Architectural Styles

When it comes to choosing an architectural style, there are several major house plans to choose from like Colonial, Farmhouse, Cape Cod, Ranch, Traditional, Contemporary and European.

This traditional one-story design has a large open living area and split bedrooms. It even has a home office.

Colonial homes are generally two story house plans with a very simple and efficient design. You can easily identify this architectural style by its simple rectangular shape, row of very symmetrical front windows with decorative shutters, a gabled or hipped roof and large columns.

Special care was taken in the exterior design, which features a large porch and detailed windows. Inside is a family room with a two-sided fireplace that leads to the sunroom.

Farmhouse plans have a similar boxy style as other traditional Colonials with distinctive pitched roofs and modest simple styling with large covered wrap around porches. Farmhouse plans are available in various floor plans but are frequently 1½ or two story designs.

This luxurious and charming two-story home features great indoor/outdoor living spaces. A series of French doors seamlessly connect the kitchen, breakfast room, great room and verandah seamlessly flow together for perfect entertaining.

Popularized in New England, the Cape Cod house plan is generally a smaller colonial. They are almost always 1½ story home plans where the master suite is on the main floor and additional bedrooms on the upper floor. Cape Cod also refers to the exterior style that is characterized by sloped ceilings and roofs that normally have dormers to add additional space and simple, clean lines.

This is our best-selling, most popular affordable ranch house, which features a flexible floor plan to meet your changing needs and lifestyle.

Ranch floor plans, also known as one story house plans, are generally one story high with an "L" shaped floor plan with all the bedrooms grouped on one side of the home. Commonly, the master bedroom is somewhat separated from the other bedrooms on the main floor. All ranch house plans share one thing in common — a design for one story living.

French Country designs feature elegant exteriors and efficiently designed exteriors.

Traditional Floor Plans are one of the most popular floor plan styles in America. The roofs are generally steep with front facing gables and the exteriors are often brick, stucco or clapboard. The interior typical features a loft and high interior ceilings to provide a very spacious and flexible interior.

This contemporary design features three floors of flexible living space, which are highlighted by two rear covered decks and luxurious master suite.

Contemporary or modern house plans are characterized by an absence of any historical style, which makes each design very unique. Contemporary house plans typically have large expanses of windows, dramatic rooflines, sleek and bold shapes and an open and informal floor plan.

This European home design is a beautiful two-story home with an exterior that looks like an ornate manor house.

European house plans feature a number of different exterior styles including: Spanish, French, and Mediterranean. Their exteriors draw influence from the Old World and incorporate features such as steep rooflines and numerous gables.

This is just a sampling of some of the most popular styles, however we offer nearly 60 architectural styles and collections of house plans, including our collection of exclusive ENERGY STAR® house plans, 3-D designs and exclusive plans found only at Direct from the Designers™.