A guide to the most popular home architectural styles

Millions of people spend hours every day scrolling through home listings. And whether they’re earnestly hunting or just curious about what’s out there, most eventually come across at least one house that makes them say, “What is that?”

This guide breaks down some of the most common home architectural styles in the U.S., from simple ranch houses to ornate Queen Anne mansions. It highlights key features, where you can find examples and the historical context for the designs.

"Architectural style is more than just a signal about taste," said Michael Shafir, director of architecture and building classification for Homes.com. "It resonates with us on a deeper level: evoking nostalgia, facilitating our lifestyle choices and offering a feeling of comfort, delight and a deep sense of belonging within our world — whether or not we realize it."

Here's a look at the 15 most popular styles and what makes them so appealing to Americans.

Colonial Revival, one of the oldest architectural styles in the nation, may appeal mostly to buyers with an eye for classic detail and a sense of balance: The front door typically is centered, and the same number of windows are symmetrically placed on both sides. The door is accentuated by slender side windows and pilasters — rectangular or circular columns that are flattened against the façade. The roof usually features a boxed eave with a cornice as an important identifying feature.

A semi-circle window called a fanlight — because it borrows the shape of an open hand fan — is sometimes above the front door. Red brick is the most common material used, though there are examples in wood. Rectangular windows containing double-hung sashes are usually grouped together or paired. Shutters are almost always present.

Inside are many charming features. “There’s usually a healthy amount of applied surface detailing like different types of trim and wainscoting that usually incorporates elements such as chair-rail molding,” Shafir said. Still, floor plans in the older Colonial Revival homes can be compartmentalized and an expensive challenge for buyers seeking more open space.

Colonial Revival architecture refers to the renewed interest in the first English and Dutch settlement houses found notably on the East Coast of the United States. The Revival began with the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial celebration, which reignited an interest in the country’s colonial heritage. Eleven years later, as a result of a high-profile tour of New England focused on Georgian and Federal-style buildings, two of the first landmark Colonial Revival examples were constructed in 1886 by a prominent New York firm: Appleton House in Lenox, MA, and Taylor House in Newport, RI.  Over the years, Colonial Revival has evolved into more simplified versions with less detail that include the ranch form and versions with built-in garages.

Colonial Revival homes can be found in Buffalo, NY; Dallas, TX; and Cambridge, MA.

• Symmetrical front elevation features windows and shutters on both sides of a centered front door
• Some have an overhead window called a fanlight (because it's shaped like an open hand fan) crowning the front door
• The roof often includes a boxed eave with a cornice

Originally designed for post-war buyers looking for something casual and avant-garde to break from tradition, midcentury modern homes set themselves apart from anything else on the market with their hidden off-center front doors, sleek low-pitched roofs and ample use of glass.

The style has endured for generations because of its popular open floor plan that appeals to modern families seeking carefree lifestyles and flexible spaces. Midcentury modern interiors are wide and mostly undivided, with only bedrooms and bathrooms separated by doors and walls. The homes create an interplay between the outdoors and indoors through features such as window walls and private or partially walled-in courtyards and gardens.

Still, “updating these houses in a way that keeps their character requires a keen eye,” Shafir said. “They’ve got such a distinctive form. Adding on to them is tricky. You have to be careful to get the detail correct.”

Frank Lloyd Wright inspired the style. But there were others who moved it along. In 1942, a grocer named Joseph Eichler rented a Wright-designed Usonian house, considered a forerunner to the midcentury modern movement, in the San Francisco Bay area. Eichler loved the house so much that he changed careers to develop the style, building nearly 10,000 in the region. The style was popular from 1945 to the late 1960s as other architects developed Wright’s design.

Midcentury modern homes and furnishings received a resurgence in the 2000s from the AMC TV show “Mad Men,” which chronicled the development of a 1960s advertising agency. Midcentury modern homes can be found across the country, from Los Angeles, CA; to Denver, CO; to Alexandria, VA.

