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If you ain’t Dutch, you ain’t much. That’s what my Oma always used to say. And I think she was onto something because there’s certainly been a lot of exciting designs coming out of the Netherlands lately. And it’s not just my ancestral pride talking.

Take The Loft for instance.

Created by a dynamic collective of designers in Amsterdam, The Loft is equal parts conceptual pop up store, artist and maker incubator, online magazine and interior design firm. In other words, genius. The Loft has now gone through three iterations of their pop-ups, taking over places as unique as an old theater, and warehouse spaces. I only hope they keep going long enough so I can get back to the Netherlands and visit one in person. In the mean time, I keep popping by their website to learn about a new artist or creator – or just to check out their latest project for major decorating inspiration.

I’m a sucker for a beautiful blanket so Forestry Wool didn’t have a very hard sell. These stunning blankets are created by a textile designer who move from New Zealand to the Netherlands, bringing her knowledge of amazing wool production with her. Soaking in the design-infused Dutch zeitgeist, Forestry has created beautifully understated, modern designs using old world techniques. I’ll take one of each please.

Studio Spitsberg is another Amsterdam-based firm that focuses on products that help bring simplicity and function to our lives, but in a way that couldn’t be more gorgeous. Case in point, the studio’s drying racks. Quite possibly the least sexy item in one’s home – who wants to look at drying laundry – but their pieces use simple forms, clean shapes and a wonderful juxtaposition of color and texture that turn function into beautiful form. All of their designs have an easy, airy quality. I’d gladly see this piece in our new house!

I know this is only the tip of the design iceberg in Amsterdam. While Scandinavian style might be having its heyday, Dutch design certainly cannot be ignored.

I’m ready to buy my ticket to the Netherlands. Who’s with me?

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Source: apartment34.com

Apache is functioning normally

Once, I couldn’t find a matching pair of shoes, so I put one foot in a ballet flat and the other in a tennis shoe and acted like I had sprained my ankle. True story.

You may wonder then why this girl is writing an article on decluttering and disorganization and their relationship to finances, especially since I still have a lot to learn. While there are definitely others who are more organized, I have come a long way.

I have no idea how much being disorganized has cost me directly, or how much a cluttered life affected my finances indirectly. But it’s significant: Paying credit cards late, getting overdrafts, losing bills or other important papers, buying stuff only to find out I already had it, and on and on. It was painful in so many ways.

As I mentioned in a recent article, when I conquered clutter, things really improved financially. This is an expansion of that article.

Clutterosis

This magazine article cites a study that found a link between cortisol levels (the stress hormone) and clutter. I am not surprised; I felt stress every time I looked at my paper piles, too.

But it wasn’t enough to feel stress. After all, I read book after book, article after article about organizing and decluttering. I knew how to improve, but I wasn’t doing it. My house and life still looked the same.

Does that sound familiar? Money is more about the mind than it is about the math. And getting organized is more about the mind than it is about how many storage containers you have.

1. Easier is the goal. The first step to curing yourself of clutterosis (it’s kind of like halitosis because you can’t find your toothbrush) is to convince yourself that you just want to make your life easier; however that needs to happen, do it. I had to have several conversations with myself about this. In most cases, it was not easier for me to store things that I wasn’t using for an indefinite period of time. I just thought it would be easier, you know, to have two coffee carafes in case we had lots of coffee-drinking friends over at the same time or a spare electric skillet for…something. In addition to clutterosis, I also had a serious case of the “in cases.” You know, in case I lose weight, I’ll keep these clothes. In case I start playing the violin again, I’ll keep this music.

2. Just say no. You also have to realize that your organizing abilities/desires are different from other people’s. Since I have difficulty organizing a lot of stuff, I need to have less stuff. Period. For a long time, I had the reputation of liking free stuff, so if someone had something they wanted to give away, they called me. Most of the time I said, sure!

After all, what is better than free? Having only the objects you want or need, that’s what. Once I realized that I could organize my life so much better when I didn’t have so many things to worry about and take care of, I started saying no to even free stuff most of the time.

Guard your life. If you don’t really like it or don’t think you will use it often, keep it out of your life. I’ve never regretted declining a free item. But I enjoy my tidier, decluttered streamlined house. And now that we have two kids, I am even more zealous about keeping stuff we don’t use outta here. You don’t like that shirt and won’t wear it? Let’s give it to someone who will. STAT! Because I’m not great at managing lots of stuff, I have to be even more diligent about what comes through the front door.

3. Purge. Before I got serious about decluttering, I sold a few things, but the piles of stuff always found their way home. Once I was ready to tackle the clutter — for real — I started by evaluating the areas of my house that were the problem areas: the kitchen table, the kitchen counters, and some closets. I started out hesitantly, still stuck on “I might use this someday,” but quickly created a huge pile once I started feeling some freedom.

This is a step that had paralyzed me before. Even I find stuff to get rid of, where should I take it? I will have to put it in my car and make time to stop by Goodwill and then…do I just throw it away?

But to get the purging started, I called up a couple of friends and invited them to take any part of the pile. I was so excited to see my stuff leave my house and find new life with my friends. That inspired me to keep going.

While I still have some spots to declutter, I am getting there.

4. Be systematic. Once I cleared our house of things we weren’t using anymore, I started creating systems and processes that maintained our new and (more) decluttered lives. This is where all the books and articles I had read in previous years came in handy.

Here are just a few tips that I’ve found particularly helpful:

  • Sort the mail over the garbage can, immediately after coming in from the mailbox.
  • Put like things together (for instance, creating a baking zone with flour, sugar, etc. in the kitchen).
  • Make a place for everything and put everything in its place.
  • Waiting does not change a mountain into a molehill. Many times, I left kitchen clean-up for the next day, but dirty dishes don’t improve overnight, but wouldn’t it be great if they did?!

