Space Saving Colonial House Plans For Elegance

Of the many types of luxury home floor plans available, the colonial style is currently enjoying a Renaissance. With their rectangular look and their formal, symmetrical design, Georgian style homes are rooted in both the classical architectural styles of ancient Greece and Rome as well as the Italian Renaissance style. Colonial homes often feature centrally located front doors and evenly spaced, double hung windows beneath a simple side gabled roof. The style arose from the wealthy American colonists’ attempts to reproduce the architecture of their native England. The Georgian style can be found almost everywhere in colonial America, but Colonial Williamsburg is the most notable example of an existing community in this style. A famous example is the house of the president of the College of William and Mary, which was completed in 1733. Located in Williamsburg, it is a stately brick structure with the typical Georgian look of balance, symmetry, and formality. Southern colonial homes were usually made of brick but towards the north wood frame construction dominated.

The distinguishing features of space saving colonial house plans is their square and symmetrical shape. Both the interiors and exteriors are arranged according to a strict proportion and symmetry. A front porch and centrally located main entrance open onto a straight hallway giving access to the downstairs rooms, with a stairway leading to the upstairs sleeping areas. Front doors often featured flattened columns influenced by Greek architectural style. There are usually five evenly-spaced windows arranged across the façade and the windows are rectangular and made of nine- or twelve- panes each. Windows in the Southern states featured louvers which allowed warm breezes to enter; whereas in the cold Northern states windows could be tightly shuttered to protect from cold winds, snow and sleet. Roofs often featured pedimented dormers with dentil (tooth-like block) moldings along the eaves. Usually the older houses had better the roofs, since slate and wooden shake roofs were designed to last forever, whereas modern asphalt shingles require replacement. However, all roofs, even slate or shake roofs, require regular inspection, and corresponding maintenance.

Maintenance on colonial style homes, especially older ones, is considerably more expensive than a cabin cottage home plan vacation. Wood clapboard always needs periodic repainting or staining (masonry exteriors are low maintenance since they only require occasional tuck-pointing). When examining older colonial homes check out all brick and mortar walls for cracking, which may indicate foundation settling problems. Also, old multi-paned windows are not energy-efficient, so panes must be examined for cracks or breaks. Old windows require occasional re-glazing to maintain the putty soft and ensure a good seal. Boat Private Party in Cartagena Colombia