American traditional house plans are all about incorporating design elements of historical styles updated for today’s styles with due consideration given to comfortable living rather than just the architectural design.

The traditional American home plans are among the most common designs of houses that are found in many parts of the United States and Canada. The conventional style follows much of the classical designs that echo the Colonial Revival style which include columns. However, you can also find designs that are more suited to the style that have dormers and gables. Moreover, a majority of traditional home styles incorporate a two-story design that has uncomplicated roof lines, but which have at least one gable that faces the front side of the house, windows that are symmetrically placed, entries that are generally covered, and minimally decorated. The floor plans of such traditional houses include grilling porches that are covered, a secondary entrance or mudroom near the garage, and kitchen-great rooms that encompass a lot of space including a dining area as well. These houses are designed such that they have a central entry and the entrance hall is flanked by living and dining rooms, and they are also laid out with a large amount of living space at the rear portion, usually opening into the yard at the back of the house. The biggest advantage of traditional American house plans is that the design elements contribute more to comfortable living rather than historical architecture.

Tudor Style House Plans

This style of house plan can be easily identified by its outward appearance. Such houses generally have a whitewashed exterior with dark and heavy beams. They also sport a brick or a stone-patterned chimney. Beautiful Tudor home designs owe their origin to English manor houses and half-timbered cottages of the medieval times. They typically have one and a half or two stories and the second floor is always cladded in contrast to the first. The windows of the houses are tall and narrow with multiple panes, the doorways are generally rounded and these houses also sport a bay window that is cantilevered over the first floor. The Tudor-style houses generally have high ceilings and large living areas and the roofs are steep and have gable ends. Interestingly, the Tudor-style houses which started becoming popular in the 1920′s were also called Stockbroker Tudor as they were most popular with individuals who belonged to the finance industry.

Victorian Style House Plans

Victorian style houses are characterized by many gables, ornamented exteriors such as brackets, spindles, decorated eaves, and different shingle shapes. The ornate exteriors became common with the advent of mass production machinery around the end of the 19th century. Modern day Victorian homes derive their inspiration from the Queen Anne style of houses found in the 1880s to 1890s which were very ornately designed. Turret towers, big and wide verandas, and bay windows can be rightfully added to a Victorian style house plan. These houses commonly have more than one level and the roof lines are irregular. The gables lie in several directions with differing roof pitches. The doors in Victorian style houses have four panels, the windows tend to be long and narrow and sometimes even have bays. The irregular exteriors of a Victorian style house generally make the floor plans rambling and of free form. Victorian style elements are not difficult to incorporate and therefore add a touch of classicism to modern homes today. Mixing different styles and designs is very popular nowadays and with some professional advice, these houses look brilliant.

Whatever be the style of the house plan or the material used for building traditional houses, they are a controlled mix of classical and neo classical features.