Reveal 89+ Beautiful Early American House Design With Many New Styles

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Today, let's dive into the golden age of American house design, with a top list of the most iconic and beautiful examples from the early days! These homes epitomize the spirit of classic American design, from the traditional colonials to the picturesque Victorians, and many of the styles are still popular today. Stick around and explore some of the best early American designs, and see why they still capture hearts.

Federal House Design

Federal house design, or Adam-style architecture, is derived from ancient Greek and Roman principles, as well as from neoclassical and baroque European forms. It features symmetrical and balanced designs with hipped roofs, highly-crafted doorways and wide columns. Doors and windows are usually surrounded by a giant entablature topped with a triangular pediment.

The federal house design is one of the most iconic styles of the Art Deco era, characterized by features such as a shallow pitched roof, double-hung windows, and raised entryways. It is typically composed of brick or wood walls and masonry with elements of neo-classical architecture, such as columns, whose entablatures are capped with a pediment.

In the modern era, federal house designs can be combined with various interior and exterior materials, such as stucco, siding and stone, allowing for a large degree of flexibility that allows homeowners to create their own interpretation of the classic style.

Federal House Design

Gothic Revival House Design

Gothic revival house design, also known as Gothic period or gothic homes, is also a form of art deco architecture. It permeates the Victorian era and is based on romanticized forms of medieval architecture. It is characterized by dark-stained wood, tall arches, steep gables, and pointed arches in window frames.

The Gothic revival house design emerged in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, becoming a popular style in the early twentieth century. Exterior features of this style include steep gables, intricate woodwork, tall spires, and pointed arches, often framed by a prominent door or window. Interiors typically feature wood paneling, ornate ceilings, and a special attention to the details.

Modern Gothic revival house designs often combine the traditional style with modern touches. This can involve stone and brickwork, or different colors and textures, such as metal, glass, or tile. The interior of a gothic revival house may combine modern furniture and decor with antiques to create a unique fusion of classic and contemporary elements.

Gothic Revival House Design

Greek Revival House Design

Greek revival house design is inspired by ancient Greek architecture, formed in the centuries after the Iron Age. It typically features a symmetrical facade with a low gabled roof, pedimented entranceway, arched entranceways, and a large central portico.

The Greek Revival house design is one of the most iconic art deco styles, dating back to the neoclassical period in the 18th century. Exterior features include heavy cornices, white columns, and wide porticos, while inside, high-ceiling entryways, marble-lined fireplaces, and stylized Greek or Roman decorations add an air of elegance.

Modern Greek revival house designs often combine the traditional style with modern touches such as stone columns and slate roofs. Inside, homeowners may opt for a modern, minimalist aesthetic, or they may choose to combine classic details, such as Greek or Roman decorations, with modern furnishings and accessories.

Greek Revival House Design

Classic Colonial House Design

The classic colonial house design is an iconic form of American architecture, popularized during the colonial period between the 16th and 18th centuries. It features a low-pitched center-gabled roof, symmetrical window and door placements, and a boxy form.

The classic colonial house design is a timeless house style, combining form and function. Exterior features include evenly spaced windows and shutters, a broad front porch, and a prominent front door. Inside, the main features are pine or oak floors, wooden crown moldings, and a center staircase.

Modern colonial-style house designs are often combined with modern touches. This can include materials such as stucco, metal, or brick, as well as different rooflines and asymmetrical facades. Inside, homeowners can be creative by combining wood floors, fireplace mantels, and furnishings with modern pieces for a sophisticated look.

Classic Colonial House Design

Colonial Georgian House Design

Colonial Georgian house design draws inspiration from British architecture from the 18th century. It is characterized by a rectangular or square plan, a low-pitched roof, symmetrical facade, and a prominent central entrance.

The Colonial Georgian house design is a classic style, characterized by a balanced facade with a central entrance that is framed by sidelights and a doorway with a fanlight. Exterior materials of this style typically include brick, stone, or shingle siding. Inside, rooms feature high ceilings, fireplaces, and a formal layout.

Modern Colonial Georgian house designs incorporate modern materials and design elements such as metal awnings, bay windows, and siding. Inside, homeowners may choose to keep the traditional colors and layout or mix and match modern colors and furnishings for a unique look.

Colonial Georgian House Design

Modern Colonial House Design

The modern colonial house design is a combination of classic colonial style with modern touches, offering homeowners the opportunity to incorporate traditional elements while still being able to express their own unique style. Examples of modern colonial houses include the open-plan design, with high-ceiling great rooms, and a contemporary spin on Colonial Georgian facades.

The modern colonial house design is characterized by a contemporary spin on traditional colonial elements. Exterior features often include large windows, metal awnings, and contemporary building materials. Inside, features include light-filled spaces, open-plan layouts, and subtle accents.

Modern colonial house designs can also incorporate outdoor living space, such as decks, outdoor kitchens, and covered patios, for a more contemporary take on the classic style. Homeowners can also add touches of modern décor such as sleek cabinets and bold prints for a more unique look.

Modern Colonial House Design

French Colonial House Design

The French colonial house design is a combination of colonial and French-style architecture, incorporating elements such as steeply-pitched roofs, iron railings, and balconies. This style evolved in the 19th century, and it continues to be one of the most popular house styles today.

