What exactly is a traditional style house plan?

A Traditional house plan is a style that's been around for many years and we get this question a lot. Simply put, a Traditional house plan is a design that has one or more styles or a style that is a paired down version of an historical style. Many of our plans fall into this category because they don't have any identifying style such as a Craftsman home with tapered columns, shingle siding and beamed gables. A traditional plan may have a hip roof, a gable roof and most often it will have a combination of both.

Typically, you will notice that the Traditional style has balanced window placements, a covered entry of some kind, and little to no details such as beams. Columns on a traditional style home plan will often have rounded or square columns instead of a tapered look. While front porches can be found on some, most Traditional homes have a modest entry.

The important thing to remember when choosing a Traditional style house plan is that everyone's opinion of what Traditional means varies widely from person to person and you have to decide for yourself what you want in your home to make you feel at home.

Can I have a 2-story traditional house plan?

Yes! The Traditional style lends itself to pretty much any configuration of floors. Our portfolio has plenty of ranch, 2-story and 1 ½ story plans that are done in the Traditional style, so the number of floors is really not a factor when looking through our house plans. And since the Traditional style incorporates a variety of styles from various decades, the exterior look of this home style is easy to make unique for our clients.

Balance is one of the key indicators of a Traditional style home's exterior façade. Windows will often be stacked equally from floor to floor and offset by more windows on the other side of the home, or by the placement of the garage. The Traditional house plan is perfect for those who love symmetry in their lives.

What are traditional floor plans like?

Inspired by 18th and 19th century European design, the Traditional house plan incorporates comfort with style. As with most house plan designs today, Traditional plans now often feature open concept living areas with large great rooms as opposed to single, separated living and dining rooms. The kitchen in today's Traditional house plans are usually open to the living area so that families can entertain easily and enjoy everyday life together.

Symmetry is also dominantly evident in Traditional house plans. Typically, if a den is located to the right off the entry, you'll find another room, like a bedroom, to your left off the entry to offset the den. This also allows us to achieve the symmetry on the exterior of the home through the balance of the windows on the front of the home along both sides of the entry.

Can I have a basement in a Traditional plan?

Yes. The style of the Traditional house plan is perfect to include a finished or unfinished lower level and all of the plans in our portfolio are drawn with unfinished foundation plans. Something we're seeing more of in recent years is the placement of the stairs to reach the lower level. The atrium-stairs is gaining traction in the Midwest where homeowners are placing the stairs to the back of the home with a landing that leads out to the back yard through a patio door on the landing. Another set of stairs leads you from the landing into the lower level from the patio door. This allows us to place a wall of windows over the stairway making an abundance of natural light available to the open living space. This type of setup works for lots that are not sloped enough for a full walkout basement, but sloped enough for a daylight lower level.

As with every basement, you'll have to determine, either through a contractor or by looking at the neighbors, whether basements are common in your area of the country.

What colors are most popular in Traditional style homes?

Color depends entirely on personal opinion, but typically, Traditional homes feature warm earth tones that are inviting and comfortable. Warm grays are used in many homes since the gray trend has hit the design market, but the use of warm tones to compliment those grays work well.

When you drive through a traditional neighborhood, you'll also see the earthy warm tones reflected in the materials chosen for the exteriors of the homes. Taupe, tan, beige and reds are frequently used and blend well with homes of different styles. When choosing materials for your home, the bottom line is that you'll want to choose colors that are warm, inviting and appealing to you and your family. Colors move in and out of popularity from decade to decade and even from year to year, so make sure you choose materials that you can live with for years to come.

What's the bottom line on Traditional house plan designs?

You can't go wrong with a Traditional house plan! Some house plan styles fade in and out of popularity, but the Traditional home has been around for a very long time, and we don't expect it to be going out of style any time soon. From the ranch with the walkout basement to the 2-story house up on the hill, the Traditional home is versatile enough in design to stand the test of time and appeal to homeowners of virtually any age.