The Main Styles of Homes to Consider When Building

The Main Styles of Homes to Consider When Building

When choosing a design for your home, there are a variety of things you need to take into account. You want the home to fit your style, the surrounding neighborhood, and the landscape. Thankfully, there are thousands of years of architectural advancements and experimentation to borrow from when choosing your home style to ensure you make the right decision before construction begins.

Some home styles are more modern, some are centuries old, some we borrowed from the “old world,” and others were developed right here in the United States. Let’s take a look at some of the most common house styles, so you can familiarize yourself with their pros and cons and begin to narrow in on the best one for your custom home.

Craftsman

Ever-popular, the craftsman style of architecture focuses on detailed trade work using natural materials like wood and stone. There is a deep porch in the front, a low roof pitch and exposed rafters.

Bungalow

The word bungalow comes from a mispronunciation of the word “Bengali,” meaning from the Bengal region of South Asia. The homestyle developed there as a simple, single-family home that was affordable and approachable. A bungalow either has one level or will have a small second level built into the rafters.

Modern style

Also called contemporary style, this type of architecture focuses on clean elegance. There are not many decorative touches in molding or exterior design. Instead, a modern house will have smooth, straight edges, a flat roof and heavily utilize glass and metal.

Southern style

Here in the Triangle area of North Carolina, the Southern style is a classic of the local culture. It focuses on an open design that can take advantage of breezes during hot summers. This includes extensive porches, sometimes on more than one level or that wrap around the home. The porches are held up by massive columns, and decorative shutters accent the exterior.

Colonial

Colonial homes are two or three stories with simple, boxy exteriors. The interior is designed to have all social spaces, like the kitchen, dining room and living room, on the first floor and all the bedrooms on the second floor.

Tudor

English 16th century architecture inspires this style. Although it’s more of a “Tudor revival” than actual Tudor, this style, with tall, gabled roofs and half-timbering in white plaster, remains popular.

Cape Cod

The Cape Cod is an American original from the colonial era. The colonists in New England took some influences of simple English homes and customized it to the materials available and the weather present in their new homes. Cape Cods are usually one level, use cedar shingles and stone and have a chimney.

Ranch

The ranch style home was designed to fit the cattle culture of the American West. They were often large, sprawling houses but all built on one level. Ranch architecture is still a standard pick, especially when there is a lot of lands to work with.

Winslow Homes is experienced in building custom houses in different styles

All of these styles, when designed well, can produce a beautiful home. Aesthetics are not the only consideration when choosing a style though. Some of these will be more suitable to the land you want and to your family dynamic.

Winslow Homes proudly serves Wendell, Knightdale, Raleigh, Durham, Oxford and Wake Forest and is ready to discuss what home design is right for you and your family. Call us at (919) 556-4700 for more information.

 

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