House and Home Additions: Design / Style Basics

If you were asked to identify a building that shows good design basics, you’d probably choose one that's visually satisfying and that also “right” in its proportions, materials, and placement. Good design, whether in a new house or an addition to an older one, is more than the end result of carefully drawn plans carried through construction to completion. Good design involves integrating certain fundamental principles of architecture into a unified form.

Thoughtful design considers balance, symmetry, and rhythm—in the building as a whole and in the arrangement of its parts. It addresses line and shape; attends to the interaction of pattern, texture, and form; and recognizes the importance of continuity of materials while allowing for deliberate contrasts. In seeking to achieve an integrated whole, good design considers more than exterior features — houses, after all, aren't lived in from the outside. By defining the spaces we inhabit, design also forms a kind of framework for our lives.

This section will help you begin thinking about the basics of design and style as they relate to adding on. It starts with a short introduction to three fundamental principles of design. Next, it discusses common design problems that face everyone who adds to a house, and examines some solutions. Finally, to help you recognize the architectural style of your own home, the section concludes with an illustrated portfolio of some of the most familiar American architectural styles.

A music room addition to a Connecticut home reflects the style of the Italian architect Andrea Palladio, from whom the Palladian style window derives its name.

Fundamentals of Good Design

According to pioneer interior decorator Elsie de Wolfe, at the core of successful design lie three basic principles: proportion, simplicity, and suitability. Let look at what each one means in the context of adding on.

First, an addition design should have proper proportions, from both the architectural and the visual points of view. In design, proportion refers not to exact mathematical ratios, but rather to the way the various design elements relate to each other and to the whole, and to the way everything works together as a composition. An addition to a two-story house with a gabled roof needn’t have all its windows and doors lined up in absolute symmetry to appear well proportioned, but if the new wing is added at the side, it should have a gabled rather than a flat roof, and windows arranged in a similar fashion to the existing ones.

The second fundamental principle is simplicity. Even if the newly added front porch carries Colonial-style pillars, or the exterior walls of the bed room addition wear the same decorative shingles and gingerbread trim as the existing house, the design itself should be simple in concept, functional in form, and straightforward in execution.

Third, a thoughtful design must be suitable in several respects. Clearly, it should fulfill the purpose for which it's intended—a recreation room added above the garage to give the kids a place of their own should be easy to get to; a breakfast room extension should have plenty of windows to enlarge and brighten a small, dark kitchen. But the design must also fit the context of the neighborhood. Consider how a second-story playroom with a loft above might block sunlight entering the single-level house next door, whereas a contemporary glass-walled breakfast area might be perfectly appropriate in a cluster of traditional homes.

Furthermore, a well-designed addition must be suited to the architectural style and mood of the house to which it belongs. The challenge here is that it’s sometimes difficult to recognize the architectural heritage of a house, and hard to know which features should be emphasized and pre served and which can be altered successfully. (For an example of a successful alteration to a historic house) The Illustrated Portfolio of American Architectural Styles will help you to identify your home’s architectural roots, and will start you thinking about their relation to style and help you begin to visualize the overall look of your addition.

Some common design problems and solutions

The process of designing an addition brings with it some common problems—from maintaining the integrity of the style of the existing house, to achieving visual continuity at the juncture between old and new, to selecting appropriate materials for both exterior and interior. Because one mark of good design is integration, the solution to one problem may clarify the answer to another. Your solutions—like your addition—will be unique to your house and its lot, but knowing some of the tricks that design professionals employ can simplify your planning.

Positioning on the site

Whether you are building from scratch or adding on, a major design consideration of any site, on sloping or level ground, is solar access. In fact, one of the most common reasons homeowners add on is to gain more light and sun as well as space. Before you decide on the exact position and precise configuration of your addition, study the pattern of the sun’s movement during the day, noticing where trees and neighboring buildings cast shadows. You may discover that placing the addition on one side of the house rather than another could make a big difference in the quality and amount of light that will enter its interior. Remember, too, that zoning requirements will influence the position of your addition—its proximity to property lines and possibly its height.