• Elevations are usually asymmetrical with hidden front door
• Roofs are low pitched with widely overhanging eaves and exposed beams
• Exteriors, which feature lots of windows, typically are clad in wood and stone

Originating in Pasadena, CA, Craftsman was the predominant style for smaller houses in the early-20th century. Thus, it was nicknamed “California bungalow.” Craftsman houses are known for their signature wood joinery and detailing. Exterior features like decorative beams and braces are paired with intricate custom woodwork on stairways, fireplaces and bookcases, adding warmth to interior spaces. Popularity for the style waned in the mid-1920s, with few Craftsman houses built after 1930.

The front porch is another defining feature. Wide and covered, the porch’s roof is usually supported by chunky columns that sit on stone, brick or stucco bases. The roofline is low-pitched and you can usually see the exposed rafter ends where the roof meets the walls — a small detail that gives Craftsman homes their unique look. Decorative wood elements placed in gables or the porch add to the handcrafted feel.

Windows are typically grouped together, often with a wider center one and narrower ones on both sides. The exterior is usually wood siding or wood shingles, maintaining the textured look.

“The interiors are like a piece of beautiful furniture. They are highly customized and singular,” Shafir said. “Because of their impressive detail, it’s expensive to repair any damage, and stylistically compatible additions must be done with care.”

Several influences are present, including the English Arts and Crafts movement and Oriental wooden architecture. The style spread across the country through pattern books and popular magazines such as Architectural Record and Good Housekeeping. Besides Pasadena, the style can be found in Chicago, IL, and St. Petersburg, FL.

• Roofs are low pitched and accentuated with decorative beams and false braces
• Porches are large and supported by massive columns
• Exteriors also are characterized by overhanging eaves with exposed rafter tails

Synonymous with the casual family-friendly suburban lifestyle, the ranch was the most common home built in the U.S. during the immediate postwar period. These long and sometimes sprawling one-story houses, introduced in Southern California before spreading to such places as Levittown, NY, are characterized by a low-pitched roof and overhanging eaves. Front doors are usually off-center, sometimes hidden. 

Windows often have “several shapes and sizes. However, the inclusion of a picture window is the signature element of a ranch house in addition to its elongated form,” Shafir said. 

Many people enjoy the one-floor living that ranch homes offer. Yet that means the area of the roof is substantially greater than a two-story home, making it particularly expensive to maintain and replace.

As the Federal Housing Administration encouraged the creation of whole neighborhoods after World War II, the ranch became the staple of the suburban boom, particularly in the Sun Belt, where large lots allowed space for the expansive footprints that the ranch houses required. The homes are typically designed in L- or U-shaped plans with bedrooms and living areas separated into separate wings. The ranch popularized what’s become a standard feature in modern lifestyle — the sliding glass door, which seamlessly integrates the indoors with the outdoors. 

Ranch-style homes can be seen across the country, from Los Angeles, CA, to Dallas, TX, to Miami, FL.

• The long one-story structure typically has a low-pitched roof and overhanging eaves
• An asymmetrical front entry is balanced by a large picture window
• Attached garage when present accentuates the length of the house

A signature style pioneered by one of America’s most famous 20th-century architects, Frank Lloyd Wright, Prairie houses were most popular from 1900 to about 1920. Wright and others in the Chicago area introduced this style, and many examples can be found today in its suburbs and throughout the Midwest. The homes are known for their low-pitched roofs, sometimes “hipped” or shaped like a pyramid; horizontal rows of windows; and large front entry porches with massive square supports.  

"Prairie houses were Wright's first laboratory to explore his theories about domestic architecture like seamlessly integrating exterior spaces with interiors and implementing passive design principles to make the most of a site's climate," said Shafir, adding that the homes were not produced en masse and appealed to design-conscious people. "Frank Lloyd Wright was famously quoted as saying that democracy needed something better than the box. He was referring to the shortcomings of contemporaneous Victorian and Romantic-era houses that were essentially no better than styled boxes.” 

Houses in the style include low stucco ceilings, stained-glass windows, built-in furniture and bespoke bookcases and fireplaces. Yet many also came equipped with the latest technological advancements like radiant heating systems encased in concrete floors, Shafir said, requiring expensive repair jobs when they leak or fail.

The American Foursquare, a variant of the Prairie, outlasted the style itself and is found through much of the U.S. today as a general house shape. It has a squared floor plan and usually lacks a central hall, but like the Prairie, has the hipped roof, wide eaves and broad porch supports.  Another lasting effect of the Prairie house: Its architectural ethos, Shafir said, paved the way for the midcentury modern style that swept the country for the next half-century.