Websites

There are a zillion websites on organizing/decluttering, but here are a few just to get you started.

www.flylady.net

www.unclutterer.com

www.iheartorganizing.blogspot.com

Chime in if you’re a reformed slob like me or if you’ve always had clutter under control. What works for you today?

Source: getrichslowly.org

Apache is functioning normally

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Guest Post Naturally Enhancing Your Atmosphere If you want to be the most healthy, if you want to personally flourish, you’re going to have to take a few steps. Getting the body and mind in harmony doesn’t happen overnight. You’ve got to eat right, you’ve got … [Read more…]

Apache is functioning normally

Hello! Today, I have a great article from JT. JT has a great story about how he was down to his last dollars living in a hostel, to hitting his retirement number just a little over a decade later. If you’re looking for another great retirement article, I also recommend How This 28 Year Old Retired With $2.25 Million. Below is his article on how to retire in your 30s. Enjoy!

Have you ever seen a grown man ugly cry?  Our faces scrunch up like a squeezed sponge, wringing the water from our eyes.  Our shoulders shake uncontrollably.  We gurgle out a noise that’s a cross between a laughing hyena and a grunt.  We’re not pretty.

It was 2000.  I was ugly crying on the bed of the Spanish Harlem hostel where I was living, down to my last dollars.  Months earlier, I graduated college, sold my car, and drove from Los Angeles to New York City with sunny West Coast optimism.  Then after months of getting rejected from job after job after job, reality blew in like an East Coast blizzard.

They say, “New York City:  If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.”  For those of us who have tried, it can feel more like, “Since I can’t make it here, I can’t make it anywhere.”

I wasn’t crying because I failed.  I was ugly crying because I thought I was a failure.

And yet, a little over a decade later, I hit my retirement number.  So what happened between the tears of sadness and the tears of joy?  I’ll tell you exactly what I did to hit my retirement number in my 30s.

Related articles on how to retire in your 30s:

What is Your “Retirement Number?”

First, let me define what I mean by retirement number. It’s not just sitting under an umbrella on a faraway beach sipping fruity cocktails (although that would be nice!).  It’s simply the point where if you were to quit working, you could still cover your basic needs.  Basically?  It’s when going to work is a choice.

You might find out, like I did, that you actually want to keep working.  The best part of reaching your retirement number isn’t money, it’s agency. It’s the ability to spend your time the way you choose — unless you have little ones like I do waking you up at 6:00am every morning!

Sound pretty good?  Here are my 6 steps to find out your retirement number and how to reach it.  I’ll spend more time on the first 2 because they are the foundation for the remaining 4 steps.  The math might seem a little intimidating at first, but if you write it down on paper, you’ll find that it’s not too bad.  As you’ll see, you don’t have to be a math or money genius to retire early!

The 6 Steps to Retire in Your 30s:

Budget to a Balance Sheet:

When many of us think about our finances, we focus on what’s called the “income statement.”  As a result, the budgets you see are most often just an income statement, like this:

Understanding your savings amount is a good starting point, but it’s where most people stop.  Instead, use it as a starting point.  The savings amount from your income statement is there to help make your “balance sheet,” which is just a fancy way of understanding what you have and what you owe.  It will take some time go gather up your statements, but it’s not harder to make than your income statement. 

Your balance sheet is basically:

Your savings amount flows into your “What You Have” bucket since that savings is now what’s called an “asset.”  Think of it like when you eat cashews and have several left in your bowl.  You’d go and put the remaining cashews back into the bulk container.  Those cashews just went from leftovers to future snack.

Next, add your investment account balances to your “What You Have” bucket.  Don’t include your car, house, jewelry, or any other physical things unless you actually plan to sell them within a year.  You’re trying to figure out all your “What You Haves” that can be used to fund your living expenses, and last I checked, biting into your steering wheel wasn’t all that filling.

“What You Owe” is your credit cards, student loans, mortgage, and that loan you took out from your uncle.  The technical term for these is “liabilities.”  So, once you organize your information, you basically have your balance sheet.  You’ll see in the next steps why having a good grasp of both your income statement and your balance sheet is so important.

Know Your Retirement Math:

A study by financial planner William Bengen found that if you withdraw 4% a year, your money would last you at least 30 years if you had a 50/50 portfolio of stocks and bonds.  Others have found that most of the time (although on a 60/40 stock/bond portfolio), you would actually end up with more than when you started.

Bengen got to this 4% rate by back testing the withdrawal rate that would have worked even through the Great Depression, basically taking the worst case scenario in history.

The 4% withdrawal rate is a helpful guide for knowing how much to withdraw, but not very helpful to let you know how much you should have to withdraw from.  To find that, you’ll need to convert it into a goal.  We’ll start with the 4% withdrawal equation:

But that’s not a goal.  It’s basically where you are today if you were to try to retire early.  To convert it into a goal, you’ll need to do some mathematical jujitsu with the equation above (not to worry, I did it for you!).  It’s the same equation, but I’ve mixed it in a blender to make it more helpful:   

If you look carefully, I just reversed the “retirement withdrawal” equation.  I changed the “retirement withdrawal” to “living expenses” and inverted the 4% to make it 25.  By doing this, you can get to your “Retirement Number” goal. 

You might be thinking 25 times your expenses is a big, scary number.  It can seem unreachable.  But, I’m excited to show you how it can work in your favor.  To do that, turn the “25 times” into the ratio:

When you look at it as a ratio, you can see the power of reducing your expenses.  For every $1 you shave off of annual expenses, you’ll need $25 less in your “What You Have” bucket to hit your retirement number.  To illustrate how powerful this is, let’s look at an example:  Say you spend $35,000 a year but shaved off $4,000 in expenses.  Take a look at what happens:

If you put your money into the stock market, you might get the historical 7% annual returns.  Your account might get bigger.  But it also might get smaller.  But if you cut expenses, you’re guaranteed to get a 2,500% return!  ($4,000 savings x 2,500% = $100,000 effect on your retirement number)

Isn’t math fun?