A sloping lot may or may not present a siting challenge. A gentle slope away from the house to the south is usually ideal for solar gain and encourages a design with many windows; a slope to the north, on the other hand, might call for fewer and smaller openings. You could cut into the slope and let your addition step down the hillside, following the con tours of the land. Or, if you’d prefer to keep the addition on the same level as the existing house, you might extend it out over the slope, sup ported from beneath and accessible to the ground by stairs.

Continuity of scale

The design goal here is to retain the existing proportions of the house by neither over-scaling nor under-scaling the addition. Think of the addition not as a separate entity, but instead as a part of the whole. Mentally step away from the drawing board and view the house from afar. Ask yourself what scale “feels right.” If the existing structure has a multi-gabled roof system, then the new roof may need to carry more than one peak. (For an example of a cross-gable-roof addition) If your one- story ranch stretches out in a long, thin line, it’s probably better for the overall proportions to “bend” the line by placing the addition at a right angle to the house rather than to accentuate the existing linearity.

Another dimension of continuity of scale is the “massing” of the parts of the structure in relation to each other. If you are designing a second story for a house with lots of large windows, the windows on the new upper level will need to be sized and scaled to feel at least as light in apparent weight as those on the lower floor, in order to keep the building from seeming top-heavy. If, on the other hand, your house resembles a three- story block with a hip roof, a low, flat extension will probably look like an afterthought—a little tail on a big animal.

Symmetry and rhythm can be regarded in the same manner. If the original windows and doors are arranged asymmetrically, look for ways to place the new openings in a non- symmetrical pattern to keep the whole building in informal balance. Conversely, if absolute symmetry is the order, the addition should probably exhibit that same symmetry. Often the elements of a particular architectural style follow a certain rhythm—vertical bands of brick delineating every corner of another wise wood exterior, for example, or window groupings of twos and threes on each floor of a row house. In designing an addition, rhythmic pat terns might be made less regular, but they shouldn't be ignored.

Placement of elements (left) Symmetrical vs. asymmetrical; Massing of elements (right) Unbalanced vs. Balanced

Continuity of style

Whatever form your addition takes, the new structure should fit the style of the house itself and be sensitive to surrounding buildings. Matters of style are especially important when you’re adding on to the front facade, where your new space will become part of the streetscape.

If your house is a pure representation of a distinct style, you can select its most distinguishing features to re peat in your design. Rooflines and window configurations—two elements that define a home’s style—are usually the first things onlookers notice, and it’s generally wise to echo their shapes, sizes, and arrangement as faithfully as possible. If, on the other hand, your home is an amalgam of styles, as are many suburban dwellings built in the past 25 years, select a prominent motif—perhaps the arches of the front porch, or the decorative half-timbers on the exterior walls—and repeat that theme.

In a historic building with a well- established architectural style—a Colonial built in 1800 with Federal features, for example, or a turn-of-the-century adobe ranch—the ideal solution (especially from the preservationist point of view) is to make the addition an authentic reproduction. But finding the right materials can be a monumental task, and , more often than not, the whole reason for adding on is to modernize an old house. One answer is to create an addition that echoes the original style without trying to mimic it—a solution that may require the advice and expertise of a design professional to avoid a tacked-on look.

You can take a more relaxed approach to continuity of style in an addition that’s not visible from the street, as long as the add-on is sympathetic to the overall design of the house and to its neighbors. Often an “invisible” location at the rear offers an opportunity to treat an older style in a more modern manner: to better suit living patterns, open up a confining floor plan, or bring natural light to an otherwise dark interior. A new wing that faces front and rear can show to the street the same windows and shutters found on the rest of the facade but make use of sliding glass doors at the rear to open the interior to the backyard.

After careful thought you may decide to step away from the existing style—perhaps to add contemporary zip to a tired and outdated design, or to bring a distinctive look to a house with no clear architectural roots. In such a situation a design professional can help you establish what variations in style will work functionally and aesthetically.

