What Are Colonial-Style Homes

Colonial-style homes have been built semi-continuously for the last 300+ years. The price you pay for one will vary drastically, depending on whether it’s a landmarked historic home, an inner city fixer-upper, or a custom-built colonial-style home.

What are colonial-style homes?

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American colonial style in architecture refers to the era before the United States was born, when emigrants from Europe began settling on the North American continent. Since the period was a long one — spanning 100 years — “colonial style” actually encompasses a few different styles and designs. And there are different regional touches, reflecting the local climate and the influences of the settlers’ native countries.

Overall, though, American colonial style is characterized by a simple elegance and symmetrical, two-story layout. Found throughout the country today, they are many people’s idea of a quintessential traditional home.

History of colonial style

The original American colonial-style homes were built throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. Style-wise, they are “based on British homes with an emphasis on functionally serving the needs of a family and withstanding harsh climates,” says Tony Mariotti, CEO and founder of RubyHome, a luxury real estate brokerage in Los Angeles.

Since labor was limited and these homes had to be built quickly, they tended to be relatively easy to construct: a rectangular foundation with clean roof lines, one uniform window size and limited ornamentation. But they were also built with an eye to the future: It became common to add extra rooms and stories as families grew in size and wealth.

As immigrants came to the colonies from other countries, they introduced new styles reminiscent of homes in their birthplace. These other styles incorporated new elements, like the gambrel roof (a two-sided roof with two slopes on each side) typical of Dutch architecture, but still kept the characteristic functionality and symmetrical, squarish silhouette.

Colonial-style homes briefly fell out of popularity in the first half of the 19th century in favor of more ornate Victorian-style homes. But they experienced a revival in the 1880s, sparked by the celebrations of the American Centennial in 1876.

That revival has never really ended, but endured throughout the country for most of the last 140 years. Still, colonial-style homes have been adjusted to best suit their local habitat. “In California, the American Colonial style was substituted by Spanish Colonial Revival and Mediterranean homes, which are more suitable for warmer climates,” says Mariotti.

What makes a house colonial style?

Balance and symmetry are characteristics of both the interior and exterior of most colonial homes. There are minimal decorative elements. While simple, the silhouette is a wide, expansive one, reflecting the abundance of land and open space that marked the settlers’ new continent.

External features

American Colonial homes are generally characterized by a square or rectangular facade, a central entrance and windows symmetrically placed on either side of the entrance. They are typically made of wood, stone or brick and will generally have uniformly sized doors and windows with shutters. The roof is typically side-gabled and dormers are common.

Colonial-style homes tend to have several stories. They usually place bedrooms upstairs with the main floor made up of multiple living spaces and places for the family to gather.

Internal features

Colonial homes will typically have a “central staircase combined with a foyer adjacent to the entry and a living or dining area at the rear,” says architect Michael Bergin, VP of Platform and co-founder of Higharc, a home automation building platform. Originally, they featured “a large fireplace at each end of the home to maximize heating bedrooms and living areas,” adds Bergin. Built in the days before central heating and cooling systems, they would be laid out to retain warmth in winter and capture cross breezes in summer — a passive sort of HVAC now in vogue in contemporary eco-friendly homes.

Varieties of colonial style

Georgian

Georgian is the quintessential colonial style, the one most people envision. It is almost always two stories with a central entrance, sometimes marked by columns or porticoes. A small balcony over the entrance or along the roof line is common. Windows are symmetrical and a uniform size with shutters. They are typically brick or stone with white wood columns, but modern variations can be made with vinyl siding.

Early American/Saltbox

Early American and saltbox-style colonials dot the landscape throughout New England. This style, one of the simplest, is typically two stories, made of wood. Steep roofs to shed snow and a big central fireplace to stay warm in the harsh winters are typical of the style.

New England/Cape Cod

Cape Cod colonials are most often one story (or a story-and-a-half) with a central chimney and a steeply pitched roof. Over time, dormers were added to Cape Cod-style homes. They have all the typical colonial features of a rectangular shape, central entrance and symmetrical windows.

