Home Building - Exterior Style Choices
by: Tammy Crosby
The exterior style of your home is the fun part. It doesn’t
require any further calculations, just simply what appeals to
you. Most people prefer their home to be in harmony with the
surrounding community and choose exterior styles that are
appropriate to their region. To be safe, resale value should
play an important part in the choice of exterior style. The
five most prevalent styles in today’s market include:
Country: Nationwide this is by far the most popular style.
Characteristics include a large, usually covered front porch
or a wraparound porch, and a steeply pitched gabled roofline
that runs lengthwise. The roofline is often punctuated by
dormer windows and gabled wings, creating casual, informal
living. The farmhouse style home is typically a rectangular or
L-shaped home, often with two-stories. Horizontal siding is
the typical material for county and farmhouse designs,
although masonry or stucco is possible.
Traditional: This describes a multitude of classic designs
including Colonial, Georgian, Federal, Cape Cod, Saltbox and
Ranch designs each distinctly regional. Simplicity is a common
characteristic of all traditional designs usually with
small-paned or mullioned windows that are usually spaced
symmetrically.
Victorian: This particular traditional-style home has strong
historical origins with very intricate rooflines and the use
of turrets, dormers, towers, bays and eyebrow windows. Ornate
porches are a prevalent feature along with shingles or
narrow-lap wood siding. This style is more appropriate for
two-story homes, although one-story designs with Victorian
features are available.
Mediterranean: Some view this style as traditional, others say
it is contemporary, regardless, it’s popular in the Sunbelt
states, particularly in California, the southwest and Florida.
The exterior is traditionally stucco and includes tile roofs,
broad overhangs, lower pitched roof lines and open-air
verandas, courtyards and covered porches or lanais.
Contemporary: This broad category embodies many different
styles and shapes of homes. Typically contemporary homes have
bold geometric shapes, large expanses of glass, and windows
that are not framed by shutters or other decorative trim, and
rooflines that can be anywhere from flat to low-pitched to
dramatically steep. Siding can be vertical or horizontal wood
siding, stucco or masonry. There are really no rules with
contemporary styles.
Other styles: although the above are the most prevalent
choices there are a multitude of other styles many homeowners
opt to adopt. These include Craftsman, European, Italianate,
French or French Country, Tudor, etc. Also certain locations
or uses can often produce a particular “style”; narrow lots,
beach, mountain or vacation houses are examples.
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