Comprehensive Guide to Architectural Styles: How to Identify Your Home’s Architecture

Ever wondered what architectural style your home is? Whether it’s a charming Craftsman, a stately Colonial, or a sleek Mid-Century Modern, every home tells a story through its design. This guide will help you recognize key architectural features and identify your home’s style with ease.

From classic American styles to influences from Europe and beyond, we’ve compiled a list of the most common architectural styles found across the United States. Use this resource to uncover the history behind your home’s design and gain a deeper appreciation for its unique character.

American Four Square

Description: The American Four Square features a simple, symmetrical design with large front porches supported by sturdy columns. It is a practical, yet charming style known for an efficent layout, boxy shape, and spacious interior embodying early 20th-century family living.

Example Area: Suburban midwest neighborhoods like Minneapolis and Chicago.

Common Years Built: 1900–1920

Photo credit: Julia Bachrach Consulting

Beaux Arts

Description: The Beaux Arts Style is characterized by elaborate ornamentation and classical elements.

Example Area: Commonly found in civic buildings and public spaces, like train stations.

Common Years Built: 1885-1930

Photo credit: History Colorado

Bungalow

Description: Bungalows are cozy, single-story or 1.5-story homes with low-pitched roofs, wide eaves, and large, welcoming front porches. Designed with a handcrafted feel, they emphasize natural materials and simple, functional layouts.

Example Area: Most common on the West Coast, specifically California.

Common Years Built: 1910–1930

Photo credit: Houses of Minneapolis

Cape Cod

Description: Cape Cod homes feature steeply pitched roofs, dormer windows, and shingled exteriors that are compact and symmetrical. This style is traditional and practical, offering a cozy aesthetic rooted in Colonial American design.

Example Area: Traditional East Coast New England design.

Common Years Built: 1930s–1950s

Photo credit: Redfin

Chateauesque

Description: Inspired by the Grand Chateaus of France, Chateuesque homes are noticed by their ornate details, large towers, and steeply pitched roofs. They inspire a sense of luxury and romanticism, medieval with modern day!

Example Area: Northeast United States, especially New York City, and Paris.

Common Years Built: 1880s-1910s

Photo credit: Washington Dept. Of Archaeology and Historic Preservation

Craftsman

Description: Craftsman homes emphasize handcrafted details, low-pitched gable roofs, exposed rafters, and expansive porches supported by tapered columns. They embody the Arts and Crafts movement, focusing on natural beauty and simplicity.

Example Area: Most common in California, notably Pasadena and San Francisco.

Common Years Built: 1905–1930

Photo credit: Houses of Minneapolis

Colonial

Description: Colonial homes are symmetrical and balanced, with simple, rectangular facades and central entrances. They typically feature multi-pane windows, shutters, gabled roofs, and a prominent front door often framed by columns or decorative trim. The style draws from early American colonial architecture, emphasizing classic proportions and understated elegance.

Example Area: Most prevalent in the Northeastern United States, Virginia to New England.

Common Years Built: 1900s–1950s, especially popular during the Colonial Revival movement in the 1920s and 1940s.

Photo credit: Compass, Colonial Revival.

Cotswold Cottage

Description: Cotswold Cottage style, from the Costwold region of England, consists of a more rustic appearance with decorative limestone or stonework and a thatched or lined roof.

Example Area: Private American residences in the 1920s, however it was more popular prior in native England.

Common Years Built: 1920-1930

Photo credit: Henry Ford Museum

Greek Revival

Description: The Greek Revival Style features classical Greek elements, such as tall columns, porticos, and pediments along with symmetrical shapes and heavy cornices.

Example Area: Government buildings, churches, banks, mansions, and private residences, stretching from the East Coast to the West.

Common Years Built: 1820-1860

Photo credit: Preservation Artisans Guild

Moderne & International

Description: The Moderne & International Styles feature smooth surfaces, minimal ornamentation, open space, and glass facades.

Example Area: These styles are found in skyscapers and corporate buildings as well as even smaller spaces like diners and theaters.

Common Years Built: 1930-1950

Photo credit: Brio Design Homes

Octagon

Description: The Octagon Style, as it sounds, features heavily octagonal shapes.

Example Area: This style is usually prevalent in 19th century homes.