French

French-style colonial homes are most typically found in areas that had a large population of French settlers (think New Orleans). These style homes still have the symmetry you’d expect from a colonial but are adapted to their warmer climate — they often boast large front porches, not just on the ground floor but on the second as well. French colonial homes also tend to have flatter roofs.

Dutch/German

Dutch and German-style Colonial homes are characterized by their gambrel roof and overhanging eaves, which makes them look barn-like. Dormer windows and a matched pair of chimneys on either side of the house are common, too.

Spanish

While technically outside the thirteen original colonies — introduced by Spanish colonists in southeastern coastal areas, the West Coast, and the Desert Southwest — these homes did develop around the same time. They are generally made of stucco or adobe with tiled roofs. They typically have light colors on thick walls to keep interiors cool in the summer but retain heat in the winter.

Federalist

Developing around 1780, Federalist homes are technically separate from colonial-style — the name refers to the early days of the new republic, the federal period — but the two have a lot in common. Colonial style homes typically were more utilitarian, often being made with cheaper but abundant materials that could be found in newly settled areas. Federalist homes were usually made with higher quality brick and — while still understated — incorporated more ornamental features like ironwork and columns.

What is Colonial Revival style?

The Centennial International Exhibition of 1876, held in Philadelphia, renewed Americans’ interest in their pre-independence past. As part of the celebration of their country turning 100, a vogue for century-old styles began to permeate fashions, decorative arts and architecture.

Colonial Revival homes, built in the latter decades of the 19th century, take elements of the original style but are typically much bigger than the ones built during the actual colonial period. They are more ornate, too: Colonial Revival homes typically have more complex roof lines and more ornamentation like fan windows and columns. And of course, they took advantage of contemporary building materials and heating methods.

Buying a colonial-style house

There are several pros and cons to the colonial style to consider.

Pros

• Authentic colonial homes allow you to own a part of history.
• Colonial homes are “easy to decorate and look surprisingly good when decorated with contemporary and modern furniture. However, they are incredibly cozy when decorated with antiques and period pieces,” says Mariotti.
• Traditional colonial homes were built to withstand harsh climates and may be cheaper to heat in the winter than other historic houses.

Cons

• “A historic colonial home needs to be inspected for proper maintenance with special concern for the framing. Foundations built at that time did not have steel reinforcement, so they are often at risk of falling apart,” says Bergin.
• “If the roof of an American or Dutch Colonial home still has a shake roof, the buyer will have a hard time finding homeowners insurance. Wood roofs are very flammable, and new homeowners must replace them immediately to qualify for insurance,” says Mariotti.
• Multiple-story layout might not be ideal for the elderly or disabled.

What do colonial houses cost?

Colonial-style homes have been built semi-continuously for the last 300+ years. The price you pay for one will vary drastically, depending on whether it’s a landmarked historic home, an inner city fixer-upper, or a custom-built colonial-style home.

A five-year-old new colonial-style in an affluent neighborhood will cost more to purchase but less to maintain than a 300-year-old Colonial in rural Maine.

The cost to build a colonial-style house depends on your location, the size of the house,and the features you want. HomeAdvisor estimates that the cost to build a 3,000-square-foot Colonial would vary from $300,000 to $600,000, but high cost of living areas can expect to pay significantly more for labor and the cost of the land to build on. “All-in construction for a colonial home around 3,000 feet can easily run to $3 million dollars in the Bay Area,” says Bergin.

Final word on colonial-style homes

Originating on the Eastern Seaboard, colonial-style homes can be found throughout the U.S. today. Colonial-style homes are likely to remain a common home style with some variation for the foreseeable future. The simple construction, endless options for additions, and emphasis on clean lines make them timeless, and a classic American style.

What Are Colonial-Style Homes?

Kristin Hohenadel has written on design for publications including the New York Times, Interior Design, Slate, Fast Company, and the international editions of Elle Decor.

Sarah Scott is a fact-checker and researcher who has worked in the custom home building industry in sales, marketing, and design.

The colonial style is an architectural style that first emerged under colonial rule in the United States in the 1600s and 1700s. It remains one of the most popular architectural home styles throughout the United States. Today, the term “colonial” is generally shorthand for the historical building style introduced by British colonists in New England, as well as the Colonial Revival style that increased in the 20th century.

