A Neocolonial, Neo-Colonial, or Builder's Colonial house is not
colonial at all. It was not constructed during America's colonial
times. Neocolonial is a modern, style that loosely borrows ideas
from the past constructed in the late 20 th century through present
time. Key features may include a rectangular shape, 2 to 3 stories,
center entry-hall floor plan, living areas on the first floor and
bedrooms on the upper floors and a temple-like entrance.
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Victorian Queen Anne homes often have towers, turrets, onion
domes, wrap-around porches, front-facing gables, bay windows,
shingles, or other fanciful details such as arched windows. Some
are made in wood, others in stone or brick masonry.
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Interesting facts about a Cape Cod home The Cape Cod house plan
is designed for practicality and comfort in a harsh climate.
Originally developed in New England in response to harsh winters
and the need for simple construction techniques, Cape Cod houses
can be found anywhere residents want clean, symmetrical lines.
Often featuring wood shingles or clapboard siding, Cape Cod homes
utilize double-hung windows with shutters, with little roof
overhang and a minimum of exterior ornamentation. The symmetrical
design is mirrored in the interior, which often features a center
hall layout. When present, the second floor is usually a half-story
under the roof gable; dormer windows provide light and effective
air circulation.
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Log Homes have been built in North America for over 500 years.
It was the log house that sheltered the Pilgrims from the weather
when they first came to America. Early loggers and trappers built
log homes for basic shelter. In the early days of log home
building, only local materials were used, such as oak, maple, ash,
cedar, and some pine. The log cabin actually marked the beginning
of American architecture.
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The Colonial home is one of the most popular styles of home in
the United States, according to "Better Homes and Gardens." The
Colonial style evolved from European influences, which started in
the 1600s. Many colonists emigrated from Europe and brought those
influences with them. Over time the Colonial style became distinct,
recognizable for its use of geometry, and different regions of the
United States added their own tweaks to provide relief from the
climate. The homes are symmetrical, or square, and feature an entry
door that can be found in the middle of the front of the home. The
style also features two windows on either side of the entry door,
with five windows on the second floor, with one directly above the
entry door.
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The Bungalow is an all American housing type, but it has its
roots in India. In the province of Bengal, single-family homes were
called bangla or bangala. British colonists adapted these one-story
thatch-roofed huts to use as summer homes. The space-efficient
floor plan of bungalow houses may have also been inspired by army
tents and rural English cottages. The idea was to cluster the
kitchen, dining area, bedrooms, and bathroom around a central
living area.
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The techniques of solar building design were practiced for
thousands of years, by necessity, before the invention of heating
and cooling systems. Fully developed solar architecture methods
were first used by the Greeks and the Chinese who oriented their
buildings toward the south to provide light and warmth. In the
United States, interest in solar building design was greatly
stimulated by the 1973 oil crisis.
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Inspired by Greek architecture and democracy, the Greek revival
style flourished in America in the 1830s and '40s. Tall columns and
pediments, painted plaster exterior, horizontal transoms,
symmetrical shape, bold moldings and embellishments are all key to
the style. Large and imposing, this home style is commonly found on
large estates and historic plantations.
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As its name implies, the Second Empire architectural style can
be traced to France, specifically to the reign of Napoleon III,
1852-1870. As public architecture, the Second Empire style was
meant to exude character and a sense of permanence. Residences
designed in this style were, therefore, generally large and built
for the affluent homeowner. The style was most popular in the
Northeast and Midwest, less common on the Pacific coast, and rare
in the South. Decorative details included iron cresting on the
roof, heavily bracketed cornices, quoins, and balustrades. The
general effect is monumental and ornate, appropriate to the style's
Napoleonic roots.
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The Gothic Revival style was often chosen for country homes and
houses in rural or small town settings. The Gothic Revival style is
part of the mid-19th century picturesque and romantic movement in
architecture, reflecting the publics taste for buildings inspired
by medieval design. The most commonly identifiable feature of the
Gothic Revival style is the pointed arch, used for windows, doors,
and decorative elements like porches, dormers, or roof gables.
Other characteristic details include steeply pitched roofs and
front facing gables with delicate wooden trim called vergeboards or
bargeboards.
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Built more out of a desire for ornamentation than
functionality, the Italianate style is loosely modeled after the
villas of Italy. Most of the homes were built between the
mid-to-late 1800s. Decorative corbels, window cornices, doorways
and porches can easily identify an Italianate home, as can the
rounded windows, columned entryways and rectangular windows.
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A saltbox is a building with a long, pitched roof that slopes
down to the back, generally a wooden frame house. A saltbox has
just one story in the back and two stories in the front. The flat
front and central chimney are recognizable features, but the
asymmetry of the unequal sides and the long, low rear roof line are
the most distinctive features of a saltbox, which takes its name
from its resemblance to a wooden lidded box in which salt was once
kept. The saltbox originated in New England, and is an example of
American colonial architecture. One theory holds that the saltbox
form was popularized by Queen Anne's taxation of houses greater
than one story. Since the rear of the roof descended to the height
of a single-story building, the structure was exempt from the
taxes.