Continuity of roofline

The roof system of your addition will be influenced greatly by the style and material of the existing roof and by the size and configuration of the spaces you’re adding. Depending on the place where the addition joins the existing structure and the angle at which it does so, the roof connection may be continuous or intentionally different. If an existing roofline can be extended to cover the addition, the transition can be almost invisible, especially if new materials are matched to old using a staggered seam. On the other hand, a variation in height or angle between old and new roofs might be better handled by acknowledging the difference rather than attempting to cover it up—accentuating the height or angle, per haps, or changing the direction of the roofing materials. (For an example of an addition that accentuates height)

Placement of windows and doors

The arrangement of windows and doors has a lot to do with the appearance of a house; it’s often an important clue in establishing architectural style. Generally, windows and doors in an addition should line up with those in the main building, and should carry the same proportions and scale.

But windows and doors are also the connectors between indoor spaces and the outside world, and the needs and preferences of a home’s occupants sometimes conflict with architectural style considerations in deter mining their size and placement. There are several solutions to this kind of problem. One possibility is to match street-side windows and doors to the building style and suit the less visible openings to interior demands. If you intend to take advantage of solar gain in your addition, windows and doors must be sized and positioned to do the job, regardless of style.

Another possible solution is to vary the dimensions of windows and doors but keep style and scale unchanged. If your present house has small, multi paned, double-hung windows and you want a larger view of the world from the addition, you could substitute either a single picture window of the same size, or devise an arrangement of the same double-hung windows flanking a fixed multi-pane.

Types of roofs: Hip, Flat, Shed, etc.

Continuity of roofline (left) Continuous vs. Discontinuous; Placement of windows (right) Aligned vs. unaligned

Juncture between old and new

The joining of existing house and addition may be designed to be structurally continuous, to appear continuous, or to be purposely different. If it would be difficult to make a smooth transition between old and new—perhaps because matching the home’s exterior materials might be too expensive—consider creating a “negative space” at the junction by offsetting the addition slightly, either forward or back. This shift in position simplifies the roofline transition as well. From a purely visual point of view, the little “jog” also helps the old materials merge into the new. Another solution is to admit to the change but treat it with restraint, per haps marking the juncture with a tall slit window, a row of glass block, or a decorative element that suits the style of the house.

Additions that are separate entities but still functionally part of the house—a garage with a playroom above, or a master bedroom wing, for example—require a connection that’s more a bridge between old and new than a juncture. This connector might take shape as a hall or gallery, a glass-enclosed bridge or breezeway, a greenhouse, or even a multipurpose “room between.”

Continuity of exterior materials

Generally speaking, for continuity of scale, style, and appearance, it’s preferable to stay with the same exterior materials as are found on your existing house. Even so, you’ll still have to pay attention to pattern, texture, and color when you make your choices. Refined narrow clapboard doesn’t mix well with rough-sawn boards; unblemished new brick looks out of context next to weathered old brick. When a house carries a mixture of materials—for example, stucco walls with wood trim and wrought-iron ac cents—use them in about the same proportions on the addition and keep textures the same. A side benefit of a mixture of materials is that it offers some flexibility in solving the problem of juncture.

If the exterior siding on your house runs vertically, it will be relatively easy to join old materials to new: you can butt vertical boards together or stagger shingles down a line. Materials horizontally applied are a little more difficult to match. Sometimes you can move from old to new by creating a subtle pattern with the same materials. Often, though, this situation calls for an intentional jog in the wall; or a decorative device may be employed to avoid resurfacing the entire facade.

Attention to materials should also include continuity of detail and ornamentation, particularly if the existing house is of an older style and carries a cornice, for example, or brackets under the eaves, or gingerbread trim. It may take a little ingenuity, some custom carpentry, and the assistance of a mail-order catalog to match new detailing to old, but the benefits to the look of your addition will make it worth the trouble in the long run.

