Advice on Choosing a House Style

Advice on Choosing a House Style

Part two of three:
(part one • part three)

AMERICAN-INSPIRED TRADITIONALS

The number of home styles that have originated in the United States are as diverse as the rich, geographic regions in this country. Often today's homeowners opt to build houses in the area where they live in the same style that originated in that region centuries ago. Perhaps this demonstrates the strength and value of tried and true traditions. Here are details on the most popular American-inspired traditional styles:

colonial house

Colonial: Colonial home styles vary as you move along the coast from North to South. The Colonial or Early American homes popular in the New England area are two-stories tall with symmetrical, rectangular shapes. They are covered with brick or wood lap siding and topped with a barn or gambrel roof, and often have shutters and columns. Some have chimneys on both ends. Inside, the layout of true Colonials includes a center hallway with two boxy rooms off each side, for a total of four rooms. The same layout is echoed on the second floor as well. Symmetry and clean lines are the hallmarks of the Colonial.

Federal and Georgian are specific types of homes that also fall within the general category of Colonial. These homes are characterized by their brick facades and columns, but have no front porches. A traditional Georgian often includes a centered entryway under a decorative pediment or gable, a transom, dormers topped by pediments and cornice work with decorative dentils. Federals and Georgians are most popular in Virginia and the states around it. Shown: plan #CDG-2012

Southern Colonial: If you are drawn to Early American, but crave a more romantic look or are a tried and true "Gone with the Wind" buff, check out Southern Colonial. These antebellum homes are formal looking, but with large, heavy columns stationed out front, and sometimes with a second-floor balcony supported by the columned, covered porch below. Regardless of its size, the Southern Colonial projects more of a mansion or plantation home feel than its northern Early American counterparts. Shown: plan #E-2604

Victorian: Though the style is named for Britain's Queen Victoria, during whose reign its popularity peaked, the Victorian style flourished in the United States and many fine examples of original Victorian homes are still standing and admired today. You can be sure it's Victorian if the asymmetrical exterior is adorned with fishscale shingles, a tower or turret, a bay window, oval glass window insets in the front door or facade, and fancy "gingerbread" ornamentation on gables or on the elaborate porches that wrap around more than one side. Some Victorians can have an extremely formal and Gothic look. Inside, true Victorians have small, boxy rooms, but there are many home plans offered today that combine Victorian detailing outside with more open and spacious modern-day layouts inside. Shown: plan #V-2440

Country: If you want the look and feel of an informal, cozy cottage and long for a touch of the "Waltons" lifestyle, then Country is the style for you. These homes are usually never brickfaced, but always have an inviting covered front porch, with railing and posts, ideal for sipping lemonade on a breezy summer afternoon. Inside, the layout is usually simple and can include a "country kitchen," large enough to include a table or eat-in island, and open enough to blend in with an adjacent family or hearth room that is warmed by a corner or built-in fireplace. Shown: plan #J-86140

Farmhouse: If your lifestyle is ultra-casual, the Farmhouse style home may be the one that offers you the most comfort and enjoyment. Its most distinguishing exterior feature is an enormous "wraparound" covered porch that literally wraps around two or more sides of the house. This two-story home is usually boxy or rectangular in shape, but welcoming and comfortable in its look. A steeply pitched roof runs along the length of the home and can be accented by dormers and gables. Many include horizontal siding and shutters. Inside, the layout is easygoing, open and informal. Shown: plan #J-86134

Cape Cod: If you like quaint, unusually shaped rooms, turn to the Cape Cod. Its most well-known characteristic is the roofline, which slopes inward at the top of the first floor. The second floor bedrooms have sloped ceilings, and unless there are dorners, the only windows on the second floor are at the ends or sides of the house. The Cape Cod is sometimes referred to as a one-and-a-half story home and has a very symmetrical arrangement of the front windows and door. True Cape Cods have no front porch. The interior layout is usually rigid, with two bedrooms and a bath upstairs, and the living and dining rooms, kitchen and master suite on the ground level. Shown: plan #J-9511

More home styles:
part one: Intro and European Styles • part three: Contemporary Styles

Check out house plans on the HomeStyles site to find one that's right for you. You may order plans for any of the homes shown here by writing down the plan number and calling HomeStyles toll-free at 1-888-466-7895