What Is American Colonial House Style?

Homes in colonial style have as different influences when the America first starts to settle. These houses are still popular in the traditional style, even as home owners add creative touches. The house owners still appreciate the formal elements and aesthetic of colonial houses, Robert Catalfomo of Premier Building and Renewal (its work is shown above) said. More often then they add features of other styles and use colors that are not traditional to make their home unique. "People like to express themselves, and the style can easily be made more creative with the products that are now available," said Catalfomo.

What Is American Colonial Architecture?

In the 1700's, American settlers tried to replicate architectural styles of their native countries, creating a variety of styles: French Colonial, Spanish Colonial, German Colonial, Dutch Colonial and others. The Georgian style house, influenced by antique Greek and Roman architecture and the Italian Renaissance, is among the most popular.

The house in colonial style was particularly popular through the 19th century in the south and north-eastern regions of the country. The Colonial style homes became popular across the country in the 1990s, when classical architecture came back.

Characteristics of Colonial House

Symmetry

Georgian homes are usually perfectly symmetrical and have a central entrance. They have the shape of a square or rectangle, and the front height has evenly spaced windows. With a central staircase, the interior is symmetrically constructed.

Molding

The Colonial houses have decorative elements, such as the molding of a crown over the top of the windows, the molding of dentil along the roof lines and decorative window sills.

Pedimented and Gable Dormers

The pedimented dormers expand away from the roof and are supposed to be supported by columns, posts or pillars from the floor, while gable sleepers are completely built into the roof gable.

Colonial Exteriors

In terms of siding materials and colors, the colonial house offers a number of possibilities. Catalfomo has said that colonial homes have a white clapping board sided with a red door front. Now, the company uses only a small amount of white siding in the homes it renovates. Homeowners have the choice to play with colors like blue and gray but majority of the houses are white. But one traditional element remains.

Catalfomo says that he has seen numerous houses with colonial sides, brick, lap, or shingles. Homeowners sometimes choose to combine various materials. For example, the James Hardie Siding could be used on the front and HardiePlank rear and side of the house.

In other architectural styles, some homes even get further by fusing the colonial look. Catalfomo said he saw the accent on wood and metal, and the popularity of the copper accent roofs. The contemporary trend in agriculture can occasionally be seen in detail when some homes add texture by applying board and tack faces on the rooftops.

At Salute Exteriors, our James Hardie siding contractors in Oklahoma City will help you with the fiber cement siding the way you want. You can choose any home style and you will get synced exterior.