Prairie homes are found in Oak Park, IL; Milwaukee, WI; and Buffalo, NY.

• The roof is low-pitched and sometimes "hipped" (shaped like a pyramid) with overhanging and enclosed eaves
• The front entry porch typically has massive supports
• Exterior detailing heavily emphasizes horizontal lines

Although its name may evoke royalty and industrialists of 16th century England, the Tudor is based on a variety of English building traditions ranging from folk cottages to Renaissance palaces.  

In some cases, it incorporates details of Craftsman houses that were popular around the same time. One distinctive feature that appears on many Tudors is decorative half-timbering — the horizontal, vertical and diagonal wood boards that read as stripes in the stucco exterior walls mimicking medieval construction techniques. Other key elements include steeply pitched roofs, tall and narrow windows with multi-pane glazing, large, finely detailed chimneys and arched front doors.  

The Craftsman influence is visible inside as well, Shafir said. "There tends to be an abundance of built-in storage, and lots of dark hardwood detailing. In contrast, what is very unique to Tudors is the intricate molding and elaborate surface detailing often found on ceilings and, of course, the beautiful play of light offered by the leaded glass windows.” Homeowners must be attentive to these period-specific details such as leaded glass windows, stone-muntin strips that separate the panes and brick inlay, which are expensive to maintain or replace.

An estimated one-quarter of all houses built in the 1920s were in this style, with a particular concentration in the suburbs, according to "A Field Guide to American Houses" by Virginia Savage McAlester. They were known as the “Stockbroker's Tudor” because wealthy bankers and others working in finance favored them. Although they originally were popularized as a rural style, Tudors can be found in cities, including Los Angeles, CA; Kansas City, MO; and Philadelphia, PA.   

• A signature element is decorative half-timbering — vertical and horizontal beams embedded in stucco — on the exterior
• The front view typically includes a steeply pitched roof and at least one gable
• Windows are tall and narrow featuring leaded glass and stone muntin strips that separate the panes

Cape Cod homes date back to the first European settlers in North America and particularly, as the name suggests, those in New England. For those who arrived in the 17th century, homes had to be constructed from local materials, which primarily meant framing with heavy timber and covering them with thinner wood planks. 

The revival of the Cape Cod was boosted by the mass production of the house style for returning World War II veterans as practical homes and safe investments. Today, they still are recognized as solid and affordable options for first-time buyers. Prominent features include a centered front door, wood clapboard siding or cedar shingles, shutters and a pitched roof, sometimes with dormers. Cape Cods have been nicknamed “saltbox” for their resemblance to a slant-lidded salt container. The sharply sloping roof in the back was known as a catslide. 

“They’re ideal for people who value the basics,” Shafir said. Because they lack elaborate detailing, “they’re very low-maintenance homes and good for investment. They were built to provide a good foundation for starter families and can be easily modified." 

Inside, Cape Cods are described as cozy yet compact. The first floor has living and dining spaces as well as bedrooms. The second floor has sharply angled walls as a result of the pitched roof and can accommodate a room or two. Thus, the homes may not be a good option for large families.  

Besides New England, Cape Cods can be found in Richmond, VA; Levittown, NY; and Burbank, CA.

• A signature element is the side-gabled roof that sometimes includes dormers
• The exterior typically is clad in brick or wood siding
• The house is usually small and one-and-a-half stories

Spanish architecture has been a part of the North American scene since the colonial era. The Spanish Revival style is most prominent in areas previously occupied by early inhabitants of Spain, notably the Southwest and Florida. Stucco walls and low-pitch roofs clad in red tiles shaped like a half-barrel or an "S" are key indicators of the style. 

Front entrances often are off-centered. The style uses elaborate detailing, such as a dramatic arch or spiral column and patterned tiles to emphasize the front door. Windows can feature wood or iron railings on cantilevered balconies. Other common features include tiled chimney tops and decorated vents.  

The home’s signature feature can be the most challenging to maintain. “The red clay tiles are generally costly and sometimes difficult to source as they require specialized building craftspeople to repair,” Shafir said.

