This week in Interior Design, we started to learn about house structures and overall exterior features. It's important to know simply for the purpose of if a buyer wants the time period of when the house was built to fit, you need to know the details of what kind of house it is, and how you can stay true to the style. The rest of this post will feature what housing styles we went over, and I will give a brief explanation as to what characteristics they hold.
Saltbox House
Obviously, these houses would have the slanting Saltbox Roof. The house was made to gain sunlight on the side without the slant, and to block cold winds on the slanted side. They're simple and pretty basic, made for mostly practicality.
Greek Revival
Just how it sounds, this housing style pays tribute to the Greeks and their architecture. These houses are always white, and always feature columns in the front, maybe just some by the door, or even along the whole house. Many buildings besides houses are built in this style as well. They are refined, but don't give off the homiest look.
Italian Villa
These houses are a tribute to (obviously) Italian Villas, and all of them have classical columns and pillars, with arches or pediments over windows and doors. They have neutral colors, and are refined in a somewhat warm way.
Queen Anne House
These houses have large and low arches, and are done in a cottage style to give it a cozy and inviting feeling. They used to be multicolored. but now they've gone to usually one color, but can still be bright.
Prairie House
A well-known architect named Frank Lloyd Wright built the style of these houses. They have a very linear style, sleek and modern looking, even now many years in the future.
Rustic Style House
Now, in my personal opinion, these houses are not at all flattering, but for the sake of an assignment I must be honest about simply the style of it. These houses are ALWAYS made of wood, or made to look like wood, almost as if you had taken all of the materials from the forest. Chimneys are a common thing as well as brick here and there, and can have large decks.
Solar House
Exactly how it sounds, these houses have solar panels built on the roof, and are built in places where the sun shines a lot, because it really wouldn't make sense to have one in a place with minimal sunshine. They must be built small and somewhat compact, because there is only so much power you can get with solar panels.
Duplex House(s)
When thinking of these, think of the root word "duo", because that'll help you remember exactly what this style is. Essentially, it's two houses in one structure, so each house must be somewhat small, and look identical for sake of symmetry.
Georgian House
These houses are also known as colonial, because they were built before the American Revolution. They have classical round arches over the door, and the roofs are pitched, where chimneys always dwell. Some original ones had wooden sides, but most have brick.
Garrison House
These houses are very recognizable in a few ways, one being that the second story overhangs the first story, and a slight extension to the side. They have very minimal decoration, and are very neutral.
Cape Cod Style House
These are rectangular, one story houses that have steeply pitched roofs and have one chimney. They usually have clapboard windows, but not always.
Tudor Style House
This style is very traditional, and the shape can be varied because of modernization. They are usually brown and white, with a lot of details done in wood.
Ranch Style House
These houses are always one story, with a decent sized porch, and a garage. They're very basic and are considered perfect for a starter family.
Alpine/Chalet House
These houses were made for the Swiss mountains, so they're string and sturdy. There are many copies of them around, but all have some similarities such as the woodwork of the deck all around the house.
Earth Sheltered House
To be perfectly honest, these houses remind me of The Hobbit, because these houses are built right into a hill. They are designed to blend well with the nature around it.
Neo-Eclectic House
These houses steal many different qualities from other houses, but these can be identified by the multiple sections of the house, as well as the large size.
Gothic Revival Style
This style I believe is one of the most beautiful, because of the tall pointed roofs, and the intricate detailing. The qualities of these buildings are that they just seem very pointed and almost cramped because they're taller than they are wide.
Stick Style House
These houses aren't the most sturdy in my opinion because of all the slim wooden detail pretty much everywhere on the house. The woodwork is key in this style, and it really sets it apart.
Dutch Style House
The style for these is really grand in the way of structure, but of color not so much. The almost step-looking parts on the top of the house give it a little difference from anything else.
International House
I think these houses are the very definition of what the term "modern" would entitle. These houses are slim, white, and very clean-looking, and are longer than they are taller.
A-Frame House
These houses completely remind of of a Pokemon named Snorunt (look it up if you don't believe me.) They are short, squat, and give off a very cottage vibe. They have a few pops of bright colors on some places, but the roof isn't made of the most sturdy stuff.
Manufactured House
These houses really just seem to fit the cliche house spot, because of the neutral colors, and all of the very simple functional aspect. They are built in factories, and I believe that shows in the way they look.
High Rise Apartments
This housing option means you live in the city and have money, because you'll find these fanciful apartments in cities, usually pretty well-populated. Though the downside is that because it isn't a house, they're rather small.
Federal Style House
Most of these you won't see as houses, but more of official buildings, and they very closely resemble Greek Revival. These houses however, have less decoration, but still have pillars/columns.
Row House(s)
Row Houses are exactly how they sound; many small houses connected and lined up for who knows how long. The ones above are very modern, but a lot of them are older and more classic-looking as well.
Art Nouveau Style
This isn't exactly a housing style, but rather a decorating style for the exterior of the building. You will see this intricate, usually gold details on state capitols, or more official buildings rather than houses.
Spanish Style House
These houses seem to be exactly what Dora's house looked like in my opinion, and rightfully so because this is a Spanish Style house. They usually have red roofs that are kind of wavy, and the rest of the house is white, with the texture of most ceilings (with the bumps all over it, you know what I'm talking about?)
Split Level House
These houses obviously have two levels, and are distinguished by the fact the top level juts out over the first level, and is also usually a separate color.
Dome House
Exactly how it sounds, these houses are literally domes, with a circular build, and usually look fairly rustic and not particularly large.
Mobile Homes
What I know of these houses I got from personal experience, because my cousins house burned down years ago, and the family of 7 had to stay in one of these. They are small, cheap, very plain and resemble Manufactured Houses. They're good for temporary housing, or if you're in a tight financial spot.
Bungalow Style House
This style of house has a sort of small porch that juts out from the rest of the house, and has a few pillars. These houses also have one noticeable chimney, have bricks, and are very neutral colored.
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