When it comes to housing, you’re not limited to one particular look. There are dozens of different styles to choose from, each of which creates its own distinctive mood. But which is right for you?
Oriental
One of the most exciting styles on the market at the moment is oriental. Technically speaking, it’s not really oriental. Instead, it’s a westernized version with Asian features inspired by ancient Chinese culture. One of the primary sources of inspiration are the pagoda-like roofing elements. Rather than just having the roof overhang the top of the house, oriental style houses have a roof that overhangs that lower windows too, giving a multi-tiered effect.
In traditional Chinese buildings, the roof over overlapped the exterior walls by a couple of feet. Modern oriental design homes do the same, providing ample protection from the damp.
Cottage
When people think of cottages, they think of small houses with low roofs and little attic space. Although that’s true of authentic cottages dating from the eighteenth century, it’s not so true for current builds. Modern houses might be given the “cottage” moniker, but that doesn’t mean that they have all of the features of traditional cottages.
The similarities are clear: cottage style homes tend to be small. But rather than this being out of necessity, as it was when the first cottages were built, it’s now out of choice. Some homeowners, it transpire, want a small, manageable floor plan.
The exterior of cottages is usually made from stone or wood siding, and often there’s a single attic room that serves as a bedroom.
The Victorian era was the first period in which real wealth came to the masses. New industrialists rose up through the social ranks, thanks to the money generated from their businesses. As a result, they were able to build fantastic houses, many of which survive to this day. The main era of Victorian homes was from 1830 to 1910 - all the decades that spanned Queen Victoria’s reign. During that period, some older styles, like Romanesque as well as Italianate came back into fashion and influenced the architecture of the period. Before long, Victorian homes - characterized by their ornate design, bright colors, and asymmetrical shape - began popping up all over the place.
Tudor
If you’re looking for a new house for sale, you might worry that Tudor homes aren’t an option. But it turns out that they’re actually a very popular new build style. Yes - it’s unlikely that you’ll find an original Tudor build that’s in your price range, but there are modern copies that are arguably better and more livable.
The Tudor style is easily recognized. Tudor homes have high, pointed roofs, decorative timber frames and lots of chimneys. This makes them ideal for cold, wet climates, like England or Newfoundland. They’re also equally at home in the Midwest and other areas that see a lot of rain.
Townhouse
Would you like to live in a townhouse? Did you know that townhouses have a particular style?
Townhouses became more popular in the 19ths century as more and more people moved into cities. Many of the migrants didn’t have much money, so home builders looked for ways to bring down the cost of housing. They realized that if they made one large building and then divided it up into smaller living compartments, they could save buyers money. And so the townhouse was born - a design concept that allowed many new homes to be built on a small plot of land. For people who love living in close-knit communities, long lines of townhouses provide the perfect opportunity.
Prairie
Frank Lloyd Wright was an innovative architect and designer. He looked at other home designs but concluded that they were too showy or formal. He didn’t like neo-classical or Gothic designs. Instead, he set about creating a new type of home. He believed that homes should be able to cater for all the needs of the family without having to be embellished in any way. As a result, prairie homes are highly practical and highly understated. Driving past a luxury prairie home, you wouldn’t know whether it was valuable or not.
From the outside, the prairie style is deliberately low key. Homes are characterized by shallow roofs, horizontal lines, and a few shrubs. They look more like government offices than a typical suburban residence.
Neo-Classical
Classical buildings are non-existent in the Americas. But that doesn’t mean that we’re any less interested in classical design. Ever since the Renaissance, architects have been using design elements from the ancient Greeks and Romans.
Neoclassical design is a way of paying homage to those ancient styles. Expect to see a lot of symmetry and columns in neoclassical homes, representing order and strength. Also, expect to see a lot of elaborate doorways and entrance halls, designed to impress visitors.
The Founding Fathers in the US were keen on neoclassical revival. The most famous example is perhaps Thomas Jefferson’s house in Virginia, with its columned entrance and classical dome on top.
Modernist
In everyday English, we use the word “modern” to refer to something new or contemporary. But in the world of architecture, modern refers to the stylistic movement of modernism whose heyday was more than fifty years ago.
Real “modern” homes are those that were built in the 1950s. They incorporated clean lines and geometry, a little bit like classical designers, but they got rid of many of the bells and whistles. The result is a modest appearance with an emphasis on function over form.
Italianate
Italy has always been the center of European culture and sophisticated, especially since the great renaissance artist of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Out of this movement came the Italianate home style: a style characterized by ornamentation rather than functionality.
Most Italianate homes were built towards the end of the nineteenth century and feature things like rounded windows, columned entryways, and tall, rectangular windows. Architects will tell you that Italianate homes are modeled on authentic Italian villas. But as the style developed, it became something very different.
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