Housing Styles

This week in Interior Design we learned about housing styles and their history, also their special features.

 The first one is a Saltbox, it's know for its saltbox roof by having one long steep slope in the back with a short slope in the front. It has a balanced interior while the front tends to face the south and the steep sloped back faces the north. This cute little home is small and was perfect for expanding back when it was most popular.

The next styling of housing is a Greek Revival also known as a Neo-Classical, this type of housing is also known for public places like libraries and banks for its elegant look. For awhile in 1830-50's it was known to be the national house for the higher side of society with its grand two story pillars and an intimidating white color. It had an beautiful display of wood work around the doors and with a gable roof. Today it is still seen as a fancy and elegant house inspired by Greece architect and beautiful.

Another house trend from Europe is the Italian Villa, popular in the nineteenth century these little southern and west coast houses make a statement. From their classical Roman columns to their round  detailed wood arches over their windows. They use a round architect and are made with plaster like a sometimes tend to have a flat roof with maybe one part with a gable roof. These warm tropical houses are architecturally brilliant and gorgeous.   

A fourth styling of housing is the Queen Anne, popular from its time of  1875-95. This house is mostly known for being white today but was multicolored and having a turret attached to the side of the house, it has a unique styleing of wood work that is known to be called ginger bread. With its many bay windows and long porch this house was known to be classy and hardly ever boring or plain.  

Also around that time was a new generation of housing designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. This house is very earthy with its brown colors and cluster of casement windows.The house is very private by having a sorta hidden entrance with large amount of eves from its over hang hipped roof. This house had a very organic look with its natural wood look and it fitted in quite well to its California area.

 With talk of a natural wood look, our sixth house is the Rustic house. This house is placed right in middle of the wilderness usually  built with stone and wood. From their beautiful porches shaded by their steep gable roof that overhangs to the large placement of windows. This housing puts you in the center of the wilderness and gives you a warm earthy feel.

Also using its natural resources around it is the Solar home, This homes are have been seen with either gable, saltbox, or flat roofing with the obvious solar panels on top to use the suns energy and convert it to housing energy, talk about a low energy bill. Solar homes tend to have multiple windows that faces the south's warm sun with earthy creme colors. This house with keep you warm and cozy inside with a cheap energy bill.   

Breaking away from the wilderness and isolation  feeling is the conjoining duplex, This house is very similar and symmetrical on the the outside but with it being split into two, the two families inside might have different styles. These homes can in a couple of styles but still give off a homey feel.

But an all time classic is the Georgian Colonial Revival. this house is beautifully demonstrated with two pillars on the front porch step surrounded by brick. This house was first around when the the first Americans were around. The roofing is a beautiful gable and underneath tend to be beautiful windows. An all time classic and beauty!


Another house straight out of England is the Garrison House, this house is known for it second story overhang with clapboard siding. This house also has a very simple design with gable roofing and is a small easy going quaint house and cute for any little neighborhood.




Our next house is the little cottage looking Cape Cod Colonial Revival, has the saltbox roofing contrasting with small pillars. Sometimes they have a long porch in front because for awhile the porch was the neighborhood get together back when  the Cape Cod housing was popular. Because of their simple design, they fit in perfectly along beaches like in North Carolina. If you want a small cottage on a warm sunny beach and a warm fireplace centered in the house, defiantly go for the Cape Cod house.


Our twelfth house is the romantic white and chocolate colored Tudor home, its beauty comes from its combination of brick, stucco, and half timber. It has a different assortment of windows from the casement windows to the bay window in front. The steep roofing of either being gable or hipped has a marvelous arrangement of chimneys. This classic dignified home is perfect for anyone.  

Because of the big booming of cars being made in the mid-1900's a place for them was needed for many houses, that's where the Ranch house came in. Don't be fooled by their name, these houses usually tend not to be near farming. This house was not only the first house to have an attachable garage but also it was one of the first to have a patio in back of the house for more privacy, With gable roofing and big picture windows. this one story house is surrounded by shutter siding. This house is defiantly a family home in the suburbs!