You’ll notice I’ve only focused on “What You Have,” so why did I want you to know your entire balance sheet?  It’s a little circular, but I think you’ll get it one you think about how the income statement and balance sheet talk to each other:

Reducing your expensive “What You Owe” (like credit cards) items on your balance sheet leads to…

Lower expenses on your income statement, which leads to…

Higher savings on your income statement, which leads to…

Increasing your “What You Have” on your balance sheet, which leads to…

Hitting your retirement number sooner!

So don’t ignore your “What You Owe” number.  The sooner you get rid of your high interest rate ones like credit cards, the sooner you can hit your goal.

Alright, so how are we going to apply this to our actual lives?

(Do you wish you knew how to do this when you were younger?  Would you like to teach it to your child?  I’ll show you how teaching your children about money can be fun, fast, and easy starting here.  Download the FREE Guide to Helping Your Child Start Their First Business and you’ll also get access to a FREE course on how to get your finances in shape for early retirement!)

Make As Much As You Can:

I know — you’re shocked!

Even though it’s basic, let’s take a moment and think through the implications of what this means.  It means that if you’re serious about retiring early, you don’t work for passion.  You work for money.  If Goldman Sachs is offering you a job but you’d really rather be glassblowing, take the Goldman job, hang in for as long as you can, then retire early and spend the rest of your life glassblowing.  Till the ground now so that you can enjoy the fruit of your harvest later.

As for me, I persisted and eventually found myself at a hedge fund that allowed me to stay in New York City.  But most of us don’t have the opportunity to immediately get a six figure job.  What then? 

Side hustle.

Michelle has 65 Ways to Earn Extra Money.  There should be at least one that tickles your fancy.  Remember, you are trying to increase your income so you can increase your savings so you can increase your “What You Have.” 

So that I could extend my runway until I could get a full-time job, I worked as a sales associate at Banana Republic.  When I finally did land a full-time job, much to my friends’ puzzlement, I kept my sales associate job and turned it into a side hustle.  (Imagine how mortified my boss at the financial firm where I worked felt when she ran into me at Banana Republic!).  My balance sheet thanked me, as it helped me quickly pay off my “What You Owe” items, including student debt.

Change Your Spending Mindset:

Change your default question from “What can I afford?” to “What can I withstand?”  Often times, when we get an upgrade in pay, we too often automatically think we need an upgrade in lifestyle.  Why default to this assumption?

Let’s say you just got a promotion that is paying you $5,000 more a year.  You’re tired of asking your roommate clean up her dishes.  Your car is fine, but basic.  You think about how hard you’ve been working and how you deserve your own place and a new car. 

We’ve all felt this tug to spend more.  But as we’ve seen in step 2, the ability to minimize your spending is the most powerful thing you can do to reach your retirement number. 

Even though I was making six figures, I lived with roommates in non-prime areas of Manhattan until I got married.  I never had a doorman.  I hardly took cabs.  I stayed in and cooked most nights.  Within a few years, I paid off $15,000 of school debt and started building up my net worth.

Invest (Almost) Everything:

Saving is not the same as investing.  Saving is the act of putting money away for a rainy day.  Investing is putting money to work.  In fact, if you simply save without investing, you actually lose money due to inflation.

After you’ve saved enough for 3 to 6 months of living expenses, invest the rest.  The S&P 500 has historically returned 7% a year, after inflation.  Meanwhile, the average annual salary raise has been around 3%.  This difference is huge!  It means that at a certain point, your investments will actually start making more than what you’re saving per year.  Then, with enough time, it will actually start making more than your entire annual salary!

Basically, you’re trying to shift your finances from the picture on the left to the picture on the right.

Now, the last step can be tricky, but greases the path to your goal.

Move to a Lower Cost Area:

This is the trickiest part but also has the most potential to get you to your early retirement goal. An easier way to do this is finding an employer that also has a location where you want to be. For the East Coast, that’s either moving from Manhattan to a borough like Queens or transferring to another city like Philadelphia or Stamford.  On the West Coast, it’s like moving from San Francisco to Portland.  (Or, for the ultimate move, live in an RV and see the entire country like Michelle!)

A few years ago, I moved to Philadelphia while keeping my New York City salary.  In so doing, I significantly reduced my housing expense by thousands of dollars…every month. With that one move, because I reduced my biggest expense, my wife was able to stay at home with our 3 children.  In other words, it allowed my wife to retire (although her work as a SAHM is much more challenging than mine!).  At the same time, I was still able to accelerate our retirement timeline by decades!

So, if reducing your expenses is the most powerful thing you can do to reach your retirement number, cutting your housing expense is the most powerful thing you can do to reach your expense reduction goal.

But Can You Really Hit Your Retirement Number Before 40? 

Let’s put all six steps together. 

You’ll see that it can be done without making six figures.  Let’s say you make $50,000 out of college and have a side hustle that makes you an extra $12,000 a year (I based this on the 20-25 hours a week I worked at Banana Republic while keeping my full-time job).  Also, you live with a roommate and pack lunches most days a week and only occasionally eat out for dinner.

  • Your salary and expenses each increase 3% a year, which is in line with historical inflation.
  • Your investments earn 7%, which is the historical S&P 500 return above inflation.
  • At ages 28 and 34 you get a promotion, getting a $5,000 bump in salary each time.
  • Your first promotion at 28 gave you more responsibilities, so you decided to quit your side hustle.

At age 34, you move to a lower cost part of town, reducing your living expenses by 15% over the prior year (yes, it’s possible – I saved more than this moving from Manhattan to Philadelphia).