Common Years Built: 1850-1870

Photo credit: Worcester Telegram & Gazette

Queen Anne

Description: Queen Anne homes are highly decorative, with asymmetrical facades, intricate woodwork, and often include towers or turrets. They showcase a variety of textures, colors, and materials, reflecting the opulence of the late Victorian era.

Example Area: Entire Queen Anne neighborhoods are common in cities like Denver or San Francisco.

Common Years Built: 1880–1910

Photo credit: Sweet House Dreams

Ranch

Description: Ranch-style homes are single-story with open floor plans, large windows, and long, low rooflines. They prioritize casual, indoor-outdoor living and often incorporate natural materials to blend with suburban landscapes.

Example Area: Southwest and midwest suburban developments seem to be the majority of this style, an example would be the Chicago suburbs.

Common Years Built: 1940s–1970s

Photo credit: Redfin

Roman Classical Revival

Description: The Roman Classical Revival Style showcases domes, columns, and symmetry.

Example Area: American and European museums especially contain this style.

Common Years Built: 1790-1830

Photo credit: Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission

Romanesque Revival

Description: The Romanesque Revival Style highlights rounded arches, thick walls, and large stonework.

Example Area: Usually found in churches, civic buildings, and universities across the United States and Europe.

Common Years Built: 1840-1900

Photo credit: Raymond Boyd / Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images

Split Level

Description: Split-level homes have staggered floors, providing multiple levels connected by short flights of stairs. This design maximizes space and offers a practical layout ideal for family living in the 1970s.

Example Area: Midwest post-war suburbs are most prevalent with this style.

Common Years Built: 1960s–1980s

Photo credit: Redfin

Spanish Eclectic

Description: Spanish Eclectic homes are inspired by Spanish and Mediterranean architecture, featuring stucco walls, clay tile roofs, arched doorways, and decorative ironwork. Often asymmetrical, these homes may include features like balconies, wrought-iron railings, and ornamental tile work, adding a romantic, old-world charm. The style reflects the Spanish Colonial influence combined with other Mediterranean details.

Example Area: Frequently seen in Southern California cities.

Common Years Built: 1920s–1940s, particularly during a revival of Mediterranean-inspired designs across the United States.

Source: Houses of Minneapolis

Sullivanesque

Description: Emerging from the early 20th century, Sullivanesque Style highlights terra cotta and "organic" design.

Example Area: Commonly found in commercial buildings, especially in Chicago.

Common Years Built: 1890-1930

Photo credit: Chicago Patterns

Tudor

Description: Tudor-style homes are recognizable by their steeply pitched roofs, half-timbering, tall, narrow windows, and brick or stone exteriors. They evoke the charm of medieval English cottages and bring a fairytale quality to residential areas.

Example Area: Michigan, and other more northwest states, may have more of this style in their neighborhoods.

Common Years Built:

Photo credit: Barbara Falconer Newhall

Victorian

Era: Victorian architecture is an overarching term for various styles popular during Queen Victoria’s reign (1837–1901). It includes Queen Anne, but also styles like Gothic Revival, Italianate, and Second Empire.

Key Features: Victorian homes are known for their ornate detailing, asymmetry, bold colors, and a mixture of materials (brick, wood, stone). They often incorporate eclectic influences, combining elements from different architectural styles.

Design Focus: The emphasis is on complex ornamentation and intricate woodwork. Victorians also used decorative elements like brackets, bay windows, stained glass, and elaborate trim around doors and windows.

Examples of Victorian Styles: Queen Anne, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Second Empire, and Stick.

Example Area: Common in San Francisco and historic neigborhoods of Boston or even New Orleans.

Common Years Built: 1880s–1910s

Photo credit: Captivating Houses

From stately Colonial homes to charming Tudor cottages and sleek Mid-Century Modern designs, architectural styles shape the character of neighborhoods across the country. Each home tells a unique story through its design elements, historical influences, and regional adaptations.

By understanding these architectural styles, you can gain a deeper appreciation for your home’s history and even make more informed restoration or design decisions that honor its original character. Whether you're identifying your home’s era, planning renovations, or simply admiring the beauty of historic architecture, this guide serves as a valuable resource for recognizing the details that make each style unique.

Take a look at your home’s features—its roofline, windows, materials, and overall structure—and see how it aligns with the styles outlined here. You may be surprised by the rich history embedded in your own walls!