Spanish Revival homes are ideal for people who like to entertain outdoors. Exterior spaces are well integrated into the house's planning and often include courtyards, patios and gardens. 

The style can be found in Santa Fe, NM;  Dallas, TX; and Palm Beach, FL.

• The signature element is the low-pitched roof clad in terracotta tile with minimal eave overhang
• Front elevation typically features a prominent arch or accent window placed above the front door
• Exterior material mainly consists of stucco

The Mediterranean style evokes houses in seaside France, Italy or Spain, but it came into vogue in California, Arizona and Florida. People moving to these places from the 1920s to the 1940s from Northern or Eastern states sought a new kind of lifestyle, and the Mediterranean seemed just right.

Today’s Mediterranean homes often combine elements from the Spanish Revival and Italianate styles, with terracotta tile roofs and squared or rounded towers. Some incorporate Moorish details, such as raised terraces, fountains or rounded arches. Stucco walls with large sections clad in stone are common.

Other features specific to homes borrowing from the Spanish Revival style include low-pitched roofs, usually with little or no eave overhang, and a wall that extends into roof gables without breaks. Homes that share Italianate or Tuscan elements usually have two or three stories, broad eaves with decorative brackets beneath and tall, narrow windows.

“These homes were built in suburban environments for people who want large, flexible floor plans but still identify with the formality of historic styling,” Shafir said. “Because of their size, the interiors feel flexible and open but still maintain a level of formality and division."

Building materials for Mediterranean homes are generally easy to source, making maintenance and renovations relatively less costly than other styles, Shafir said.

Mediterranean homes can be found in Carlsbad, CA; San Antonio, TX; and Coral Gables, FL.

• A signature element is the hipped or pyramid-shaped roof with terracotta tiles
• Homes influenced by the Spanish Revival style usually have little or no overhanging eave
• Homes influenced by Italianate style typically have broad eaves with decorative brackets beneath

Buyers covet Victorian homes for their charm, value and historic relevance. They are attracted to the homes’ many architectural jewels, including paired front doors, slate roofs, stained-glass windows, turrets and eaves with decorative brackets. But restoring them to their former glory and maintaining them can be a major undertaking in adhering to historical preservation requirements and can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

How the style came to be is a lesson in industry and technology. During Queen Victoria’s reign in Great Britain from 1837 to 1901, a number of major American innovations in construction technology, particularly starting in the 1860s, led to the ornate architecture that bears the sovereign’s name.

Railroads crisscrossed the continent, bringing a variety of materials and supplies to markets where they had once been unavailable. At the same time, industrialization was producing more modular construction materials like nails and lighter, more flexible structural framing elements. House shapes were no longer bound to geometric boxes and could incorporate rounded corners and wall extensions.

These innovations led to an era of experimentation that brought together newly available ornamentation with irregular house forms pulling inspiration from medieval and classical periods.

“These were built as second homes for people who were escaping the city. They were interested in building the latest fashion,” Shafir said. “Who’s drawn to them now? Historic preservation enthusiasts who are excited about being stewards of history and caring for these intricate homes that usually require a lot of work.”

Inside, the homes have high ceilings, dramatic staircases, an abundance of molding and, in some cases, servants’ quarters. They can have choppy layouts with lots of rooms, which may require buyers to determine whether to modernize them beyond surface improvements.

Victorians can be found in San Francisco, CA, (famous for the townhouse form); Philadelphia, PA; and Washington, D.C.

One of the more famed scenes of San Francisco, CA, is of the so-called Painted Ladies, a row of Queen Anne-style houses. While the style was popular in much of the U.S. between 1880 and 1910, California and parts of the South are where it took the strongest hold.

The style has distinct elements that together set it apart from other Victorian-era forms. These include steep and irregularly shaped roofs, a liberal use of variations like bay windows and patterned shingles and an asymmetrical façade. Decorative features such as “gingerbread” spindlework ornamentation on porches are common, as are partial- or full-width front porches and round or polygonal towers.

Nineteenth-century English architects popularized the Queen Anne style, borrowing from building forms of the prior Elizabethan era. Many homeowners who built Queen Anne homes discovered the style through mail-order house plans. Queen Anne was largely replaced by Colonial Revival, Neoclassical and other popular forms after 1910. While few Queen Anne-style houses are built these days, historical examples such as the Painted Ladies in San Francisco remain an attraction for their fairytale appearance and intricate details.

