Are You Looking for a House? The Most Popular Styles of Home You Need to Know

You may have noticed nearly ninety million different styles and designs of homes if you are looking for a house. It can be overwhelming if your goal is to move. Few people have the time or the patience to learn the intricacies of residential architecture. A feeling of being out-of-the-loop can ruin an otherwise fun night with wine and multiple home-buying apps.

You don’t need to have an advanced degree in architecture if you want to be able to appreciate many home styles. 

Saltbox

Saltbox houses are quaint Americana because they were built originally by colonists from 17th-century New England. Saltboxes were built using minimal resources, labour and technology with the sole purpose of being able to withstand the Northeast winters. Two stories were built on these houses, and large open spaces were filled with sunlight by thick panes of glass. The middle house had a large open brick hearth, which heated the whole home. It also led to a chimney, which juts out from the saltbox’s most distinctive feature, a one-sided sloped roofline.

While later saltbox houses are not meant to be used for survival, they retain many of their charm. Modern building techniques allow saltbox houses to have larger footprints and layouts than they did in centuries past. however, will still feature open floor plans, lots of natural light and a steeply pitched roofline.

Colonials

Colonial houses replaced saltbox houses with simple rectangular homes that offered more space and style. A colonial-style home’s heart is symmetry. It has a central staircase and double-hung sash windows. Rooms are laid out in parallel. Roofs are sloped, shingled. The colonial revival home was a popular choice in the late 19th century. It is still very popular today. Many other popular home styles like Cape Cods (we’ll come to those in a moment) are adaptations of colonial architecture.

Modern colonials are far more than their boxy foundations. They can now be built with a variety of additional features, such as multi-car garages and dens, in-law suites and guest bedrooms, office space and mudrooms.

It is important to remember that “colonial-style” in real estate refers to British colonial style; other colonial styles are listed more specific.

Spanish Colonial homes can be found most often in California, Florida, and the Southwest. Their red clay-tiled roofs are well-known, as are their thick stucco walls. This home almost always has a central courtyard with exposed wood beams. Louisiana is home to French Colonial homes. They have high pitched roofs and raised basements. Wrap-around porches are also common. The east coast is home to the most Dutch Colonial homes, especially in Pennsylvania and other states that have strong German roots. These houses are known for their distinctive gambrel (also known as. Dutch-style houses have a distinctive gambrel — also known as a gambrel. They feature a curved roof, dormer windows and dormer eaves.

Cape Cod

Cape Cod homes are a descendant of colonial revivals. They have steeply gabled roofs which obscure the upper floors and shuttered windows. The houses are often pictured with weathered wood shingles. They are painted in a greyish-blue to evoke the beachfront. However, today these houses can be covered in any type of siding.

Cape Cods have the same center hall design as colonial homes but with a smaller footprint and a steeper staircase. Modern Cape Cods are often larger than their ancestors, but they still retain their charmingness.

Mid-Century Modern

People began to migrate to the suburbs in the middle of the 20th century. These areas seemed more rural than the densely populated cities. Mid-century modern homes were built to provide suburban families with more natural light. They featured large windows and patio doors that allowed for transitional indoor/outdoor spaces. Ranch-style homes are a popular example of this style. They have a single-story layout and open-concept design that allows easy access to all parts of the house.

Craftsman

Craftsman houses are rooted in the 19th century Arts & Crafts movement. They were designed to evoke quieter, more primitive times in a pre-industrialized society. These cozy, small homes have lots of open space and plenty of natural light. They also have low-pitched roofs, wide eaves, and covered porches supported by tapered columns. The exteriors of Craftsman homes are often made with materials that evoke nature, such as wood, stucco and quarried stones.

A Craftsman house’s interior will also be made from natural materials. It will include built-in architectural features such as bookcases and cabinetry that give it a lived-in feel. The classic Craftsman house will have a fireplace in its main living area. If there are two stories, there will be a second fireplace for the bedroom. Low ceilings are a great way to save heat and increase the sense of coziness.