Types of windows: Louver, Casement, Sliding, Double hung, Fixed pane, Awning

Junction of old and new (left) Setback entrance (“jog”) and Bridge connector to new wing; Continuity of materials (right) Discontinuous and Continuous

Style and scale in the interior design

The problems and solutions outlined above for exterior design apply in large part to the interior of your addition as well. Maintaining continuity of style, scale, and materials is in one sense just as important indoors as out. But there is a key difference: It’s the inside of the house where the living goes on, and adding on involves both enlarging and improving the frame work in which people live. A family- room addition can have a more open, contemporary feeling than the existing living room as long as the materials are compatible and the proportions of the new room suit the overall house design. E.g., if your home features narrow casement windows on every exterior wall, you can do a couple of things to maintain the style and still make the interior of the addition more light filled and livable:

Create a bay or two and line them with narrow casements of the same style; or keep exactly the same window configuration but insert skylights that are about the same size and shape as the casements into the roof.

Interior transitions from old to new

On the interior, the transition from the existing space to the addition may be handled in a number of ways. The floor level may remain the same, with only a slight shift in materials to suggest where one part ends and the other begins. Usually, though, some signs of change are inevitable, and can be turned to advantage by making them a part of the interior design.

Ceilings in a new room or wing may be left open to the rafters to give the room height, even if the adjoining areas retain their 8-foot ceilings. A variation in height is pleasing to the eye and gives the new space a sense of importance. If the pitch of the new roof is fairly steep, you can avoid a too-tall feeling by dropping the ceiling around the perimeter or at the corners, creating soffits for lighting as well as intimate places to sit.

Floors may step up or down at the point of connection to help ease a transition in materials or to give the new space its own identity. In a room of average size, be cautious about stepping the floor down and also opening up the ceiling because the room may get out of scale and the proportions won’t feel right. For the most spacious appearance, keep floors the same level and use partial walls to set off the spaces.

Walls in the area of transition may be designed as screens or partitions rather than as solid forms, especially when the transition occurs in a public part of the home—between kitchen and family room, or between entry hall and living room. If you must cut through an exterior wall or an interior load-bearing wall to add on, you can treat the vertical supports that remain as part of the transition—box them in wallboard, disguise them as columns, or leave them exposed as wood posts, depending on the style of your house.

Continuity of interior materials

Basically, the same rules of consistency apply indoors as out, but continuity indoors involves compatibility of materials from room to room rather than slavish repetition. The surface quality of materials is an important consideration throughout the interior. A textured wall feels heavier than a smooth one, a sanded wood beam lighter than one of exactly the same size that’s rough-hewn, contoured shapes are softer than linear ones. Heavily textured walls and rough beams might be appropriate in a big playroom, but they would overwhelm a small bath. If you decide on light- stained wood trim in one room, don’t switch to dark stains elsewhere. The decision about which materials are compatible, however, is a personal one that walks the line between design and decorating. (For an example of floors stained to pick up the color of the walls)

The flow of indoor traffic

One of the most important, and some times neglected, considerations of good design is the circulation of foot traffic around and through the addition. It’s not enough to have some extra space at the side of your lot on which to add a children’s playroom if they’ll have to cut through the living and dining rooms to get to it. Before you start to plan, take walking tours around your house. Try to understand the rationale behind the original floor plan. Will the addition you have in mind cut off light and ventilation, or will it improve the quality of the spaces adjacent to it? Does the location of the proposed new kitchen mean you’ll have to carry the groceries from the garage through the whole length of the house? How will those who will use the space most often get to it? If the addition will be accessible to the outdoors, for example, position the doorways so that traffic won’t have to cut through the center of the room.

Flow of traffic: It’s wise to figure out existing circulation patterns before planning your addition. For four specific ways of adding on to this base plan.

Illustrated Portfolio of American Architectural Styles

Among the many facets of a house, its architectural styling is one of the first to capture the eye and make an impression. A particular style will show similar characteristics from house to house—for example, a distinctive roof system, window group or decorative features like columns, cornices, or a special type of trim.

The style of some houses is relatively easy to identify, and you can confidently name a New England Saltbox or a Queen Anne Victorian as you walk or drive by. But most of our homes today don’t fall neatly into style categories. Instead they are variations or derivations of the common styles of our American past, with motifs and characteristics blended in different patterns.

This adaptation of styles—called vernacular architecture—grew out of America’s move across the continent, and the need of our forebears to suit their dwellings to the climates, building materials, and life-styles of new places.