"The staircases of Queen Anne houses are perhaps one of the most interesting interior features. They are usually multi-directional and incorporate a number of landings," Shafir said. "This was to allow for dramatic descent and moments of pause to give spectators below a choreographed procession. It was very theatrical.”

Besides San Francisco, Queen Annes can be seen in Peru, IN, and Cambridge, MA.

• Detailing on certain Queen Anne houses includes half-timbering — horizontal and vertical wood beams embedded in stucco — as well as textured shingles and cornice molding
• Bay windows, patterned masonry and gable braces also adorn the exterior
• Asymmetrical composition usually incorporates a porch often with spindlework or "gingerbread trim" ornamentation

The cottage as a style came into being in the mid-19th century when Americans realized they didn’t have to choose a single architectural designation for small houses. Cottage homes offered four types fashioned after popular styles of the day: Greek Revival, Italianate, Folk Victorian and Tudors. Cottage houses typically were one story or two stories with wide porches and high, multiple roof gables and wood siding. These characteristics meant they fit better in a rural setting than an urban one with narrow lots.

Each of the four cottage styles has distinct features. A typical Gothic Revival house has a steeply pitched roof, windows with a pointed-arch shape and a one-story porch supported with pointed arches.

Italianate cottages are usually two or rarely three stories high. They have a low-pitched roof with sizeable eaves and decorative brackets beneath and tall, narrow windows, commonly arched above. Many also have a square cupola or tower.

Folk Victorian cottages tend to have a simple form. Porches often have “gingerbread” or spindlework detailing or flat, jig-saw cut trim. Decorative brackets are common under the eaves.

Tudor cottages have the distinctive half-timbering with the painted horizontal, vertical and diagonal boards attached to the stucco. They also have steeply pitched roofs; tall, narrow windows in groups with multi-pane glazing; massive chimneys; and front doors with a pointed arch. A false thatched roof is another common feature.

“Interiors are simple and utilitarian, generally centered around the living space,” Shafir said. “In older cottages, the cooking area is explicitly separate from the living and dining area. In newer cottages, open and flexible floor plans are common.”

Cottage houses can be found in New Orleans, LA; Galveston, TX; and Selma, AL.

• Compact structure is usually one story but can be up to two stories
• Wooden elements include vergeboard — ornate trim attached to the edge of a gable roof — as well as spindlework porch detailing and decorative brackets
• The roof usually consists of one cross gable

The bungalow is considered a type of house rather than an architectural style. It is a small two- to three-bedroom home with a partial upper level. Craftsman, Prairie, Tudor and Spanish Revival were the go-to styles of bungalows built by popular demand during the suburban expansion in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

The streetcar or trolley played a key role in the development of bungalow neighborhoods. Trolley lines were extended to undeveloped properties near popular recreational attractions, including amusement parks and fairgrounds. House lots were platted near the trolley lines and sold. Bungalows offered affordable housing to working- and middle-class people. These houses could fit on narrow lots 30 to 50 feet wide, with their fronts oriented to the street.

A prime example of a place where the bungalow took hold is Chicago, IL, where some 80,000 of them still stand. The city borrowed the house type from California, where the Arts and Crafts movement emphasized wood frame structures without the ornamentation of the Victorian era that came before. Bungalows in Chicago were mostly made of brick to guard against the cold winters and fire risk. These bungalows had stylistic details borrowed from Prairie houses and are locally referred to as "Chicago bungalows."

The most popular bungalow style was Craftsman. Typical features include low-pitched gable roofs with wide eave overhangs and full- or partial-width porches supported by tapered square columns.

Prairie-style bungalows usually have low-pitched, “hipped” roofs that look like flattened pyramids. They often have a one-story porch with massive supports and a façade that emphasizes horizontal lines.

Tudor bungalows have steeply pitched roofs; tall, narrow windows in groups with multi-pane glazing; massive chimneys; front doors with a pointed arch, and “half-timbering” incorporating exterior stucco decorated by horizontal, vertical and diagonal boards.

Spanish Revival bungalows feature low-pitched roofs with red tile and minimal eave overhang, arches above the front door or a principal window, a stucco wall finish and an asymmetrical façade.

