House Styles Past and Present

My knowledge of various house styles comes from years of looking at houses I like (and some I don’t) and asking myself “What is that?” and “Why did they build it that way?”

The houses of today are different than those of our grandfathers, and yet there is a common heritage. The same ideas, the same concepts, the same motifs keep reappearing. No style ever really dies. Either the style revives, or its various design elements are taken apart and used elsewhere.

This site takes a look at the various home styles that exist in our neighborhoods today, and some that have temporarily gone away. From here you can go to pages that explain what characteristics defined those styles. Other pages give background and history for these same styles of home. Some pages discuss various categories of houses, like beach houses, or cottages, and might reference back to specific styles, like the Craftsman Bungalow style of house.

Vernacular House Styles

Neoclassical House Styles

Victorian House Styles

20th-Century Styles

The styles shown above are broad categories. There are lots of styles of homes that fit under these larger headings and many types of houses are known by multiple names. Use the search bar in the right-hand column for more specific house styles. For instance Steamboat Gothic is a type of Victorian house design.

Like Me! Tweet Me! Comment! Tell your Story!
Please!

New! Comments

Have your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below.
Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.
You can submit site to improve your site ranking We have joined under Architectural Styles Directory





Chrysler Building

See my Architectural Design Principles Sections



Greek Revival House in Hillsdale, MI

See my Greek Revival Sections



Moulton Carriage Door

Solve your Garage Door problem here



Gunston Hall - Georgian Style House

Investigate the Georgian Style here



Queen Anne house Bellefontaine

See the old Victorians here



mortise and tenon graphic

Confused? Try my Architectural Dictionary



cob house photo

Tired or Suburbia? Check out your alternatives here