As you can see, by the time you’re 39, you could withdraw almost $43,000 a year.  So, if you were this person and quit your job at 39, you’d have enough to cover living expenses and taxes until social security kicks in. 

As you can see, it’s possible even if you don’t have a big salary.  So the real question is not “can you?” but “do you?”  Do you have the desire to transfer the math into your actual lifestyle?  Do you put in the effort to create the habits to sustain this level of investing for almost 2 decades even when life throws you curve balls (which will happen)?  Do you set aside time and energy to start a side hustle even when your friends are going out and having fun without you?  Do you say “no” to the tug to spend more and that desire to show the world how successful you are by the clothes you wear or car you drive?

If you do, then the only thing between you and achieving that goal is…you. 

A Different Cry:

Several years ago, I had a different moment while sitting down.  This time, I was looking at my balance sheet and realized that I had surpassed my retirement number.  There was no blubbering this time, just a calm lightness.  I felt liberated.  From then on, every day I walked into work was because it was my choice. 

The funny thing?  I realized I wanted to keep working because I was still having fun.  For now.  My 67 year old boss just retired.  Instead of the joy and excitement you would’ve expected, he had a lot of fear about how he was going to fill the rest of his days.  Do you want this fate?  You work so hard for so long that when you do have financial freedom, you’re either too old or too set in your routine to experience all the things you used to want to do. 

For someone working toward a single purpose for so long, it’s actually challenging to not have a big goal anymore.  And the time to figure out what else to do is while you’re still employed.  This is why I started Just Making Cents so that I could still have purpose and projects of my own choosing, and to have greater impact on people’s lives.

And that’s when life gets really fun.

Author bio: JT is passionate about viewing money differently, having spent over 15 years on Wall Street.  He writes about money from the perspective of faith and as a father of 3 spunky kids. 

Are you interested in learning how to retire early? Why or why not?

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Source: makingsenseofcents.com

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*Please note that this article contains affiliate links. Fancy Pants Homes will receive a small percentage out of the value of anything you buy if referred by our site, money that will go into creating content for you. Thank you for supporting Fancy Pants Homes.

We make a goal out of building our dream home one day and we work hard to make it happen. Ever passed by a gorgeous house and just stared at it for a few minutes? I know I did! Then went about my business thinking I’ll probably never afford it anyway…

But what if you could create an amazing home using dollar store decorating hacks? After all, it’s just about combining cool ideas with good taste. And if you’re not the creative type, don’t worry! We’ll give you a list of ingenious home hacks that will transform your interiors.

Here are 16 of our favorite decor hacks for an affordable fancy home: 

1. Use lighter colors when painting a small room to make it feel bigger

If you’re lacking on space, the first trick you can use to make a room feel larger is painting the walls in softer, lighter colors. White and beige never get out of style, but if these seem a bit dull, you can always choose soft shades like straw, pearl grey, blush, sage, sky blue or eggshell.

2. Signal your style by painting your front door in a vibrant color

Your front door is your home’s first impression. Tell your neighbors about your personality by painting it in a bold, glossy color.

In fact, you can even use take things a step further and make a statement with the color you choose for your front door and make use of conventions. For instance, in Feng Shui, a red front door simply means “welcome.” While in Scotland, painting your front door red means that you paid off your mortgage.

3. Hide your router inside a hollowed-out book

Tired of that router ruining the looks of your bookshelf or coffee table? Use a hollowed-out book to hide it. Just make sure to cut out the part that covers the router’s vents. This way you’ll prevent it from overheating.

4. To cast a lovely shadow, use a Sharpie to draw shapes on a light bulb

Or color it entirely if you love soft light. However, if you choose to simply draw a smiley face (let’s say) on a light bulb, the pattern will not be reflected on the walls. Not as you’ve drawn it anyway. But you can still do it for the sake of design.

5. Paint the sides of your doors a bright, playful color 

This is a small DIY home decor hack that can actually make a big impact. Besides, it requires minimum time and effort. So grab a little tin of paint, pick an awesome color that you think goes well with the accents you’ve already incorporated in your home decor and dedicate an hour of your time for this small home project. You will love the result! 

6. Use an old ladder to create your own shoe rack

We love DIY hacks that require little to no money. Depending on how your old ladder looks like, you can repaint it or just put it in the desired spot. At least now you won’t stumble over 10 pairs of shoes piling up at your front door.

7. Reinvent a boring dark lampshade by poking holes in it

Well, it’s more like creating a design or an image by poking the lampshade. You want to make it look more interesting, not ruin it. With a little dedication you can create a dreamy starry effect or your own big city lights.

8. Restore old furniture by using contact paper

If you’re looking for cheap home DIY decor ideas, breathe life into an old piece of furniture by covering the ‘damage’ with contact paper. The good thing about contact paper is that you can stick it on any dry, clean and flat surface (not to mention it comes in so many beautiful colors and patterns that your design choices are endless).

And just like that, your kitchen countertop has that marble look you love but can’t afford.

9. Use coins to decorate… whatever you want

Time to break the piggy bank and get creative. Make yourself a penny floor; glue your coin collection on a mirror frame or on a plate. Home decor hacks are a wise way to use your pennies.

10. Frame your favorite pictures with washi tape

Most of us love hanging memories on the wall, but when we lack space, picture frames can crowd the place even more. A great and cheaper alternative would be to frame your pictures with washi tape after attaching them to the wall.

11. Brighten your room with colorful throw pillows

Those small cushions are great accessories for your sofa. Don’t be afraid to mix and match colors and textures. Some crisp new pillow covers will change the overall appearance of your room.

>> Buy them here: Colorful and affordable throw pillows that will add extra flair to your room

12. Go bold with a stylish backslash

You can do it for both your kitchen and your toilet without breaking the bank. Pay special attention to colors and patterns to bring a cheerful feeling with very little work on your part. You can use peel and stick tiles so you don’t break the piggy bank.