Your house, and the others in your neighborhood, probably reflect this American vernacular tradition. The illustrated portfolio that follows is in tended to help you identify the architectural roots from which your own house derives and to give you some guidance in deciding which features to maintain in designing your addition. With thoughtful planning and a respect for the richness of American architectural styles, your addition can contribute to the continuity of American vernacular architecture.

Saltbox With its distinctive gabled roof that slopes sharply at the rear nearly to the ground, the Saltbox is a perfect example of a vernacular style—an architectural solution to the demands of a harsh climate and to the need for more living space. Early colonists of ten attached a lean-to or shed to the outer north wall of their homes; in time they incorporated that extra area into the house under a continuous roofline to serve as additional sleep or storage space and to provide a built-in buffer against wind and cold. Deriving its name from the resemblance of its long, slanted roof to the lid of the saltbox found in the colonial store, the Saltbox is sometimes picturesquely called the Catslide. >>The typical Saltbox is quickly recognized by a gabled roof that slopes to the rear in a long slant. In two-story designs, the roof extends to the first floor; i smaller dwellings, it goes nearly to the ground. >>Windows at the front, which is usually oriented to the south, are of the sash type, with 6/6 (six over six) or 8/8 multipanes; windows at the rear are small and few in number. Small dormers may project from the lower slope of the rear roof. >>A massive central brick chimney block is common. >>In New England, most Saltboxes are sheathed in shingles left to weather naturally. In some areas, the exterior often combines fieldstone end walls with clapboards or shingles.

Cape Cod Cottage The Cape Cod—as it's known in virtually every town across the country—is the typical small American house, a descendant of the little English Cottage. A vernacular style that has lost little of its charm in its travels, the Cape Cod Cottage appears in coastal towns from Florida to Maine and in the suburbs of the Midwest, complete with picket fence and rambling roses. Because it's easy to build, heat, and maintain, from the 1920s through the 1950s the Cape Cod was the most popular style in the country, later to be rivaled only by the Ranch House. >>The Cape Cod is a compact, 1- or 1 1/2-story design with a gable roof of moderate pitch, sash windows with multipanes, a tidy symmetrical facade, and a simply detailed center entrance. >>The exterior may be of shingles left to weather to a silvery gray or of clapboards, usually painted white and dressed up with green or blue shutters. >>Like its New England relatives, the Cape Cod displays a massive chimney, usually at its center. >>The interior plan stresses function, with a tiny entrance hall feeding to two large rooms on either side and two or three rooms at the rear. In 1/2 story versions, the upper floor contains two small rooms tucked beneath the gable.

