Styles

A traditional home is the most common style in the United States. It is a mix of many classic, simple designs typical of the country’s many regions. Common features include little ornamentation, simple rooflines, symmetrically spaced windows. A typical traditional home is Colonial, Georgian, and Federal,. Building materials are either wood or brick.

Ranch homes are synonymous with laid-back living. They emphasize the family-friendly backyard, usually connected to the kitchen or dining area via a sliding glass door and flat patio. The art form was pioneered by California architect Cliff May, whose houses were often a single room deep so each room could open to the outside and benefit from sunshine and warm breezes.

• Single-floor living. The ranch home’s low profile comes from its roots in the Western United States, where working ranch homes were one-level, practical and unadorned. Modernist influences also kept ranch homes simple and single-story for the most part, although split-level ranches did become popular in the 1950s.
• Asymmetry. Classic ranch homes are often shaped like “L”s or “U”s.
• Sliding glass doors. One major purpose of the ranch style is to link the outdoors and the indoors. Sliding glass doors became a standard way to let in as much light and view as possible while connecting the living space directly to a patio.
• Backyard emphasis. Earlier American homes focused on the front porch, but ranch homes were designed for a private life out back.
• The garage. The spread of ranch homes coincided with America’s flight to the suburbs, which meant these homes had to accommodate cars — usually two.

Today, many ornate homes that combine elements from any of those countries are called Mediterranean (or Neo-Mediterranean) because of the composite of cultural influences from that region. Houses may feature terraces or courtyards, stucco finishes, porticos, balconies or any number of elements inspired by houses on the Mediterranean.

• Red tiled roof. These roofs copied those of Spanish and Mexican missions, which were made out of clay pots and bricks, shaped like half a tube to shed water easily. The air pocket in the tunnel of the half-tube helped to keep air cool; the tiles were fireproof.
• Stucco walls. A stucco finish protects exterior wall surfaces from rain, sunlight and hot temperatures, common in Mediterranean climates.
• Arches. This feature goes back to Roman times, and is a self-supporting element that allows building of lighter weight and sturdier walls. Each of the stones next to the keystone in the arch atop the side columns distributes weight to the sides and downward.
• Ornamental detail. Houses usually feature flourishes ranging from large, heavy wooden doors with ornate carvings to the use of multicolored tiles for the risers of staircases.

Today, many ornate homes that combine elements from any of those countries are called Mediterranean (or Neo-Mediterranean) because of the composite of cultural influences from that region. Houses may feature terraces or courtyards, stucco finishes, porticos, balconies or any number of elements inspired by houses on the Mediterranean.

• Red tiled roof. These roofs copied those of Spanish and Mexican missions, which were made out of clay pots and bricks, shaped like half a tube to shed water easily. The air pocket in the tunnel of the half-tube helped to keep air cool; the tiles were fireproof.
• Stucco walls. A stucco finish protects exterior wall surfaces from rain, sunlight and hot temperatures, common in Mediterranean climates.
• Arches. This feature goes back to Roman times, and is a self-supporting element that allows building of lighter weight and sturdier walls. Each of the stones next to the keystone in the arch atop the side columns distributes weight to the sides and downward.
• Ornamental detail. Houses usually feature flourishes ranging from large, heavy wooden doors with ornate carvings to the use of multicolored tiles for the risers of staircases.

French provincial homes tend to be rather grand: theirs is a country elegance, not a city-slick hauteur. To best complement the architecture of a French provincial house you can choose French country furniture and toile fabrics, but it’s also tres bien to take a less literal approach. English estate style, American farmhouse and even transitional decorating styles can all work very well in a French provincial home.

• Balanced, symmetrical proportions
• Brick exterior
• Steep roofs
• Tall second-story windows (often with arched tops)
• Porches with substantial balustrades

Characterized by stucco walls, red clay tile roofs with a low pitch, sweeping archways, courtyards and wrought-iron railings, Spanish house plans are most common in the Southwest, California, Florida and Texas but can be built in most temperate climates. Their charm adds a romantic appeal that blends Mediterranean, Moorish and Spanish Colonial elements into a single stunning house plan.

The common characteristic of this style includes simple, clean lines with large windows devoid of decorative trim. The exteriors are a mixture of siding, stucco, stone, brick and wood. The roof can be flat or shallow pitched, often with great overhangs. Many ranch house plans are made with this contemporary aesthetic.

Modern homes were built to honor the concept of free-flowing space. They exemplify highly functional living as well as a rejection of sentimental ornaments and clutter.

• Open living spaces. Wright and his contemporaries thought separate rooms impeded the flow of living. Modernist homes usually feature open floor plans that combine spaces for dining, relaxing and entertaining.
• Clean, geometric lines. Forget fussy arches and columns — modernist homes emphasize spare geometric forms.
• Technologically advanced materials. Rather than traditional wood and plaster, modernism advanced the use of new materials like iron, concrete, steel and glass.
• Function over form. You can thank modernist pioneer Mies van der Rohe for the present-day office cubicle. Mies thought buildings (including homes) should be large and open to accommodate any function, and then subdivided with movable walls and screens. He believed the open space would foster a feeling of community.