>> Buy it here: Add Color And Drama To Your Room With Peel And Stick Wallpapers

13. Use mirrors to make your room look larger

Large mirrors reflect the room back and will trick you into thinking a place is bigger than it actually is. It’s a great visual trick to use to make your room feel larger (and fancier), just make sure not to try going into the ‘other room’.

14. Get rid of useless things

If you still have things you haven’t been using for years or a certain object makes you groan, get rid of it. Don’t act like a hoarder and give yourself some space to breathe. Less is usually better when decorating your home.

15. Pick fluffy towels you’ll love to use

Time to throw away those old discolored towels that make your space look dirty and cheap. Use the fluffy ones you keep in your closet. You know… those that make you feel like you’re staying in a fancy hotel. 🙂 You can easily score extra points here by playing around with the way you showcase them. 

16. Place dishwashing products on a cake stand

This is literally one of the easiest decorating hacks out there. Add style to your boring dishwashing products by placing them on a cake stand. Talk about an easy hack to make your kitchen look more fancy in an instant! 

What home decor tips have you tried and loved the results? Let us know in the comments, we’d love to feature them!

Bonus: 17. Breathe life into your space by adding indoor plants

Decorating with indoor plants is a cost effective way to add visual interest to any room without breaking the bank. Plants can be displayed in many different ways from bohemian macrame plants hangers to more expensive stand alone planters, depending on your budget. The great thing about decorating with plants is that unlike other home decor they are truly timeless and will grow and adapt to your interior over time providing a unique look. 

More tips for your fancy home

10 of the Most Stylish Minimalist Wall Clocks You Can Buy on Amazon
7 Top Decorating Ideas for Your Bedroom this Fall: Making Your Room More Cozy & Stylish
Here’s Everything You Need to Set Up a Meditation Corner in Your House
These are ‘Queer Eye’ Bobby Berk’s Top 6 Choices for Wall Décor

Source: fancypantshomes.com

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In today’s modern world, the house goals of yesteryear are a distant memory.

Long gone are the days of window shutters, oversized crystal chandeliers, multiple small rooms, intricate designs, wrought-iron railings, small windows, and large porches with overhanging beams.

Modern mansions favor simple and clean designs with open spaces.

While traditional mansions offer intricate and elegant details, today’s luxury homes feature straight lines, geometric shapes, a flat or low-sloped roof, and clean exteriors with little to no texture.

Luxurious homes of the past featured building materials such as brick, wood, plaster, stucco, and stone. Meanwhile, contemporary mansions favor newer, more technologically-advanced building materials including reinforced steel and concrete.

And windows, lots and lots of floor-to-ceiling windows.

Sophisticated smart homes are all the rage, as are connected outdoor spaces, white rooms and simple color palettes, open floor plans, glass walls allowing for ample natural light, green features, security settings, and the utmost privacy.

While traditional mansions typically featured a number of small, single-purpose rooms, modern floor plans include seamless open-ended spaces.

After all, one cannot be confined to small spaces while living that luxurious lifestyle! 

A closer look at 18 of our favorite modern mansions

When it comes to stunning estates, we’ve got you covered.

From wraparound pools featuring panoramic views to glass walls for days, to dream chef kitchens, to seamless indoor-outdoor living spaces, we’re taking a look at 18 modern mansions that have knocked our socks off.

And we think you’ll (really, really) like them too.

A Marc Whipple-designed modern mansion with a wraparound pool

Designed by acclaimed architect Marc Whipple, this massive 11,200-square-foot home in Beverly Hills is quite a stunner.

Photo by Tyler Hogan, courtesy of Sally Forster Jones of Compass

Offering six bedrooms, seven bathrooms, and two half baths, the multi-million dollar manse features disappearing walls of glass, so that its residents can enjoy the stunning views from each and every room.

Speaking of views, they’re completely unobstructed, with downtown Los Angeles, Catalina Island, and the coastline on full display. Those lovely landscapes can be seen from the home’s stunning wraparound pool.

Other luxurious amenities include a movie theater, a secret Zen garden, gym, guest house, glass wine cellar, gated driveway, and an outdoor kitchen.

Photo by Tyler Hogan, courtesy of Sally Forster Jones of Compass
Photo by Tyler Hogan, courtesy of Sally Forster Jones of Compass
Photo by Tyler Hogan, courtesy of Sally Forster Jones of Compass
Photo by Tyler Hogan, courtesy of Sally Forster Jones of Compass

This Beverly Hills manse had its moment of fame a few years back, when it was rented by Rockstar hitmaker Post Malone. It was later listed for sale with a whopping $26 million asking price.

A breathtaking Hollywood mega mansion with museum-quality energy crystals throughout

Built in 2021, this mega mansion is located in the heart of Hollywood.

Boasting panoramic views of downtown Los Angeles, the Pacific Ocean, and the canyon, the home offers six beds, nine baths, and nearly 10,365 square feet of living space.

Photo credit: Sean Gordon courtesy of The Agency

The sophisticated smart home features museum-quality crystals sourced from around the world and placed with extraordinary care throughout to energetically enhance the residence.

Offering double-height ceilings and incredible indoor/ outdoor living spaces, the California compound also includes a custom home theater, fitness center, wine cellar, second living room and all the finest custom finishes.

Photo credit: Sean Gordon courtesy of The Agency
Photo credit: Sean Gordon courtesy of The Agency
Photo credit: Sean Gordon courtesy of The Agency
Photo credit: Sean Gordon courtesy of The Agency
Photo credit: Sean Gordon courtesy of The Agency
Photo credit: Sean Gordon courtesy of The Agency

Setting a new gold standard for Southern California living, the picturesque backyard — which is front row to the city and canyons — features a beautiful sparkling pool/spa, a built-in BBQ area, and a grassy green lawn.