Spanish Colonial / Southwest Vernacular Spain introduced several strains of architecture during the early Colonial period that have left lasting impressions on our vernacular styles. The Spaniards first settled along the Florida coast, but the greater concentrations of people and buildings occurred in the Southwest in the territories that became New Mexico and California. >>The regional styles of the South west were adapted to the dry, semi arid climate and local materials. >>The low-profile, single-story design is arranged around a courtyard system, often in a squared U-shape, with covered porches along the inner walls to provide shady walkways. >>Materials are chosen to withstand climatic extremes of hot days and cold nights: thick walls of adobe brick, flat roof of dried mud or packed earth, and small, unglazed windows deeply set. In milder, seasonally rainy California a slightly different style emerged with less thick walls, roof composed of durable tile and slightly pitched for better drain age, and windows enlarged for light and ventilation. >>This Southwest vernacular set the precedent for the ranch houses of the 19th century, and is akin to the Ranch style of recent years.	The Mission Style >>The early Mission style was reminiscent of the churches and missions of Texas and the Southwest—vernacular interpretations of Spanish buildings bearing Baroque influences, distinguished by curving gables, domed bell towers, arcades, ornamental arches, and plain stucco walls set off by ornate decoration. >>The Mission style dominated the Spanish Colonial Revival, from about 1915 to 1940, which began in California and Florida and eventually left its mark on all of the country, but elements from Mediterranean styles appeared as well. >>The Revival house presents a fairly low, elongated silhouette, even in two-story designs, with low-pitched gables or flattened hip roof. >>Materials are consistently rough- textured: white or buff stucco on walls, red-tiled roofs, dark-stained beamed ceilings, colorful glazed and patterned floor tiles, and black wrought-iron accents. >>The arch motif is repeated in window and door openings, arcades, and chimney shapes, and indoors in the transitions between rooms. >>Balconies, trellised pergolas, and especially the patio encourage in door-outdoor living.	Early Georgian Over the course of the 18th century, Colonial styles were influenced in varying degrees by classical principles celebrating order, symmetry, and proportion in architecture. Even vernacular styles discarded the traditions of steep gables and purely functional window and door arrangements in favor of a new shape—the hip roof—and a respect for symmetry. The New England Colonial—the Georgian adaptation of the f arm- house—was one result. The style was also commonly seen on city streets from Boston to Philadelphia, where row houses lined up side by side. >>The Early Georgian is a well-pro portioned compact box, usually two stories in height, with its parts formally and symmetrically arranged. >>Windows are of the double-hung sash type, with as few as 6 or as many as 20 panes per sash. Decorative lintels (horizontal supports above doors and windows) are common. >>Exterior materials are usually brick, Ashlar (stone hewn into squares), or narrow clapboards, assembled to give a clean, uncluttered appearance to the facade. >>A centrally placed paneled door, usually set off by a carved cornice or a hoodlike projection bearing a classic motif, dignifies the front entrance. >>Inside, rooms are laid out sym metrically off a central hail. Paneled woodwork, plainly carved, replaced the beamed ceilings and white washed plaster walls of earlier styles.

Greek Revival Sometimes thought of as our first truly national style, the Greek Revival emerged around 1820. The grandest houses of the Greek Revival copied the temple form, starting from scratch or adding a grand temple colonnade along the front of an existing building. Most homes merely alluded to the Greek form: Builders added trim to the existing gable roof to resemble a pediment, or attached pilasters or vertical boards to corners to suggest columns. The Greek Revival became the most popular Midwestern style of the 1830s and 1840s. >>The low-gabled Greek Revival roof carries a pedimental shape, as do the dormers. When the roof of the house is flat, a false front with a triangular peak provides the temple appearance. U A distinguishing feature is a rectangular transom over the front door, usually accompanied by rectangular sidelights. >>Trim, whether at the roofline or framing the door, is wide, bold, and simple. >>A portico or porch with columns is common, although the posts or squared pillars may be used in a colonnade arrangement instead. >>Multipane 6/6 windows tend to be taller on the first floor than on the second. U Greek Revival houses, large or small, are usually painted white to suggest marble, and frequently display shutters of dark green or black.	Gothic Revival From the 1830s through the Civil War, the Gothic Revival style appeared around the country. Some times called the Pointed style, its houses were “romantic” in appearance, the larger stone mansions often resembling little medieval castles and more modest dwellings suggestive of storybook cottages. The Carpenter Gothic—the picturesque “ginger bread house” and the most familiar version of this style—was the favorite plan-book cottage of the 1 850s. >>A key characteristic of the Gothic Revival style is the distinctive roof profile: steep gables, frequently with pinnacles at the peaks; tall chimneys; and an occasional tower or spire. >> Another characteristic, especially of the Carpenter Gothic, is the wealth of trim—wooden fretwork, sometimes deep and intricately patterned, along the eaves and gable edges; decorative balustrades atop porches; and tracery around windows. >>Windows vary: multipaned sash types, leaded casements, lancet or pointed arches. Stained and etched glass inserts are common. >>The Gothic style is asymmetrical in shape, with projections in the form of wall dormers, bay windows, balconies, and porches or verandas. >>The usual materials are brick, stone, or stucco. Carpenter Gothic houses are commonly wood, sheathed in vertical board and bat ten. The common roof material is slate.	Italianate Loosely patterned after the villas and farmhouses of northern Italy, the Italianate Style enjoyed immense popularity in the 1850s, in part because its boxy 2- or 3-story form was as well adapted to city row houses as to individual structures and could be dressed up or down according to taste. The adaptability of its shape also led to octagonal versions of the style, with- the same basic size and proportions. As with the Greek and Gothic Revival styles, Italianate designs abounded in plan books of the period. >>The roof is hipped, with a very low pitch and wide eaves, usually sup ported by heavy brackets or deep moldings. An ornamental belvedere, or cupola, may top the flat-looking roof, giving it height and grandeur. >>The facade is formally balanced, with windows and doors symmetrically placed. A central portico or small porch embellished with detailing borrowed from Italian architecture adds importance to the entrance. >>Grouped in twos or threes, window openings may have rounded heads or be square at the top with rounded panes of glass. >>Stone and brick are the major materials, especially of the row house, although stucco is also used. Octagonal designs are nearly always wood framed and carry horizontal wood clapboards.

