The Greek Revival style of house became popular in the first decades of the 19th century, and was closely associated with the Classical revival in architecture. Inspired by ancient Greece, the design of the Greek Revival House was characterized by its use of bold volumetric shapes and its heavy use of columns. The most popular Greek Revival house design featured a white, two-story, rectangular box with a strongly symmetrical facade, a low-pitched hipped roof, and a full-width, columned, two-story portico at the center front. The façade of the Greek Revival house was often covered in clapboard siding and sometimes included a pediment window at the center. The eaves of the the roof were typically decorated with full-length cornices and the roof was often covered with patterned ceramic tiles. The windows of Greek Revival houses were usually grouped in small openings on each side of the portico. Typical interior details included simple Doric columns, pediments on door and window openings, plain wooden wainscoting and a symmetrical floor plan.1800s Greek Revival House Design
The Gothic Revival Style was also popular in the early 19th century, and was closely associated with the medieval Gothic architecture of the Middle Ages. The Gothic Revival house design typically employed pointed arches and lancet windows, steeply pitched gables, and a variety of vertical elements. The design of a Gothic Revival house often featured a central two-story block with a steeply pitched gable roof, either square or "T" shaped. Chimneys were typically tall and clustered and usually placed at the gable ends. The facades of the Gothic Revival houses often feature elaborate, projecting bays and often contained galleries or balconies. Windows were usually grouped to form pointed arches, and were often highlighted by traceried window heads. On the interior, Gothic Revival houses typically featured tall ceilings, intricate woodwork, and finely detailed fireplaces.1800s Gothic Revival House Design
The Italianate House was a favorite of the mid 19th century. This style borrowed from the classical Renaissance and Baroque styles of northern Italy and featured asymmetrical L-shaped or "T"-shaped designs with tall, multi-paned windows and flat, often bracketed roofs. The most defining feature of Italianate house designs was their tall, slender windows with arcade arches on the ground floor. The Italianate house was further distinguished by its prominent square towers, often with other towers or turrets, that were often topped by bell-shaped or conical roofs. The interior of Italianate houses often included large rooms with grand staircases and decorative arched doorways.1800s Italianate House Design
The French Provincial House took its inspiration from the 17th century chateaus and country mansions of France. The French Provincial house featured a low-pitched hipped roof, an asymmetrical façade, and usually a small balcony at the second story. French Provincial houses were often covered in clapboard siding and usually included a projecting bay, a decorative gable, often with rosettes or other ornamental details, at one end. On the interior, the French Provincial landscape was characterized by grand, open spaces and often included a Salon on the first floor, a gracious staircase and beaded molding, curved doorways and a strong sense of symmetry throughout.1800s French Provincial House Design
The Colonial House style was popular in the United States from the mid 17th century to the mid-19th century. The Colonial House style was strongly associated with the early settlers of America, and often featured a two-story, rectangular, symmetrical design with a central entrance and a simple gabled roof. The main feature of Colonial houses were their decorative shutters, which often flanked the entrance as well as windows on the second story. Other distinguishing features included siding covered with clapboard or shingles, small-paned, double-hung windows, and stucco or stone chimneys. Interiors of Colonial houses usually featured plain wainscoting, large fireplaces, and paneled doors.1800s Colonial House Design
The Neoclassical Style of house was popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and was closely associated with the Classical revival in architecture. Inspired by ancient Greece and Rome, Neoclassical house designs were characterized by symmetry, grandeur, and large windows. The most defining design elements of the Neoclassical style were its symmetrical plan, classical columns, and large windows. The façade of the Neoclassical house was often adorned with columns or pilasters, often flanking the entrance, and was typically constructed of wood and sometimes brick. The windows of a Neoclassical house were typically double-hung, often with an arched window at the center. Interiors of a Neoclassical house typically featured high ceilings, plaster walls, and Italian marble flooring.1800s Neoclassical House Design
The Early American House style was popular in the United States between 1780 and 1840, and was strongly associated with the colonial period. The Early American House drew its inspiration from the 16th and 17th century style of architecture found in New England, and was characterized by a simple, rectangular design with a central doorway and a low gabled roof. The most defining feature of the Early American House was its wide, overhanging eaves with exposed rafters and braces. It also usually featured a dormer, which was a tall window placed in the roof. The roofline was often characterized by alternating hip and gable sections, and the windows of the Early American House were typically double-hung with paneled shutters. Inside, Early American houses typically featured plain woodwork, small rooms, wood floors, and beamed ceilings.1800s Early American House Design
The Tudor House style was popular in the United States between 1890 and 1940, and was inspired by the 15th and 16th century English architecture of the Tudor period. The Tudor style was characterized by a steeply pitched, cross-gabled roof, tall chimneys, and a half-timbered façade. The most defining features of the Tudor House design were its use of half-timbered, decorative stonework, and prominent use of ornamental brickwork. The window and door openings of a Tudor house were typically grouped in clusters, often grouped around the entrance. Interiors of Tudor style houses were often decorated with dark wood paneling, intricate wood carvings, and stained glass windows.1800s Tudor House Design
The Queen Anne House style was popular in the United States between 1880 and 1910. This style of architecture was characterized by its elaborate details, asymmetrical façade, and tall chimney. The Queen Anne House typically featured a mostly symmetrical, two-story, box shape with a wrap-around porch. It also typically featured a steeply pitched roof, usually patterned with alternating gables and dormers. The Queen Anne House style was further distinguished by its ornate, decorative brickwork, windows grouped in small, arched openings, and its elaborate, spindled porches. Interiors of Queen Anne Houses were usually grand and open, and often included high ceilings, stained glass windows, intricate wainscoting, and fireplaces flanked by built-in cabinets or bookshelves.1800s Queen Anne House Design
The Second Empire style was popular in the United States between 1860 and 1900, and drew its inspiration from Napoleon III's redesign of Paris in the mid 19th century. The Second Empire style was characterized by a tall, Mansard roof and a two-story façade. The Second Empire House was typically constructed of brick and featured a central tower or pavilion, usually with a small balcony at the top. The windows of Second Empire Houses were typically large, arched openings or rectangular openings grouped to form an arcade. The façade was often decorated with ornate, brickwork details, and the roof was usually covered in patterned tiles. Interiors of Second Empire Houses usually featured high ceilings, curved staircases, fireplaces, and intricate woodwork.1800s Second Empire House Design
The Stick House style was popular in the United States between 1860 and 1900, and took its cues from the Germanic, medieval Gothic and Tudor architectures. The Stick House style was characterized by an asymmetrical façade with a steeply pitched roof and was often decorated with elaborately decorated bargeboards and cornices. The most distinguishing feature of a Stick House was its decoration, which usually included designs carved onto the woodwork and the use of ornamental shingles and tiles. The windows of Stick Houses were usually grouped in small openings and often highlighted with traceried window heads. On the interior, Stick Houses usually featured tall ceilings, intricate woodwork, and stained glass windows.1800s Stick House Design