Home Architecture: A Field Guide

A Visual Guide to Residential Home Design Styles and Elements.

A quick and friendly visual tour of the many architectural styles of homes you encounter — whether you’re buying, renovating, or just admiring. Understanding these styles helps you appreciate not just the look, but how a home lives and breathes. (Inhabit)

1. The Balanced Bungalow

Vibe: Cozy, hand-crafted, human-scaled
Emerging in the early 20th century as an Arts & Crafts reaction to Victorian excess, these one-to-one-and-a-half-story homes feature low-pitched gabled roofs, wide eaves with exposed rafters, deep porches on masonry piers, built-ins, window seats, and warm, natural materials. (Inhabit)

2. The Charming Cape Cod

Vibe: Simple, efficient, enduring
Inspired by 17th-century New England cottages, these homes are known for steep roofs, central chimneys, symmetrical facades, and dormers. They made a big comeback post-WWII thanks to Levitt & Sons, spreading across suburbs nationwide. (Inhabit)

3. The Curious Contemporary

Vibe: Bold, flexible, expressive
“Contemporary” has shifted: in the ’90s, it meant Postmodern—with playful mixes and skylights. Now, it’s about modern minimalism, open indoor-outdoor flow, sustainable materials, flat or green roofs, and environmental harmony. (Inhabit)

4. The Dignified Federal-Style

Vibe: Classy, symmetrical, historically rooted
From post-Revolutionary America, this style combines Georgian and classical influences. Think balanced facades, slender columns, fan-light entryways, delicate moldings, and evenly spaced windows—seen often along the Eastern Seaboard. (Inhabit)

5. The Grand Georgian

Vibe: Elegant, traditional, stately
Rooted in 18th-century British classics, Georgian homes balance symmetry, brick facades, pilasters, pediments, and refined interiors. In the 20th century, the Georgian Revival brought a modern twist through architects like Mott Schmidt. (Inhabit)

6. The Indelible Italianate

Vibe: Ornate, vertical, romantic
Inspired by rural Italian villas, Italianate homes—developed in mid-19th-century Britain—shine with tall narrow windows, decorative brackets, low-pitched roofs, and sometimes cupolas. They’re familiar in city brownstones and countryside farmhouses alike. (Inhabit)

7. The Magnificent Mediterranean Revival

Vibe: Elegant, breezy, climate-smart
Rooted in Southern European traditions—Spain, Italy, France—this style emphasizes courtyards, arches, wrought iron, tile, and lush landscaping. Notably popular in places like South Florida and California, and includes subgenres like Mission Revival. (Inhabit)

8. The Marvelous Mid-Century Modern

Vibe: Open, sleek, futuristic
Evoking Palm Springs cool, this style is all about glass walls, butterfly roofs, clean lines, and blending indoors with nature. It evolved from Wright’s ideas, brought to America by the “Harvard Five,” and remains iconic in modernist design. (Inhabit)

9. The Venerated Victorian

Vibe: Decorative, ornate, grand
From the Gilded Age, Victorian homes are bold: turrets, bay windows, intricate patterns, and asymmetry. Queen Anne is the most recognizable, while Eastlake Stick showcases linear, handcrafted detailing. Other styles like Edwardian and Foursquare are their simpler successors. (Inhabit)

Final Thoughts: Which Home Style Speaks to You?

From sleek minimalism to ornate romance, American homes offer a stunning spectrum. Study silhouettes, materials, local variations—or better yet, walk through neighborhoods and let the architecture tell its story. And when you’re ready to dive deeper, seek an agent who knows the styles like the back of their hand.