“The houses are compact, and by extension, some spaces serve double-duty, like kitchens that usually have minimal yet functional eat-in spaces,” Shafir said. "On the other hand, living areas are maximized to the largest degree possible often taking space from bedrooms, rendering them small and intimate — usually just big enough for a bed and side table.”

The homes are best suited for singles and small families. Growing families should be prepared to consider additions should they wish to remain in the home long-term.

Besides Chicago, bungalows also are popular in Kansas City, MO, and San Jose, CA.

• The one-and-a-half-story structure typically has a partial upper level
• Homes are usually clad in brick or wood siding
• Features include hipped roofs (that look like a pyramid), steeply pitched roofs and arches above the front door, influences respectively from the Prairie, Tudor and Spanish Revival styles

In the late 1920s, most U.S. architects designed houses with English, French or Spanish influences that often had complex shapes and detailing. But a small group of them charted a new path, turning to folk or traditional styles for inspiration.

They created a new form called farmhouse, characterized by simple shapes and roofs, walls clad with one dominant material (usually wood, stone or brick) and a lack of ornamentation. These houses also usually had covered porches deep enough for outdoor activity. Shiplap is a common material used in old and modern farmhouses.

“The houses lend themselves to a casual lifestyle,” Shafir said. “The interior features usually include exposed roof rafters, white-washed floors and large Dutch sinks. They have a quasi-utilitarian charm to them that feels almost luxurious in its simplicity.”

The style was typically seen for several decades in custom-built houses, but in the 1960s the Sea Ranch development in Sonoma County, CA, gave it a broader audience. Beginning in the 1980s, some developers of large communities created design guidelines that obliged builders to use traditional house designs. Coffee table books by popular architects in the 1990s and 2000s further popularized the farmhouse form. It remains in favor as many people prefer the familiarity of traditional styles over modern or contemporary ones.

Besides Sea Ranch, the homes are popular in Atlanta, GA, and Dallas, TX.

• Signature elements include a simple roof shape and absence of stylistic detailing
• Front elevation is dominated by a large functional porch
• Exterior is clad in stone, brick or wood

In the 1980s and 1990s, computer-aided technologies allowed architects to design houses in novel ways. The Contemporary house resulted, quickly becoming a popular option for buyers beginning in the 2000s.

Contemporary designers have been influenced to a significant extent by the International movement, which began in the 1920s and continues to some degree today, but is less common. International houses feature walls connecting the outdoors to the indoors, flat expansive roofs, asymmetrical façades, white stucco exteriors and typically little ornamentation on the outside walls. Another influence of the Contemporary, to a lesser extent, was the Deconstructivist movement that produced buildings emphasizing fragmented elements rather than overall continuity.

There are a few varieties of Contemporary homes that have proliferated. The most common is often called Decoupage, taking its name from the art of decorating objects with paper cut-outs. Houses in this category are usually orthogonal, or built at right angles, and use two or more materials in combination such as glass, metal, wood, concrete and occasionally brick. Typically, each material is in a slightly different plane, adding a three-dimensional element.

Other varieties include the "Segmental Vault," in which part of the roof is arched, often at an angle, and becomes the dominant visual element. Another type is the "Slightly Askew" house. Both are part of Virginia Savage McAlester's classification system in "A Field Guide to American Houses." Here the deviation from an orthogonal shape can be quite subtle, with one tilted wall or a prominent overhang with a slight angle. Houses that have a single unifying material wrapped around the exterior such as glass or concrete panels represent another category.

The interiors are large and sometimes cavernous featuring huge windows, flexible open living and dining spaces across a palette of multiple kinds of shiny surfaces.

“This is custom, this is saying, ‘I hate what’s out there. I want something brand new and distinctive,” Shafir said.

While signature and striking, the complexity of some roof forms in addition to the detailing around different material connections can induce expensive repairs because of leaking and other kinds of failures.

Contemporary homes can be found in Beverly Hills, CA; Seattle, WA, and Atlanta, GA.

• Signature elements include an asymmetrical front elevation and unconventional roof
• Shape can be simple and rectangular or curvilinear and complex
• The style often conveys mystery and unfamiliarity