Understanding Common Architectural Styles as You Shop for Your New Home

architectural styles

Last week we discussed buying an older home with character, but what does that mean? Let’s take a refresher on the most common architectural styles you’ll find in homes throughout the U.S.

Colonial

Colonials are one of the most common homes styles in the country, especially in the Northeast, where they first found traction in the 1800s.

Colonial Home - Nest Realty Architectural Styles

The relatively basic structural elements at the core of Colonial houses make them timeless enough to span centuries while maintaining their popularity. They are built off of a basic rectangular footprint, usually two stories high, two rooms wide, and two rooms deep, with an atrium through the middle. Their main hallmark is symmetry: windows with shutters dotting each floor at regular intervals, a front door in the center of the building with a prominent portico above, and chimneys on each side of a steeply pointed roof. Additions to the sides, or garages, as seen above are common in modern homes.

Cape Cod

Cape Cod homes have even more history than their Colonial counterparts. Named after the location of their inception—the picturesque town of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

cape cod home Architectural Styles

Photo Credit: Michael Partenio

They’re the more simplistic and pragmatic version of Colonial homes, with only one room’s worth of depth from front to back, and often just one or one-and-a-half stories high. They tend to hold onto the same symmetry as Colonial homes, but you might find models with the entrance and windows weighted more to one side. Their cedar shake siding is synonymous with New England.

Cape Cods are designed with efficiency in mind, for ease of temperature regulation and ventilation throughout the seasons. That perk stands today, alongside the quaint charm of a no-frills exterior that gives you exactly what you need–no more, and no less.

Ranch

Ranch designs emphasize practicality, but without the symmetrical basis. They’re the Western approach to Colonial and Cape Cod homes, built low to the ground to meld with their surroundings. Ranch houses are made to blend in, rather than stand out.

ranch home

Their traditional open floor plans reveal lots of possibilities for customization, and their lack of symmetry compared to Colonials or Capes can give them a unique personality. Many Americans love Ranch homes due not only to their traditional architectural style but also for their stair-less practicality, especially as more people continue to age in place.

Victorian

Victorian homes, on the other hand, eschew simplicity. These designs take their inspiration from royal extravagance. They hark back to medieval castles with bold colors and intricate adornments that catch the eye immediately.

queen anne

The multiple roofs, towers, porches, columns, doors, and staircases don’t even pretend to keep symmetry in mind. Decorated bay windows add depth for a sense of vastness on the inside. Victorian houses beg to stand out the way that Ranches aim to blend in. If you’re looking for a home that speaks for itself before you even enter the picture, opt for a Victorian.

Victorian homes in the U.S. were built between 1837-1901 when Queen Victorian held the throne in England. Homes built between 1901-1910 are technically considered Edwardian, as he was on the throne during that time, but many homes during this 9-year span poses have what we refer to as Victorian style.

QUEEN ANNE

A subset of the Victorian style, the Queen Anne era began in the U.S. in the 1880s, and took the ornate intricacies of Victorian to another level. Building upon what had come before, it introduced irregular and asymmetrical features, meant to emulate folk architecture from England’s past, when people added additions as needed without concern for balance.

queen anne

Now you’ll commonly see restored Victorian style homes in gorgeous neighborhoods throughout the country, showing off their complex roof lines with multiple gables, dormers, towers, and turrets.

Craftsman

Not everyone cares for a conspicuous home, and craftsman designs take a turn back toward simplicity. With an earthy feel, they hold on to the Victorian appreciation for an artistic touch, but in a much more subdued way.

Craftsman homes combine functionality with creativity, and highlight natural beauty. Low roofs, wide porches, elegant woodwork, stone detailing, and muted tones keep these designs grounded and welcoming.

craftsman home

The style became popularized by a magazine called The Craftsman, which sold residential blueprints by famed Arts and Crafts furniture designer Gustav Stickley. This marked the shift from European-influenced home design to an American-born design movement.

Cottage

Ah, the cozy cottage. Cottage homes take the relaxed vibe of Craftsman houses a step further. In fact they are almost a combination of Victorian and Craftsman styles—but countryside instead of castle. The home pictured below in Carmel, California, looks as if it were torn from the pages of an English storybook.

cottage Architectural Styles

Brick walkways lead up to picket fences and arching entrances perfect for winding ivy or flourishing gardens. Bay windows let in plenty of natural light for a warm glow as the sun rises and sets.

Steep, thatched roofs play off of the typically small size of these homes to maximize space without compromising their quintessential quaintness.

Mid-Century Modern

While cottages let natural beauty run wild, Mid-Century Modern homes add a bit of structure to an appreciation for their exterior surroundings.

mid mod

Mid-Mods are known for enormous windows that can span the width or height of the house to let in as much light and scenery as possible. Clean and sharp lines define these homes, so that nothing distracts from that open view.

Geometric structures, open spaces, and minimal details shift the focus from the home itself to some of the more valuable elements within and around the living space. We adore the mid-century modern stunner above, as previously featured in NEST Magazine.

Which of these common architectural styles speaks to you? What style is your current home? We want to hear about it in the comments below!

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