8 Common New England Home Styles You Should Know

Timber-clad houses with side-gabled pitched roofs, open porches, and sliding sash windows. These New England home styles are attracting many soon-to-be homeowners because of its quaint symmetrical style.

If you’re aspiring to own one yourself but are not quite sure where to start, we’re here to help! Before anything else, you will find it easier to decide on a style you want after seeing and understanding these common New England styles.

• Cape Cod Homes

Cape Cods are low and broad homes with one-and-a-half stories. You will notice that this style typically has very little decoration, and the front entry is located right at the center. It also features a large central chimney, tier on tier shutters, and gabled roofs. In the interior, a center hall runs the width of the home as well.

• Bungalows

Like Cape Cods, bungalows are low homes with one or two stories, with the second typically built into a sloped roof. Usually, they are small in size and feature dormer windows and a modest veranda.

• Colonial-Style Homes

Colonial-style homes are simple and symmetrical, usually having a square or rectangular shape. There are two to three stories and all of which have similar layouts. In a Colonial-style home, you will find the kitchen and family room on the first floor and the bedrooms on the second floor. Colonials have become more elaborate and more expansive over time.

• Ranch-Style Homes

Ranch-style homes are known for their asymmetric L or U-shaped floor plan. These single-floor homes are significantly wide and come along with an attached garage and patios. As they are usually simple in design, these houses are among the inexpensive styles out there.

• Split Level (also Split Entry)

The Split Level takes some features of the ranch-style for an upgrade. The low pitched roofs and garages are still there, but the noticeable difference is in the floor plan. Unlike the ranch style’s single floor plan, the split level typically has three staggered levels: one for bedrooms, one for a living area, and one as a basement. At the entrance, one set of stairs run upward to the topmost level, and the other to the basement.

• Victorian-style Homes

Victorian-style homes are usually described as dollhouse-like since they are usually painted in multiple bright colors. This style involves asymmetrical designs, tall windows, wide wrap-around porches, and varied wall textures and ornamental woodwork. Put all of these together, and you will know that this style is far from subtle.

• Shingle-Style Homes

The Shingle-style home is usually considered American style, mostly because of its asymmetrical layout, which is reminiscent of Victorian-style homes. In this style, porches are usually wide, and doors and windows come without embellishment.

• Tudor-Style Homes

Tudor-style homes are more expensive than other types of houses in general. Fusing old English cottage style and Gothic Revival elements, these homes give off a mature mood with its elaborate brick patterns on the first floor and wood finish on the second floor. You will also notice arched doorways and multi-paned casement windows.

Conclusion

These common New England home styles will give you creative ideas as you plan for your home’s design. For now, these are just simple explanations to get you acquainted with the differences of each style, but a designer can help you handle the more technical aspects of the design process.

At English Design Services, we provide our clients with aesthetically-pleasing and functional home designs in Owensboro, KY, and surrounding areas. Get in touch with us today to learn how we can turn your dream design into reality!