Typical Layout of an American House

Central Hall Colonials

• The central hall colonial style home features a layout with a central foyer, hall and staircase. Off the central hall are the living, dining, kitchen and family room and upstairs the bedrooms spread away from a central landing. Variations on this layout build on the rectangular main structure with wings for garages or separate downstairs bedroom suites.

Ranch

• The ranch-style home is a distinctly American style reflecting the ample land available for construction. The ranch has an L-shaped living and dining room. The entry may step directly into the living room, and typically the bedrooms are clustered off to one side. Bathrooms in many ranch homes are smaller or long and thin. Some versions of the ranch are expanded bungalows which also have no formal foyer. The bungalow version frequently has a full basement and possibly an unfinished attic with steeper ceilings than the ranch.

Modern Traditional

• The modern traditional floor plan often has front-facing gables with a brick, stone or stucco facade. This floor plan features a more modern open design with a grand entry that may share volume with an adjacent living room, dining room and kitchen. The family room is usually positioned on the other side of the kitchen. The bedrooms are grouped upstairs with secondary bedrooms frequently much smaller in size with a grand master bedroom suite. The design often features a bonus room over the garage and traditional architectural features.

Contemporary

• The contemporary home design is similar to the traditional house except that the design of the interior will be more asymmetrical with lofted spaces and grand window walls. Often this home creates the illusion of space by using volume rather than floor space. The plans are designed to be more open than traditional with sharp angles and a more modern feel. Larger master bedrooms may be positioned downstairs with smaller secondary bedrooms moved upstairs.