Review Residential Architecture Designs When You Are Building Your Home

By Jibbsor • January 11, 2012

If you are in the process of building your home from the ground up, you should be familiar with residential architecture. Styles have changed dramatically over the years, with several later styles borrowing from earlier styles you will find throughout the nation. If you want to draw inspiration from the past, you should understand the characteristics of houses throughout the history so you can explain exactly what you want to your architect. Compare the most popular styles throughout the centuries and you are sure to build a very unique home that you will love.

Neoclassical Styles

While colonial house styles were to first to be found in the United States, the most popular classical style to be found is the neoclassical (new classical) one. The White House and several federal buildings are based off of the neoclassical style, which comes from ancient Greece. Order and symmetry are the prominent details found in these buildings and you can find a way to incorporate features of the Greek Revival and Adam styles into your home while still making it new.

Victorian Homes

If you want an elaborate home and you love Victorian styles, you can add distinctive features to your home to make it unique. Victorian style homes hit the United States in the mid 1840′s and remained very popular throughout the 1800′s because of mass production. These homes use Romanesque characteristics like arches, pointed windows, fancy dressings, and ornate detailing to symbolize wealth. There are dozens of different Victorian home styles that you should compare when you are researching residential architecture styles.

The 20th Century

When the 20th century came, so did a number of different styles of homes. Homes started to arise in different styles ranging from bungalows to cottages. You might see a Spanish style house on one block and a revival style home on the next. If you are looking for uniqueness, you can browse pictures of homes between 1900 and 1940 and you will see just how drastically the styles changed. Post war homes in the 1950′s were built for affordability and simplicity and most have remained that way.

You can draw inspiration from other countries as well when you are trying to decide on a specific residential architecture style. You might want to look at French, Italian, and Mediterranean homes and try to blend their features in your residence. Choosing the right style is all a matter of taste and budget. You might love the ornate details of a Victorian home while the other person loves the homey feeling of a cottage. Explore the various residential designs and build a new home that appeals to your taste and adds curb appeal to the neighborhood as well.