5 Popular House Styles Across the United States

One thing that tends to stand out wherever you travel is the architecture. The look of public or landmark buildings has a certain appeal to tourists, but one thing that really catches a person’s attention is the look of homes. In the United States, there are many different home styles that are influenced by cultures all around the world. Five popular house styles that you can easily find in the US include the log house, Cape Cod home, craftsman, colonial, and contemporary styles.

Log House

Log homes have been used in the United States dating back to the 1600s. While they may have started out as single-room homes, these days you can find floor-plans for getaway homes that are more luxurious than many people’s primary residences. Although these homes can be found practically anywhere, they are often most popular in rural or wooded settings. Everything on the home, from the siding to the doors are usually made of wood.

Cape Cod

Cape Cod style homes are often found in the US around New England. These types of homes started popping up in the US around the 1600s. The thatched cottages of Great Britain served as the inspiration for this home. You can usually tell a Cape Cod home thanks to its dormer windows and cedar shingles. There are usually windows on either side of the front door. While you can find this style of home option in most areas of the United States, it is still more common to see this style in the Northeastern US.

Craftsman

Craftsman homes exist thanks in part to the Arts and Crafts movement. These homes tend to feature a lot of natural materials and typically sport big porches and natural-looking doors. The floor-plan is usually pretty wide, has exposed beams, and often features a large fireplace. Bungalow type homes are pretty similar to Craftsman style homes.

Colonial

Colonial style architecture started in the 1600s with many different kinds of US settlers. Although the style could vary depending on who built the home and when, most colonial homes are symmetrical, with evenly spaced windows, dormers, chimneys, and columns. Many of these homes were on plantations, and thus they are also sometimes referred to as plantation homes.

Contemporary

One look at a contemporary home tends to make a lot of people think of modern architecture. In spite of what people might think, modern and contemporary are not necessarily the same thing when it comes to houses. Contemporary is a term often used to describe most recent building styles that also have a focus on the environment, including being energy efficient, made of non-toxic recycled materials, and possessing a lot of natural light.

With many different types of architecture that goes into making each home, its incredible to think what has been used to make these homes we take for granted such as MEP environmental engineering and facade engineering. You can find all different kinds of homes across the United States, from single-family homes to multiplexes and other apartment buildings. Five popular styles to run into all over the country include the log house, Cape Cod, craftsman, colonial, and contemporary. Each style has specific features that tend to set it apart from other styles of houses. Although some styles might have been limited to certain parts of the US in the past, you should be able to find whatever home style you want wherever you live.