Spanish and Mediterranean House Styles

1600s - present
Spanish settlers in Florida and the American Southwest brought a rich heritage of architectural traditions and combined them with ideas borrowed from Hopi and Pueblo Indians. Modern day "Spanish" style homes tend to be Mediterranean in flavor, incorporating details Italy, Portugal, Africa, Greece, and other countries.

Read more...

Luxurious Surroundings

House Plan Details

Designed for active lifestyles, this home caters to homeowners who enjoy dinner guests, privacy, luxurious surroundings, and open spaces. The foyer, parlor, and dining hall are defined by sets of columns. The grand room opens to the deck/terrace, which is also accessed from the sitting area and morning room. The left wing of the plan is dominated by the master suite with its sitting bay, fireplace, two walk-in closets, and compartmented bath.

Read more...

Great Homes of the Gilded Age

The new American house plan embraces the idea of uninterrupted flow and expansive style.

A reflection of American affluence and desire for elbow room, the New American-style home is big, inside and out. The New American house plan is all about uninterrupted flow: from kitchen to dining area to family room; from family room to deck; from master bedroom suite with walk-in
The Gilded Age. The name, popularized by American author Mark Twain, conjures images of gold and jewels, lavish palaces, and wealth beyond imagination. And indeed, during the period we know as the Gilded Age (the late 1800s to the 1920s) American business leaders amassed huge fortunes, becoming a suddenly-rich baron class with a fondness for ostentatious displays of their newfound wealth. Millionaires built palatial and often gaudy homes in New York City. Before long, even refined families like the Astors, who had been wealthy for generations, joined in the whirlwind of architectural excesses.

Read more...

1690s - 1830: Georgian Colonial House Styles

Spacious and comfortable, Georgian Colonial architecture reflected the rising ambition of a young country.

Read more...

American Colonial House Styles

When North America was colonized, European settlers brought building traditions from their home countries. Houses built along the northeastern coast, where the British settled, are quite different from houses the French colonists built in the Mississippi Valley and houses the Spanish colonists built in Florida and California.

German, Dutch, Swiss, and other Europeans also brought their own special traditions. Between 1600 and 1800, European styles adapted to meet the challenges posed by the climate and landscape of the new country. Using locally available materials and learning new building techniques from Native Americans, the colonists developed not one, but many, uniquely American styles.

Centuries later, builders borrowed ideas from early American architecture to create Colonial Revival and Neocolonial styles. Architecture from America's colonial period continues to influence the houses we build today.

Read more...