Colonial architecture is a broad-based, umbrella term including several architectural styles that reflect the multicultural influence of early settlers to the United States, such as saltbox-style homes, Georgian, Cape Cod, French Colonial, Spanish Colonial, and Dutch Colonial, among others.

Key Characteristics of Colonial-Style Homes

• Simple, traditional design
• Plain exteriors with minimal embellishments
• Built with wood, brick or stone according to the region and time period
• Rectangular and symmetrical in shape
• Central door
• Often features symmetrical front entrance columns
• Use of double sash windows
• Variations may include dormer windows
• Imposing central wood staircase with formal entry
• Small multi-pane windows on original styles, larger windows on Colonial Revival and Neo-Colonial or New Traditional styles
• Same number of windows on each side of the door
• Decorative window shutters
• Generally two and sometimes three stories tall
• Common living spaces located on the ground floor
• Bedrooms on second and/or third floors
• Steeply pitched roofs with side gables
• Central chimney or double chimneys with one located at each end
• One room deep, two or three rooms wide
• Colonial Revival may include a garage that creates a more asymmetrical facade
• Generally painted in muted neutral colors

Types of Colonial-Style Homes

Saltbox

The Saltbox building style has a steeply pitched, asymmetrical roof on one side, often with clapboard siding. These simple, clean-lined structures were built by early settlers who used local timber and post-and-beam construction. They were built around a central chimney that provided heating throughout the house. They are one of the oldest examples of Colonial-style architecture and remained a popular home style choice in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Georgian

Georgian-style houses are known for being perfect examples of symmetry, using the golden ratio as their guiding architectural element. They are usually square or rectangular, with at least two chimneys, one on on each side of the roof. The front door is perfectly centered at the front of the house and acts as the dividing line between two symmetrical halves. The front door is adorned with pilasters (rectangular columns), often with ornamental cornices, molding, and pediments. They were mostly built during the reigns of Britain’s four King Georges, between 1714 and 1830.

Cape Cod

Cape Cod architecture is named for the Massachusetts coastal region, where 17th-century English colonists had adapted half-timber hall and parlor houses used in England to better match the New England climate. Built from 1690 to 1850, the homes were boxier and had a lower-slung silhouette to stand up to the elements. The style is simple and clean-lined, with a rectangular silhouette, with a steep roof and a central door.

Cape Cod Revivals cropped up from the 1920s to the 1950s, which helped popularize the style, spreading it all over New England and across the United States.

French Colonial

French Colonials are highly prevalent in the American Southeast, particularly Louisiana. They are known for their square, symmetrical styling, steeply pitched roofs, and expansive, wrap-around porches on both lower and upper levels. French-style double doors are used for the front door, which is centered on the house and usually flanked by two windows. The rooms had high ceilings to accommodate the heat and tall skinny windows to aid cross ventilation.

Spanish Colonial

Known for their white stucco walls, red clay roof tiles, wooden beams, and rustic appearance, Spanish Colonial homes are extremely popular throughout the American Southeast, Southwest, and California. Most Spanish Colonial homes have some kind of interior or exterior courtyard, usually in the center of the house. They first appeared in North America between the 1600s and mid-1800s, when Spanish settlers arrived and began building their homesteads.

Dutch Colonial

You can spot a Dutch Colonial home by its “Dutch roof.” It has a gambrel roof, which is symmetrical and sloping on each side. Dutch Colonial homes are wide, with roofs featuring long eaves extending over the sides, making the house look barn-like. Historically, both sides of the exterior had a porch. The home is constructed of stone or brick, while the doors and window shutters are made of wood. The houses usually have a chimney on either one or both ends. The style was popularized in the 1700s and remained a classic style in the American Northeast.

British Colonial

In the 17th century, the British shared a taste for classically inspired designs from ancient Greeks and Romans, as evidenced by pilasters or columns around the door and shutters around the windows. Like French Colonial and Georgian architecture, symmetry was key and achieved by exacting placement of the door in the center, framed by symmetrical windows placed on two stories of the home. Wood and brick were the most common building materials.

