Styles of homes are vast and eclectic. It can be confusing when reading home listings what descriptions refer to of homes with unique style features. Here you will find a brief overview of some popular architectural styles and what they mean. What’s your favorite?

 

Colonial – The colonial period in America was made up of many different styles and types of housing. But when referring to the traditional colonial home, we often mean a rectangular and symmetrical home where the bedrooms can be found on the second floor and the windows are double-hung and usually comprised of many smaller panes.

 

Contemporary – This style is easily recognized in a home with large and strange-sized windows. They generally do not have a lot of ornamentation or detail and often use many different types of materials to build the walls (stone, brick, wood, etc.).

 

Mid-Century Modern – A popular style is the mid-century modern design. With its long, low floor plan, floor-to-ceiling windows, and exposed beams, this home boasts elegance mixed with simplicity.

 

Mediterranean – A beautiful mixture of Italian and Spanish architecture, Mediterranean style homes boast terra cotta roofs, stucco walls, and sweeping arches. These homes also often have balconies and elaborate wrought iron or grill decorative features.

 

Neoclassical – The neoclassical home is characterized by its columned porches, symmetrical designs, and elaborate details, usually over doorways.

 

Ranch – Ranch homes are usually one-story homes with pitched roofs, attached garages, sliding windows and sliding doors that lead to patios.

 

Tudor – Bay windows often accent Tudor homes alongside rounded doorways, large stone chimneys, and sloping roofs. This style of home is very often associated with storybook and whimsical homes.

 

Spanish – These homes are similar to Spanish missionaries. They consist of low, tiled roofs and rounded windows and doors, and sometimes balconies or patios with elaborate grillwork.