Before beginning the construction of a new home, you need to know what you want it to look like. There are many different styles of homes you can choose from. Continue reading for 10 home architectural styles and their characteristics.
1. Traditional
Traditional style homes are popular because they are simple in a way that makes them adaptable to cities, suburbs, and rural regions. They can be found all over the country. These homes typically are intended for families as their design focuses on functionality. Because this is where you will raise your kids, each room has a family friendly purpose that will last through the years. The traditional home style includes both exterior and interior features that create the welcoming, family-friendly feel of the home. The exterior historic architectural elements from different periods and the selection of stone, stucco, or brick exterior help to establish this traditional style home. Some other traditional features include simple rooflines, symmetrical window spacing, and overhanging eaves. The interior of these homes typically has a foyer or entryway as well as defined living and dining spaces. Some of these homes even have a separate living room and basement. Most importantly, these homes characteristically have a simple floor plan that can be adjusted for the needs of the family living in the home.
2. Modern
Modern style homes are characterized by their simplicity and minimalist feel with a focus on functionality. To simplify the overall look of the home to achieve minimalism, clean lines, geometric shapes, and asymmetry are used within the design of modern homes. Designed with neutral colors and natural materials, modern homes achieve a simple look. Although the goal is minimalism, these homes can still be made interesting with the asymmetry created by pairing large windows with smaller ones to allow natural light into the home.
3. Industrial
The industrial home style is inspired by the factories of the industrial revolution. It is characterized by several features to create the feel of an old factory such as wood, concrete, iron and brick materials, as well as exposed rafters, and an open floorplan. With clean lines that can be either straight or curved, industrial differs from the modern style because of its specific accent colors and fixture finishes. The style features rust and wood tones with the occasional pop of red, green, purple, or blue. Fixture finishes are characteristically iron, glass, bass, chrome, or copper to create the feeling of an old factory or warehouse setting. The lighting for this type of home usually consists of track lamps, floor lamps, or pendants.
4. Farmhouse
Farmhouse style homes are family-oriented homes that, despite their name, are not just for farmers. They are characterized by their location on a large plot of land with a lot of outdoor space, a large kitchen, and a porch. The porches can be any style, whether that is covered, wraparound, or screened-in as long as there is a porch that functions as a focal point for the exterior of the home. Farmhouse style homes are usually either one or two stories, have a rectangular floor plan, and use natural building materials. On the inside of the home, the kitchen takes the spotlight as the largest space of the house, with the front rooms taking a close second. The bedrooms and bathrooms are moderately sized to allow for the large kitchen and front rooms to increase the functionality of these rooms.
5. Scandinavian
The Scandinavian home style adopts the neutral colors – white, tan, and grey – of Scandinavian design coming from Nordic style. In addition, these homes use wood accents for the walls, shelves, and floors with touches of brass, copper, and steel in other places. The goal of these homes is simplicity with natural lighting and touches of statement pieces such as pendant lights. In the kitchen, it is common for these houses to utilize a wooden dining table to match the flooring, walls, and shelves as well as either use light or dark cabinets depending on if you want a brighter or contrasting contribution to your kitchen. The bathrooms utilize a minimalist feel with white tiles for the wall or floor and matching cabinets.
6. Mediterranean
Mediterranean homes were popular in the U.S. in the early 1900s, taking inspiration from the villas in Spain and Italy. The homes typically have exteriors made of white stucco, warm wood, and light-colored stones as well as tiled roofs.
7. Mid-Century Modern
Mid-century modern is a subcategory of modern style homes that is characterized by uncluttered space that utilizes geometric shapes as well as man-made and natural materials. Most importantly, mid-century modern homes have large windows that allow in natural light.
8. Contemporary
The contemporary style of homes is similar to modern style as the two are often confused with one another. However, contemporary refers to current trends, whereas modern refers to certain periods. Contemporary style homes are minimalistic with simple lines and natural textures from the materials used. The homes use a neutral color palette with splashes of color throughout the inside of the home. It is also common for eco-friendly materials to be used for these homes.
9. Victorian
Victorian homes originate from the Queen Victoria era, from the early 1800s to the early 1900s. This style takes inspiration from the Gothic and Romanesque architecture. There are several styles of Victorian homes including Gothic Revival, Queen Anne, and Italianate. The homes are usually at least two stories high with the front of the house brightly colored and the gable roofs detailed. Victorian homes are also highly decorated.
10. French Country
The French country style, also known as Provencal style, is known for its stone exterior and distressed appearance. This style comes from the French countryside, especially Provencal, so the designs are more subtle than other French architecture. The rustic look of the style is created with the weathered looking finishes, patinated wood floors, and exposed brick. Although these homes are typically in a neutral color pallet, some people enjoy adding cool pastels to add warmth to the interior of the home. Other common features of these homes include tall, sloping roofs, tall windows, wood-planked ceilings, and either wood or natural stone flooring.
If you are interested in building a new home in one of these styles, contact J.B. Stones to discuss your project. Follow us on Pinterest to get inspiration for your home in any of these styles.
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