The French colonial house design is characterized by low-pitched roofs, balconies, wide windows, and symmetrical facades. Exterior materials typically include stucco, wood, and brick. Inside, traditional features such as fireplaces, wide mantels, and beamed ceilings create a cozy atmosphere.

Modern French colonial house designs can incorporate a range of modern touches, such as spacious decks, metal accents, and modern siding. They can also incorporate landscaping elements, such as benches and privacy fencing to enhance the exterior of the home. Inside, modern updates range from French country décor to bold and vibrant accent colors.

French Colonial House Design

Dutch Colonial House Design

Dutch colonial house design, or Dutch houses, originated in the Netherlands and is characterized by a large gambrel roof, side entrance, and the use of brick, stucco, and ornamental woodwork.

The Dutch Colonial house design is a classic style with a low-pitched roof and a central entrance. Exterior features often include shutters, a double-strand roof, and decorative trim. Inside, the defining characteristics are the exposed rafters and unfinished floorboards.

Modern Dutch colonial house designs may incorporate brick, stone, and other materials such as clapboard and stucco, as well as modern updates such as bay windows and metal accents. Inside, furniture and decor with a Dutch colonial flavor can be combined with modern accents to create a unique and stylish look.

Dutch Colonial House Design

Victorian House Design

The Victorian house design is one of the most recognizable house styles, associated with the period between the mid-1800s and the early-1900s. It is characterized by a complex and ornate style, with multi-level facades, complex trim, and the use of different materials.

The Victorian house design is recognized for its exaggerated and symmetrical features, such as steeply pitched roofs, wraparound porches, fish-scale siding, and brackets and spindles. Interiors feature high-ceiling rooms, fireplaces, and prominent second-floor porches.

Modern Victorian house designs often incorporate updated features such as asymmetrical facades, gabled porches, and a variety of siding materials. Inside, the traditional wood and wallpaper can be combined with contemporary pieces for a unique style.

Victorian House Design

Second Empire House Design

Second Empire house design, also known as French Second Empire style, is a distinctive style of architecture popularized in the mid-1800s. It is characterized by a symmetrical facade with a highly-pointed central mansard roof.

The Second Empire house design is identified by elements such as a prominent central tower with a Mansard roof, usually four or more stories, and an ornate and highly decorated exterior. It is also known for its detailed metal features, such as cornices and window hoods. Inside, details such as fireplaces and marble floors are common.

Modern Second Empire house designs often incorporate modern elements such as large windows, flat roofs, and metal accents. Inside, a variety of materials, such as tile, granite, and wood, can be used to create a unique and stylish look. Homeowners can also choose to combine contemporary furnishings with traditional antiques for a distinct look.

Second Empire House Design

Queen Anne House Design

The Queen Anne house design is an iconic form of Victorian architecture, characterized by distinctive features such as a wrap-around porch, colored patterned brickwork, and irregular bays and turrets. It is usually composed of materials such as wood, stone, and brick.

The Queen Anne house design is a unique style with prominent features, such as a grand front porch, steeply pitched gables, ornamental half-timbering, and sometimes a turret. Interiors usually feature high ceilings, arched doorways, and elaborate built-in cabinets.

Modern Queen Anne house designs can combine classic elements with modern touches to create a unique and stylish look. Exterior features such as large windows, updated siding, and contemporary porches can give the home a unique modern touch. Inside, home furnishings and decor can be updated with modern pieces for an updated style.

Queen Anne House Design

Notable Features of Early American House Design

Early American House Design House design from the colonial era in the United States was heavily influenced by vernacular, English-style architecture of the time. Early American house design typically features narrow, timber frame construction, with a symmetrical arrangement of rooms and windows on both sides of the main entrance. These home designs often include elements such as clapboard siding, steeply pitched roofs, central chimneys, double-hung sash windows, and decorative gingerbread . The most popular style of house design during the era of the Colonies was the saltbox house – a style also found in many parts of New England today. These houses feature a low, balanced design with a long, asymmetrical roof that slopes down in the rear and steeply from the gable in the front and side walls. This unique design offered the opportunity for an unusually-shaped attic, and it was often adapted to the local climate. Other popular styles of early American house design include the Georgian style, the Federal style, and the Dutch Colonial. The Georgian style, which became popular in the late 18th century, featured two- or three-story home designs with a symmetrical layout and balanced arrangement of doors and windows. Buildings were often built with brick, and featured hipped roofs, large Palladian windows, elaborate cornice moldings, and white-painted wooden trim. The Federal style rose to prominence in the early 19th century, incorporating elements of Georgian style. These houses featured even more finely detailed elements, including fanlights, palladian windows, and classical columns. The Dutch Colonial style, popular in the Delaware Valley and New York in the 17th century, featured a gambrel roof, also known as a barn style roof . This style of house was well suited to the region’s wet climatic conditions.

Adaptability

Early American House Design Early American house designs were often the result of adaptation to the environment. Home designs were designed to take advantage of the climate, topography, and resources available in the local area. A variety of styles were crafted to meet the needs of all social classes, ranging from modest, vernacular designs to more elaborate and architecturally ambitious designs. These houses were designed to be economical and resilient, and many of them still stand today.

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