes Luxury Defined, the online magazine of Christie’s International Real Estate.
“Wide, horizontal windows evolved into retractable glass walls that erase the boundaries between outdoors and in. Pool decks, terraces, and shady verandas flowed seamlessly into open-plan interiors with chef’s kitchens and dedicated spaces for media, games, and wellness. Private quarters were reimagined with walk-in closets and sensually pleasing en suite bedrooms with Jacuzzis, steam rooms, and saunas. Music to our ears!”
The Luxury Defined edition celebrates the glory (and moment) of contemporary residential architecture with six exemplars of the style.
Alpine Chalet in Tutzing, Bavaria, Germany
This contemporary take on an Alpine chalet echoes the beauty of its location: the picturesque lakeside village of Tutzing in the Bavarian Alps.
The design is rooted in Purism. Gray larchwood cladding mirrors the Alpine peaks, and the interiors are equally minimalist, with warm, wide-plank wood floors and cool paint schemes serving as a frame for the views: a living “landscape painting” of wildflower meadows, cow pastures, and rugged snow-capped peaks.
Modernist Sanctuary in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA
This bold contemporary home is set against the tranquil backdrop of Japanese-inspired gardens in the exclusive Palm Beach Gardens.
Completed in 2020, the 11,144-square-foot, five-bedroom, eight full and two half-bathroom residence was meticulously constructed under the direct supervision of the owner. The result is a home built to the highest standards of contemporary design and engineering that is both stylish and functional.
Villa Cascades in Bank Sare, Sattahip District, Thailand
Villa Cascades is a luxurious contemporary villa overlooking the Gulf of Siam on Thailand’s eastern seaboard.
Architect Gary Fell designed the home in harmony with its surroundings. All five bedrooms are en suite; two are private guest suites, and there are separate quarters for staff.
The turnkey villa is fully furnished to an exceptionally high standard. There are three fully equipped kitchens, including a main kitchen by Dada, fitted with premium appliances.
Infinity House in Toronto, Canada
Infinity House is a masterpiece of contemporary urban residential architecture, nestled in Toronto’s leafy, affluent Teddington Park neighborhood.
Toronto-based architect Laith El-Bahrani created the 7,655-square-foot, four-bedroom, eight-bathroom residence with fluid interior spaces that harmonize natural wood and stone with engineered materials – and radiant heated flooring throughout.
The Castle at Trousdale Estates, Beverly Hills, California, USA
The Castle offers a rare opportunity to own or lease a turnkey, statement residence in a quiet cul-de-sac in the famous Trousdale Estates – a star-studded celebrity enclave at the highest point of Beverly Hills.
The 8,600-square-foot residence, built in 2008 and newly refreshed with top-tier finishes, offers elegant minimalism, with open-plan living spaces, white oak floors, custom stone walls, a cool white paint scheme and multiple electronic fireplaces – all wrapped in floor-to-ceiling glass that brings in the light and dazzling views of the city, canyon, and Pacific Ocean.
Magna Pacific in Santa Teresa, Puntares, Costa Rica
Magna Pacific is a serene tropical escape perched high in the jungle above Playa Hermosa beach on Costa Rica’s remote Nicoya Peninsula.
Completed in 2023, the one-acre ridgeline compound is the vision of its owner, in collaboration with local architecture studio Instinto and Mexico-based interior design firm Casa Moa.
At the heart of the property are two sustainably built, turnkey villas with a combined 10 bedrooms and 11 bathrooms.
Read the full article with further details on the houses or seek more cool contemporary style houses here.