What is Traditional Exterior Design?

Traditional and modern seem to be the two top styles of homes being built these days. Modern is more new to the scene though, while traditional homes have been built since the 1930s. People that like modern homes tend to not like traditional homes and vice versa, but for good reason; the styles of these homes are quite different from each other! If you’ve been thinking about doing a complete over haul on your house, you are building a new house or you are looking to build a new house, and you want a traditional look and feel, there are a few factors you are going to want to consider when it comes to the "traditional" look. These factors include:

Walls/plan shapeRoof form and wall juncturePorches and porch supportsMaterials of walls, surfaces, trim and accentsDoorsWindowsOrnamentation

Planning a home

Every house, no matter the style, begins with 4 walls. However, it’s the shape that really defines what style a home is. One of the most common house plans for a traditional home is not going to be square, but rather rectangular in shape. The shape is also going to be kept compact. Even if down the line you want to make more room, you usually won’t want to build outwards, because this will break up the shape of the house and it would then be considered something else entirely. Most traditional homes are also 2 levels; however, these two levels don’t necessarily have to be livable. For instance, a ranch house. These homes have one livable space upstairs where everything is included on one floor, while the downstairs, or basement, and is considered another level. This

CAN be created to be a livable space, but some people choose to just leave it as is; a basement or laundry room. You also will tend to see some very classic details as far as windows go on a traditional home - usually one large square window, then the middle of the house where another window may be present and then the farther side of the house where another matching large square window will be present. These homes also almost always have the door right in the center of the house.

Roof Shape

The next defining element in a traditional home is the roof itself. The roof establishes the impression of a house. Most traditional homes will have a gable or a shed roof on

their homes. These shed roofs come out from the distance of the wall and hang over quite a bit. Typically a traditional home will have a side gable, and the roof will fall down to the lower level. This area will also wrap over the garage of the house and the second floor as well. The roof pitch on a traditional home is very modest.

Porches

Unlike a modern home which might not have a front space to sit and will rather have a more functional backyard, a traditional home almost always has a space to sit in the front of the home. This can either be a detailed porch with wrap around banisters or it could be something a little simpler such as laid concrete. There will also be a roof or at least an extension of a roof that goes over the porch. This is an element of style and looks. At the front of the home, on both sides of the porch, you will also see another design concept that is common in traditional homes; columns. These tend to be thicker in design and are usually circular with a squared off foundation. The columns are less about being detailed and are more about being formal. Doors and Entryways

The entrance door is one of the most prominent features on a traditional home and oftentimes it serves as a focal point. These doors tend to be bigger and wider in a traditional home than a modern home. Essentially this is a character builder when it comes to a traditional house. Also, on a modern house, you are going to see a more flat door; however, on a traditional home you are going to see raised or etched wood in the door. This look is really traditional. In fact, even on the interior of a home, for example in a kitchen on cabinets, you are going to see ornamental designs in the cabinet wood!