Renaissance, Contemporary, Victorian, Art Deco… there are many architectural styles you could choose for your new home. It’s important that your home’s style reflect your personality, but it should also fit in with the climate and the look of your neighborhood. Combining old and new styles is a great way to do this.
Choose An Overall Style, But Don’t Be Afraid to Combine Styles
When you’re looking for the right architectural style for your home, it’s best to start by browsing through pictures. There will likely be several styles that catch your eye, which will help you narrow down all of the choices to five options or less. You can also take a drive around town to look at different houses in person. Sometimes it’s easier to see the details when you’re driving past the houses than when you’re looking at pictures of them.
It’s also important to remember that details can be changed. Older styles, such as Victorian homes, rarely have garages pictured. This is because this style was popular before automobiles existed. You can add a garage to a Victorian house without having it look out of place, as long as you tailor the garage to the rest of the house. A custom garage door is a great way to get the look you want.
Arts and Crafts style homes are also easy to customize, particularly since they were designed as a step away from the world of mass-production. These houses often have overhanging eaves, shingles, stone bases, faceted bay windows, high-pitched roofs, and tall chimneys. You can mimic this style entirely in your new home or choose the elements you love to add into your design.
Beauty and style aren’t the only things you should consider when you’re designing a new home or redesigning an existing house. Your home should fit into the lifestyle of you and your family. For example, Victorian homes often have many architectural details. It takes cleaning and maintenance to keep them beautiful. This may be too much work for you to keep up with. These homes also tend to have small rooms, which may not be practical for your family, especially if everyone in your family enjoys spending time together.
Don’t Be Afraid to Make Changes
Even after you have spent hours choosing an overall style as well as details for your home, changes may be necessary. It can be frustrating when the construction you see in person doesn’t match the picture in your head of what you thought your home would look like. Communicate with your builder and construction team regularly to make sure that everyone is on the same page, and be sure to let them know as soon as you would like something changed. Adding details, such as a
custom garage door or a different style of shingles can totally change the look and feel of your home’s exterior. Changing the color of the walls or cabinetry is another small change that has a big impact on the look and feel of the home.
Add Old Elements or Keep Original Elements
If you have chosen an older style for your home, try to add authentic pieces if you can. Most style elements can be created if necessary, but adding original pieces will add character to the home. Similarly, consider keeping original style elements if you are renovating an older home. Your builder will help you determine which elements are best to keep and which elements are best to replace with modern versions. Have fun and remember to listen to your gut and make choices that are right for you.