See more of this unique Hollywood mega-mansion here.

A striking $150M modern mansion in Bel-Air with 360-degree views

This beautiful home in Bel-Air has all the bells and whistles you’d expect in a modern mansion (and then some).

Photo credit: Matthew Momberge courtesy of Compass

Designed by award-winning architecture and design firm, Saota, the private compound is perched on a promontory high above the city — opening up to unobstructed, 360-degree views of Los Angeles.

Set on a 1.15-acre lot, the swanky crib offers nine bedrooms and fourteen baths spread across 20,841 square feet.

Some of the luxury amenities include an infinity pool with a secluded cabana and pool-side sunken fire pit, three separate staff quarters, and a one-bedroom guest house with a separate, private pool.

Photo credit: Matthew Momberge courtesy of Compass
Photo credit: Matthew Momberge courtesy of Compass
Photo credit: Matthew Momberge courtesy of Compass
Photo credit: Matthew Momberge courtesy of Compass
Photo credit: Matthew Momberge courtesy of Compass
Photo credit: Matthew Momberge courtesy of Compass

This magnificent manse was owned by George Ruan, co-founder of online coupon-clipping company Honey (now part of Paypal).

The Razor House in San Diego, the real-life Iron Man house

The one-of-a-kind architectural masterpiece known as The Razor House was designed in 2007 by San Diego-based architect Wallace E. Cunningham.

Photo credit: Gary Kasl courtesy of The Agency

The striking concrete and glass mansion — dubbed ‘the Iron Man house’ due to its resemblance to Tony Stark’s mansion in the famous Marvel movie — is perched on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Offering endless concrete terraces, the stunning estate has mesmerizing views of surrounding hills and the ocean below.

Photo credit: Gary Kasl courtesy of The Agency
Photo credit: Gary Kasl courtesy of The Agency
Photo credit: Gary Kasl courtesy of The Agency
Photo credit: Gary Kasl courtesy of The Agency
Photo credit: Gary Kasl courtesy of The Agency

Featuring several outdoor lounge areas, the luxurious three-story home comes with six bedrooms and six baths, with nearly every room opening up to jaw-dropping views. 

In 2019, Grammy Award-winning singer Alicia Keys and husband Swizz Beatz bought The Razor House in a $20.8 million deal.

Villa Vella, one of Europe’s finest contemporary homes

Spanish dream house, anyone?

Dubbed Villa Vela, this sprawling 23,476-square-foot property is located in the sun-bathed province of Andalusia, Spain.

Photo credit: The Agency

Sitting behind its own gates, at the end of a sweeping driveway, Villa Vela offers a total of six bedrooms and six baths. 

The posh property has been designed to be free-flowing and, as such, has an open plan, including floor-to-ceiling retracting windows that open directly onto a terrace that stretches from one end of the house to the other.

Photo credit: The Agency
Photo credit: The Agency
Photo credit: The Agency
Photo credit: The Agency
Photo credit: The Agency

Not to mention, each of the suites has its own outdoor space, and they also all connect directly to the vast upper terrace, its lawn, garden, and dining area, and benefit from breathtaking views.

A futuristic, yacht-shaped mansion perched high atop the Los Angeles hills

This 17,000-square-foot modern residential oasis in the upscale LA neighborhood of Brentwood is redefining luxury living.

Photo credit: The Agency

Southern California-based architectural firm de Loren & Associates purposefully designed the building by superior wellness standards, without sacrificing on design but rather adding to it.

Inspired by the clean lines and interior spatial layouts of yachts paired with the motion of the sea, the curving exterior facades are reminiscent of ocean waves, wind, and clouds that make not only for an exhilarating lifestyle but also appealing to the eye.

The modern mansion boasts seven bedrooms, eight bathrooms, and three powder rooms across three levels.

Photo credit: The Agency
Photo credit: The Agency
Photo credit: The Agency
Photo credit: The Agency
Photo credit: The Agency
Photo credit: The Agency

Featuring a massive list of upscale amenities, the beautiful Brentwood home offers a 610-bottle wine cellar, commercial speed glass elevator, movie theater, state-of-the-art gym, a 300 sq. ft. green wall, and a lower-level entertainment area with a full bar, pool table and more.

And there’s plenty of room for Stormi and Wolf to explore! Turns out, this luxurious residence is owned by none other than rapper Travis Scott.

A newly-built Encino mansion with bright, airy, and warm interiors

We can’t get enough of this amenity-rich mansion with modern interiors and a killer guest house.

Photo credit: LA Light Photography and The Luxury Level

The seven-bedroom, eight-bathroom Encino home offers 9,081 square feet of living space enclosed within a private, gated estate with surrounding landscape.

The stunning estate is a beautiful example of modern California living, with picture-perfect interiors, exquisite finishes, jetliner views, and plenty of attractive amenities.

Featuring warm wood tones, the large windows and Fleetwood doors open up to unobstructed views and plenty of natural light.

Photo credit: LA Light Photography and The Luxury Level
Photo credit: LA Light Photography and The Luxury Level
Photo credit: LA Light Photography and The Luxury Level
Photo credit: LA Light Photography and The Luxury Level
Photo credit: LA Light Photography and The Luxury Level

The carefully thought-out finishes give the home a modern vibe that extends into the bedrooms as well. The second level of this luxury Encino home has four bedrooms, including the master suite, which walks out to a 1,200-square-foot balcony with a fire table. 

Naturally, this wonderful modern manse caught the eye of a famous buyer; it’s now owned by Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson and husband Justin Mikita.

A modern 4-story house facing one of the most beautiful coastal shorelines in all of California

We love this modern mansion set in the most desirable area of Manhattan Beach, The Strand, an oceanfront neighborhood lined with modern-looking mansions that typically sell in the $5 million to $15 million range.

