United States architecture has included a wide variety of styles throughout its history. Home styles in the US are regionally diverse and the forms they have taken have been influenced by many other types of architecture. The result is an eclectic mix of different home styles that can often be found within the same neighborhood, even on the same block. These are some of the most popular types of houses that can be found in most parts of America.

The Cape Cod-style home originated in colonial New England and was built from the 17th century through the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. In colonial times, a Cape Cod home was a simple, one-story structure made of wood with a single chimney in the center and a symmetrical appearance. Cape Cod houses have a steep roof with side gables, dormers for light, shutters, and little exterior ornamentation.

The Georgian Colonial style was a popular architectural style between the 1700s and 1850s and can be found primarily in the East and South. Spacious and comfortable, Georgian colonial houses are square and symmetrical in shape with a paneled door in the center. A distinctive decorative crown usually adorns the entrance before a gabled roof. Columns or flattened columns can be found on both sides of the gate. Sounds familiar? The most famous example of late Georgian architecture is the White House.

In the mid-19th century, many prosperous Americans believed that ancient Greece represented the spirit of democracy. It’s no wonder then that during this time period, the Greek Revival was a popular form of architecture. Greek revivals have details reminiscent of the Parthenon, with pillars and a majestic appearance. Greek Revival houses are typically symmetrical in shape, gabled gables, and bold but simple molding. Many Greek Revival homes also tend to have a front porch with columns, decorative pilasters, and narrow windows.

The Queen Anne style became an architectural fad in the 1880s and 1890s. The industrial revolution brought new technologies that allowed builders to use pre-cut exterior trim that had been mass-produced to create whimsical-looking homes. Queen Anne Victorian homes often have round or square towers, turrets, wraparound porches, and other extravagant details. Queen Anne houses may also have a steep roof, front-facing gables, an asymmetrical shape, bay windows, and ornamental shafts and brackets.

With Tudor Revivals, the name almost suggests that these houses were built in the 16th century during the Tudor dynasty in England, but they are actually early 20th century reimaginings of medieval cottages and even palaces. In fact, they are also known as medieval revivals. Tudor Revival houses have exposed decorative half-timbering to give the appearance of a medieval house. They can even include a false thatched roof. On the exterior walls you can find decorative carpentry and some bricks. Tudor-style houses may also have pitched roofs, huge chimneys, prominent cross gables, and narrow windows with small panes.

Victorian stick houses grew in popularity in the mid-19th century. Victorian Sticks can often be confused with Tudor Revivals as they also have exposed woodwork or “stickwork” and other details taken from medieval times. However, most Tudor Revival homes are clad in stucco, stone, or brick, while Victorian Stick style homes are usually made of wood. Victorian Stick houses tend to have a rectangular shape, steep gabled roofs, overhanging eaves, and decorative braces and supports.

Colonial Revival became a standard in the 19th and 20th centuries as Americans sought to express their patriotism and return to classic architectural styles. During that time, builders idealized colonial architecture, designing rectangular brick houses 2 to 3 stories tall. The living rooms are on the first floor and the bedrooms are on the upper floors. Colonial Revival homes have a symmetrical facade, brick or wood siding, simple details, a gabled roof, and dormers. Some may even have a temple-like entrance, with pillars or columns and porticoes topped by pediments. Colonial Revivals were so popular that houses in this style were still being built as late as the mid-1950s.

California Bungalows, Craftsman Bungalows, and Chicago Bungalows were variations on the type of affordable housing that spread across the US for much of the 20th century. Bungalows come in many styles, but most have simple horizontal box-like shapes, are one and a half stories high, have an efficient floor plan with living spaces on the ground floor, rooms connected by hallways, and a living room on the top floor. low level. center. Kitchens also often have built-in cabinets, shelving, and seating.

The Foursquare-style house, sometimes called the Prairie Box, was started by Frank Lloyd Wright in the early 20th century. As the name suggests, they have a simple box shape and a four-bedroom floor plan. Simple Foursquare houses were built of brick, stone, stucco, cinder block, or wood and have large central dormers. Full-width porches with sweeping stairs are also popular in Foursquare-style architecture.

Uncomplicated ranch homes evolved from various 20th-century styles, including ramblers and bungalows. Sometimes referred to as the California Rambler, ranch-style homes are typically one story high and rectangular, L-shaped, or U-shaped in design. They tend to have a low-sloping gable roof, deep eaves, attached garages, windows large sliding glass doors.