Queen Anne Victorian In the Queen Anne, which flourished from about 1880 to 1900, elements from many past styles were woven into a rich composition. The result was a picturesque style that appeared in urban row houses, modest small- town dwellings, and mansions of lumber barons and shipping magnates from coast to coast. Larger houses in particular emphasized free-flowing interior spaces and circulation around a large informal living hall. U The Queen Anne form is distinctively asymmetrical, from rooftop to ground level: steep gables, some times in combination with a hipped roof; second-story projections that may be gabled, hipped, or rounded; corner turrets and bays, or just rounded corners suggesting a turret shape. >>Horizontally arranged contrasting materials, textures, and patterns ex press the style’s emphasis on exterior surfaces. In a typical Queen Anne, the first floor might carry stone or brick; the second, decorative boards; and the third, patterned shingles. >>Sheltering porches and /or wrap around verandas visually enlarge the first floor and open the house to the outdoors. >>Decorative details include carved wood trim and delicate fretwork painted to contrast with surface materials; fish-scale, diagonal, or diamond-pattern shingles; and stained or beveled glass inserts in transoms and upper windows.	The Shingle Style Getting its start in New England in the 1880s, the Shingle style first appeared in small seaside resort hotels and large summer cottages. But the simplicity of the Shingle design and its emphasis on natural wood spurred the growth of the style around the country well into the 20th century. Exposure in pattern books helped foster popularity in the Midwest and far West, and laid the foundation for early Bungalow designs. >>Deriving both from its Victorian cousin, the Queen Anne, and from colonial antecedents, the Shingle style is broadly proportioned, with a moderately pitched gabled roof and shallow, unadorned eaves. Turrets and bays, if present at all, are integrated into the structure. >>Consistency of exterior surface materials—naturally weathered wood shingles, horizontally applied, usually underscored by an unobtrusive foundation of rough-textured stone—is emphasized. >>The horizontal line of the Shingle style is reinforced by banks or groupings of small multipane windows, distinctly Colonial in reference. >>Ample porches and verandas, sheltered from the sun but open to the breezes, become natural extensions of the interior floor plan and serve as outdoor rooms for living. >>Inside, the emphasis is on functional planning and continuity of spaces—a trend that continues in virtually every style of the 20th century.	The Bungalow Probably the favorite small house design of the early 20th century, the Bungalow style was born in California but quickly spread across the country—thanks in part to its exposure in plan books and its availability through the Sears, Roebuck mail-order catalog as a precut kit house. The style’s simplicity and adaptability encouraged regional variations. The Craftsman’s Movement adopted the Bungalow form as the perfect medium to express the art of fine craftsmanship and to display natural materials at their best. >>Compact in shape with a gently pitched gabled roof, the Bungalow is a single- or 1 1/2-story design, often with a prominent front porch sheltered by a low, broad gable. >>The front porch often carries tapered posts and /or flared base borrowed from the Shingle style. Some times a pergola or trellis extends outward from the roofline to ease the transition from indoors to the outside. >>Natural materials—cobblestone or rough-finish brick for foundation and chimneys; wood shingles left to weather naturally or lightly stained on exterior walls—give many bungalows a rustic look. Stucco-finished examples usually have a tile roof. >>The floor plan is as simple and functional as the style itself, with the porch leading directly into the living areas and rooms connecting to one another without wasted hallway space.

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