11/27/2021
THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE 10 MOST POPULAR HOUSE STYLES
Whether you’re adding on to the side of your home or adding a second floor, you must know what style of home you have so the transition into the new addition is a smooth one. Here are the 10 most popular home styles and what makes them different from one another.
1. CAPE COD
Dating back to 1675, Cape Cod homes were a popular choice for homes built in the 1930s. These small homes are typically one story with a steep roofline, multi-pane windows, wood siding, and hardwood flooring.
2. COUNTRY-FRENCH
Country-French style homes date back to the 18th century. One story, these homes feature a steep roofline, narrow windows with paired shutters, stucco walls, and a half-timbered frame. They typically include elaborately landscaped lawns and stunning driveways.
3. COLONIAL
Dating back to 1876, the colonial-style home has 2-3 stories, brick or wood exteriors, and fireplaces. The kitchen and family rooms are located on the first level, while the bedrooms are upstairs.
4. VICTORIAN
Victorian homes were built between 1860 and 1900. These homes were elaborate from the highly detailed exterior to the colors and textures used inside. Victorian homes usually include a steeply pitched roof, patterned shingles, a prominent front porch gable, bay windows, a full-width front porch, and an asymmetrical façade.
5. TUDOR
With a late Medieval-English vibe, the Tudor home features a steeply pitched roof, tall narrow windows with multiple small windowpanes, decorative half-timbering, and prominent cross gables.
6. CRAFTSMAN
Popular in the early 1900s, the craftsman home has distinguishing interior woodwork such as built-in shelving and seating. On the exterior, this style of home has a low-pitched roof with wide eave overhangs and exposed rafters. Under the gables, you might find decorative beams or braces and the porch framed by tapered square columns. The attic space in a craftsman style home will likely be unfinished or newly remodeled.
7. COTTAGE
Popular in the United States in the 1920s and 1930s, the cottage style home is cozy and reminiscent of the Medieval styles of the English countryside.
The exterior of a cottage home is typically stucco, brick, or stone with steep roof pitches, arched doorways, cross gables, and casement windows with small panes. This all comes together for a warm storybook character that’s truly unique to the style.
8. MEDITERRANEAN
Making a surge in popularity in California in the 1920s and ’30s, the Mediterranean style home features a stucco or adobe façade, a low-pitched red tile roof, grillwork, and arches. These homes are typically U-shaped, centered around a courtyard complete with a fountain.
9. TRADITIONAL RANCH
The traditional ranch style home was originally built in the early 1930s and is still being built today. Featuring a simple, efficient floor plan and attached garage, this style home is easy to add on to if space permits.
10. CONTEMPORARY
Contemporary homes were built between 1950 and 1970 with simple forms and geometric lines being the focus of the design. With lots of glass, open floor plans, low-pitched roofs with exposed roof beams, and inventive designs, contemporary homes have a lack of elaborate ornamentation and unnecessary detail, and their exteriors feature a mix of contrasting materials and textures.