Photo credit: Paul Jonason courtesy of Stroyke Properties Group

Spanning 6,978 square feet of modern living space, the home offers six bedrooms and eight baths.

Designed by renowned L.A. studio KAA Design, this four-story home was envisioned around life, in all its texture, at the beach.

Rather than cluster sleeping areas on a single floor, they’re strategically spaced across the four levels, with the third floor being home to a primary suite with a private office that’s luxuriously sequestered in the style of a penthouse.

Photo credit: Paul Jonason courtesy of Stroyke Properties Group
Photo credit: Paul Jonason courtesy of Stroyke Properties Group
Photo credit: Paul Jonason courtesy of Stroyke Properties Group
Photo credit: Paul Jonason courtesy of Stroyke Properties Group

The private elevator takes residents and guests down to the beach room, which is level with the Strand itself, and lounge on the patio, front row to a peaceful scene of sea, sand, and sky.

Read more about this beautiful modern mansion here.

A $70M contemporary marvel that reimagines luxury living for the 21st century

Located in the coveted Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, this modern mansion is what happens when a star-studded team consisting of award-winning architect Noah Walker, AD 100 interior designer, Jamie Bush, and renowned landscape designer, Christine London LTD comes together.

Image credit: Benny Chan courtesy of The Agency

Spanning 19,000 square feet, this beautiful abode is set on a sprawling four-acre lot and offers six bedrooms and 12 bathrooms alongside many recreation rooms.

The plush property has 270-degree views of the city, ocean, and canyon, and a long list of amenities that include a theater room — with acoustical wall paneling and a commercial cinema-quality projection system — a gym with a steam room, a 75-foot indoor lap pool, outdoor architectural pool and dual offices.

Image credit: Benny Chan courtesy of The Agency
Image credit: Benny Chan courtesy of The Agency
Image credit: Benny Chan courtesy of The Agency
Image credit: Benny Chan courtesy of The Agency

We first covered this luxurious contemporary home when it first came to market last year with an ambitious asking price of $70 million.

Just a few months later, it was purchased by music mogul Scooter Braun (better known as Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande’s manager, and Taylor Swift‘s manager-turned-foe) for $65 million.

The Ora House in San Diego, where contemporary architecture meets serene living

In the hilly, seaside neighborhood of La Jolla in San Diego, a modern cliffside mansion has all the dream house vibes.

Street view of the property. Photo credit: Blue Heron

Built by Blue Heron’s BH Elite custom home division, the Ora House, as the property has been named, is a true architectural marvel.

The stellar design team incorporated the same innovative biophilic design and advanced Savant technology used in Blue Heron’s flagship home, VM001 in Las Vegas, to “enhance the flow of life while creating an overall sense of peace and natural wellbeing.”

The cliffside estate is set in La Jolla’s exclusive Bird Rock Waterfront enclave and totals 8,878 square feet of living space.

Photo credit: Blue Heron
Photo credit: Blue Heron
Photo credit: Blue Heron

The architectural marvel has five bedrooms and eight baths across its four levels, with each level embracing the outdoors with spaces tailored for both entertaining and private moments.

A striking celebrity compound with a modern heptagon-shaped house

Check out this contemporary compound in La Crescenta, Calif.

Photo credit: Cameron Carothers courtesy of Compass

Designed by AD100 architect Michael Maltzan, this dramatic, heptagon-shaped house has spaceship vibes, is surrounded by seven exterior walls (some made out of glass), and is anchored by an open-air courtyard that sits right at the center.

Nearly all the rooms of the house come with sliding floor-to-ceiling windows that open up to either the serene courtyard or beautiful mountain and city skyline views.

Some of the stand-out features of the modern mansion include a primary suite with an entire wall of glass that opens up to a generously sized balcony and a particularly unique bathroom with a blue curved penny-tiled wall surrounding the shower.

Photo credit: Cameron Carothers courtesy of Compass
Photo credit: Cameron Carothers courtesy of Compass
Photo credit: Cameron Carothers courtesy of Compass

This unique home was owned by Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Michael Peter Balzary, known professionally as Flea.

A $25 million Napa Valley glass house with killer views 

Surrounded by over 40 acres of lush grounds set amidst California’s world-class wine country, this striking architectural home goes by the name of Karinya.

The highly suitable moniker originates from the Australian aboriginal culture and is simply translated as “peaceful home.”

Image credit: Adam Rouse courtesy of Coldwell Banker

Built in 2017, the stunning estate is nestled in the small community of Deer Park right next to St. Helena in Napa County.

Spanning 8,837 square feet, the impressive residence was built with natural materials, a deep connection to the valley’s views, and a design that boasts both beauty and luxury.

Not a detail is spared at Karinya, with many luxurious features such as endless walls of glass, a 2,000-bottle wine room, and an acoustically-designed media/ theater room.

Image credit: Adam Rouse courtesy of Coldwell Banker
Image credit: Adam Rouse courtesy of Coldwell Banker
Image credit: Adam Rouse courtesy of Coldwell Banker
Image credit: Adam Rouse courtesy of Coldwell Banker

Fitting a modern dream house, it also comes with a detailed smart home system with mobile phone control access that controls the music, air conditioning, security and programmable LED recessed lighting in 11 separate zones and a fire sprinkler system.

See more of this lovely Napa Valley home here.

A modern mansion that was once featured in the Oscar-winning “La La Land” movie

Set in the popular Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles, this modern mansion offers an impressive cutting-edge design.

Photo credit: Compass

The six-bedroom home wows with its soaring ceilings and walls of glass that bring the outdoors in.

Complete with an infinity pool and spa (with a cascading waterfall) and a nifty pool/guest house with a sundeck for outdoor entertainment, the home is peppered with outdoor spots to relax and enjoy the lovely Cali weather.