From Austrian Alps. to Sweden over to the great lakes of America, the Alpine house is most popular,  With its combination of stucco and wood, the house could almost pass as a Tudor because of its coloring.  The roof isn't very steep gable but they do have quite the over hang . The front of the house tends to have a balcony on the second level with an arrangement of windows. If you ever find yourself in the mountains, the Alpine house is a perfect stay.

While we are getting comfortable with Mother Nature, our next home is a Earth sheltered . Yes, these homes are right in the ground from their sides to even sometimes their roof. Because of the pressure of Earth they need to built out of concrete and have windows in the front facing the south. These cozy nooks in the ground are surrounded by nature, literally.

Now for a modern house we have the Neo-Electric, this house is a mixture of all the houses. The tend to have Palladian windows in the front and with decorated front gables like a  Queen Anne. A porch tends to be in the front, so a great place for the family to gather. This house is a perfect home for any family with its simple and beautiful look.



Another house is the Gothic revival, this are typical for big fancy churches that you'll see downtown. With its enchanting medieval details, they high roof arches and even sometimes towers. If they do in fact have a "normal" roof it's most likely to be a gable. Since it is a church styling house, they tend top have elegant stain glass windows. Next time you're downtown, you won't be able to miss this styling of housing.

Our next housing is the fancy wood working styling of Stick. These houses were around during the Industrial Revolution, they are known for their fancy wood designs on around eves, around doors, and windows.  Other than that they're no different from any house, but their wood work tends to make them original.







Now to go over seas, this next home is the Dutch. This house's originality comes from its stepped gable. This house with ecstatic with culture and not like anything else you've ever seen.









Next we have the international house or modern style house. These houses, are raised up and have tend to be square but don't think that they all look the same because each house is unique with it's  own distinctive look.

This A- frame house is exactly as it sounds with its long steep gables, this house it nothing but roof! Shaped like an upside down "V" or likes it's name, an "A", This festive house will sure catch your eye.




Now for the simpler design, we have a manufactured house and it's name says it all. This house is made entirely at a factory, delivered in sections these house are low priced and a quick set up.








Breaking out the housing look we have the High rise apartment, with 3 or more living units in them. Apartments are small and cozy for any little family with a park that's always near by.











Now onto our next house, we have the federal house this house is very elegant and dates back to the days of George Washington. This house has many windows underneath it's beautiful hipped roofing. If you're looking for something classic and beautiful, this house is sure not to disappoint.








Like the townhouse our next home is connected, the row house. This house is tall like an apartment and has privacy like a house, A very modern styling for any young couple or family in the city.








Just like the city, the Art Nouveau house is quite cultural! Like any piece of art this house is very abstract with its many twists and turns. Having a hipped rood this home could never bore you!  

Speaking of culture, the Spanish home is like you're standing in front of a home in Spain. With it's stucco exterior and ridged gable roof, this house is made for warm weather. So if you're looking for a house down south (and away from the Minnesota cold) I would go for this romantic south of boarder home.




As the list of housing styles thin, we come to the Split level house! It's name says it all, these houses look ordinary but with the fact of them tending to be on a hill, one side it higher than the other. The gable roof and spacious layout, this house is comfortable and fun for sledding down in the winter.



Like the igloo housing in the Arctic, Dome housing is small and cozy! This house is simply a dome with many windows that face the southern warmth. With it having no roof and all shell, this home is defiantly unique.



But if you're more into travelling you can always just go for a mobile home, Small and quaint, this humble home never has to leave your side...literally!  With its gable roof and bay window, this home can be cute and homey easily.




Sadly we've come to end on housing styling but off with a cute and stylish bang, our last housing style is the bungalow.  This small house is my favorite, because of it's smaller size it's cozy and stylish. Having a gable or hipped roof and windows in the front, this house is perfect for small close together family and my favorite.