Interesting Architectural Designs of Classic Houses

Whether it be Georgian, Queen Anne (also known as Victorian), Greek Revival, or the Bungalow (also known as the Craftsmen), architectural style says a lot about a classic house. Each with its own set of signature features, interesting architectural elements of different styles of classic homes are easy to identify once you know what to look for.

Roofs

In addition to serving as a point of interest, a home's roof is often a good indicator of its architectural style. Georgian houses, for example, tend to have gabled or straight sloped roofs. Dormers tend to feature protruding windows held with a gable while bungalows have very low pitched roofs. Classic Queen Anne style houses, on the other hand, typically have complicated shaped steep roofs.

Cornices

The uppermost molding that completes a wall or building, cornices of different architectural styles have different interesting details. Cornices embellished with tooth-like incisions, also known as dental molding or dentils, are indicative of Georgian architecture. Queen Anne style cornices sometimes have dentils or an egg and dart design of egg-like ovals. Ionic "flutes" can also be found on some Queen Anne cornices. According to GrandTradition.net, flutes are vertical, semi-circular channels. Very wide, flat cornices are typical of Greek Revival architecture.

Columns

An essential part of the five classical orders of architecture (Doric, Ionic, Tuscan, Corinthian, and Composite), columns not only hold up buildings structurally, but they're also design elements of classic architecture. Classic columns usually encompass qualities of one or some of these orders. Greek Revival architecture includes an entryway porch structurally held with columns of the Doric order.
Queen Anne columns tend to differ -- sometimes following Doric order or other times featuring spindle designed columns. Bungalows usually have porches with thick round or square columns. According to Home Patterns, Bungalow columns are usually half-columns atop a structural pier. Georgian porch columns usually follow at least one of classical orders of architecture completely.

Floor Plan

Open floor plans of connecting rooms with no hallways are usually found in Bungalows or Craftsmen style classic homes. Georgian floor plan designs almost always have a central corridor starting from the entrance of the house. Queen Anne style floor plans are asymmetrical, have additional wings to the house, and various nooks. They also typically include a wraparound porch. Greek Revival floor plans are always very symmetrical.

Windows

Window styles vary from one type of classic architecture to another. Georgian homes, for example, usually have large, symmetrically arranged, recessed windows. Bungalows often have a plethora of double hung windows. Queen Anne style homes are known for having bay windows, a main point of interest in their architecture. Greek Revival windows are tall and a main source of light.

References

• Antique Home
• Grand Tradition
• Home Patterns

Resources

• The Classical Orders of Architecture