In case you’re getting a strong sense of deja vu, this beautiful home was featured in the popular film, La La Land.

Photo credit: Compass
Photo credit: Compass
Photo credit: Compass
Photo credit: Compass
Photo credit: Compass
Photo credit: Compass

As the story goes, Mia (played by Emma Stone) and her friends attend a lavish party hoping to meet influential people in the business and finally get their lucky break.

You guessed it, this memorable movie scene was filmed at this gorgeous Los Angeles estate.

A celebrity chef’s former home with a massive kitchen anchored by a 24-foot stone island

Located in the coveted Via Bluffs enclave of Pacific Palisades, this modern mansion spans 6,500 square feet of luxurious living.

Photo credit: credit: Smith Cho / Compass

Offering massive sliding windows that open up to beautiful views of Potrero Canyon and beyond, the sumptuous five-bedroom, five-bathroom home is filled with natural light streaming in from the surrounding floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding glass doors, while the skylights pour even more light onto the main and top floors.

The Pacific Palisades property also flaunts features like a dual-faced fireplace, a nearly 24-foot kitchen island, and a distinct living room that’s pouring out onto the outside deck overlooking the pool.

A large open-layout living area is anchored by an impressive dream kitchen. 

Photo credit: credit: Smith Cho / Compass
Photo credit: credit: Smith Cho / Compass
Photo credit: credit: Smith Cho / Compass
Photo credit: credit: Smith Cho / Compass
Photo credit: credit: Smith Cho / Compass

This beautiful home was once owned by celebrity chef, Everyday Italian, and Giada At Home star Giada de Laurentiis.

A beautiful modern mansion tucked in the Hollywood Hills

Built in 2019, this Marc Whipple-designed home is a true Hollywood gem.

Located on the glamorous Sunset Strip, in the Hollywood Hills West neighborhood of Los Angeles, this home oozes that clean-lined modernist approach, while still offering warmth and comfort.

Photo credit: credit: Jonathan Ducrest and Tom Hunter

The posh property incorporates five bedrooms, six bathrooms, as well as two half-bathrooms, all with breathtaking views spreading from the Hollywood sign right to the Pacific Ocean. 

The main entrance offers an open-concept kitchen and three terraces that total 5,000 additional square feet of outdoor living space.

And, the middle level features a second living room and a luxurious ‘floating glass box’ master suite.

Photo credit: Tom Hunter Photography.
Photo credit: credit: Jonathan Ducrest and Tom Hunter
Photo credit: credit: Jonathan Ducrest and Tom Hunter
Photo credit: Tom Hunter Photography.
Photo credit: credit: Jonathan Ducrest and Tom Hunter

All the bedrooms offer easy access to the infinity pool, which provides stunning views of the surroundings and a perfect setting to enjoy summer nights and sunsets in complete privacy.

A Malibu gem that’s often rented to high-profile celebrities

This Malibu celeb magnet is the epitome of indoor-outdoor Cali living, featuring large glass walls that seamlessly blend the interior with the grounds.

Perched above the Pacific Ocean, the three-bedroom, three-bathroom, 2,100-square-foot Malibu mansion is every bit the modern gem.

Photo credit: Hagai Aharon

It’s the perfect property for entertaining, as it includes an infinity pool with fabulous ocean views, a spa, and a fire pit.

The entertainment continues inside, as the house includes not one, but three indoor fireplaces, as well as a media room, making sure you stay entertained throughout the entire year.

Amenities include everything you could possibly need, from in-unit laundry and air conditioning to five parking spaces, an outdoor patio, and a cabana. 

Photo credit: Hagai Aharon
Photo credit: Hagai Aharon
Photo credit: Hagai Aharon
Photo credit: Hagai Aharon

The house not only rents out to celebrities such as Matthew Perry, Cardi B, and Taraji P. Henson, but it’s also owned by one.

Betty Moon, a celebrated Los Angeles musician, songwriter and producer, currently owns the plush property which she recently renovated before listing it for rent.

An impeccably designed modern mansion that embraces indoor-outdoor living

Located in the upscale neighborhood Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles, this three-story home was designed and built by renowned developer/designer duo David and Eliana Rokach.

Photo credit: The Agency

This multi-million dollar mansion offers a sprawling 13,543 square feet of modern living space and packs nine bedrooms and twelve bathrooms.

Boasting unobstructed views of the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Monica Canyon, the stunning estate offers an open-concept living/dining room finished in a chic, contemporary style.

The living room features custom-made electronic sliding steel doors that open to a beautiful outdoor area, which features a barbecue area, a grassy backyard, and an infinity-edge swimming pool opening up to views for miles.

Photo credit: The Agency
Photo credit: The Agency
Photo credit: The Agency

A modern hillside lair with canyon views

Situated in Los Angeles’ coveted Brentwood neighborhood,  this hillside lair with expansive living spaces, eco-friendly details, and ultra-high-end finishes gives us serious dream house goals.

Photo credit: Noel Kleinman courtesy of Compass

The main entrance features a Japanese-imported Yakisugi front door and bonsai adorned atrium that leads to the open-concept living space.

Here, a chic palette of luxurious stone and reflective glass is accented by unique designer details, and floor-to-ceiling windows provide natural light throughout the day.

Photo credit: Noel Kleinman courtesy of Compass
Photo credit: Noel Kleinman courtesy of Compass
Photo credit: Noel Kleinman courtesy of Compass

Offering sweeping views of the canyon, the four-bedroom home comes equipped with the latest technology for entertainment, comfort, and sustainability.

This includes a full automation system, Lutron Solar System lighting, home theater and surround sound from Bang & Olufsen, a home gym, and much more.

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Source: fancypantshomes.com

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