Southern Colonial

A great example of Southern Colonial style homes is the estate homes in the South with colonnades extending across the front of the house. These large two- to three-story homes were set far off from the main road, accessed via a long drive, and featured a portico or front patio behind the colonnade. Extensive ornate molding can be found inside and outside the house. This style is also considered “Greek Revival.”

Colonial Revival

When America celebrated its centennial in the late 1800s, the Colonial Revival architectural style emerged as a nod to the country’s humble Colonial beginnings but was elevated with Victorian-era architectural stylings. Colonial Revival took off in the early 20th century featuring simple layouts, symmetrical window designs, and gabled, hip, or gambrel roofs combined with ornate Victorian features, porticos, moldings, and large windows.

Pros and Cons of Colonial-Style Homes

• Plain, simple, classic
• Timeless appeal aids resale
• Generally spacious rooms
• Well suited for families and entertaining
• Simple to decorate given the straightforward layout of rooms

• Two-story layout not ideal for those with mobility challenges
• May be too traditional for contemporary tastes
• Separate rooms aren’t friendly to open-plan living
• Generous room volumes mean higher energy bills
• The familiarity of the style may make it feel generic

Colonial-Style Home Decor

Colonial-style decor should evoke a feeling of stately elegance. The interior often features a grand entrance hall, wide staircase, polished wood floors, millwork, and wainscoting. Fireplaces were also focal points in the room.

However, early Colonial style was very simple, straightforward, and rustic. The furniture was handmade, wooden, with hand-sewn patchwork quilts. Later furniture styles included cabriole chairs, claw-foot tables, and highboys. Other popular materials used during the period were rattan, wicker, reed, sisal, jute, and wool woven textures, including braided rugs on the floors. The color palette was muted, using calm tones often paired with soft white walls.

Wood beam architecture was incorporated into the construction, and wood tones were used throughout the house, including as window frames, which often used dark timber paneling. Interior and louvered shutters and draperies were commonly used to surround windows. In homes with more ornate European influence, valances with sweeping cascades and damask, velvet, and brocade curtains adorned the windows.

For more opulent homes, the 17th-century French-style toile wallpaper ruled the day. The paper featured pastoral scenes in its pattern with trees, flowers, animals, and cottages.

History of Colonial-Style Homes

The first American Colonial-style homes developed during a period of British colonial rule. The homes were timber-framed wood houses with simple windows, decorative shutters, and symmetrical forms anchored by a central door and a chimney or two. Then these “original American Colonials” stopped being built around the American Revolution in 1765–1783, when British architecture fell out of fashion as the new country asserted its independence.

However, a century later, for the country’s centennial celebration of 1876, the Colonial Revival style emerged from 1880 to 1955. Architects borrowed and mixed elements of earlier building styles to create a variation of the originals suited to the times. The first wave of Colonial Revival homes from 1880 to 1945 were well constructed from quality materials.

But between 1945 and 1955, a newer crop of post-war Neo-Colonials sprung up in American suburbs that lacked the craftsmanship and charm of the originals. Still, it was good enough for suburbs nationwide, where they became ubiquitous. Then, in the late 20th century and into the beginning of the 21st, Neo-Colonial architecture took on a new and supersized variation in the form of McMansions that came to define the era and still make up American neighborhoods to this day.

Colonial homes remain an iconic part of the American architectural landscape that never seems to go out of style. They appear as sought-after historic homes in New England and as reproductions. They continue to be built by developers today throughout the United States and are now termed “New Traditional.”

The hallmark of a Colonial-style home is its symmetry and square or rectangular shape. The door is centered, the windows match on each side, and usually, there are at least two to three stories.

Colonial-style homes are so popular because they have curb appeal. They are also in a modular shape, making them easy to work with if you plan to redesign.

What is the difference between a Colonial home and a traditional home?

“Colonial” refers to a specific architectural style of home, and the term “traditional” applies to many styles of homes considered traditional, including Ranch, Craftsman, and Colonial.

A Colonial-style house typically has two to three stories. The first floor has an entranceway, kitchen, dining room, and living room. Larger homes may also have a library, sitting room, and bathroom on the first floor. The second and third floors house the sleeping quarters and additional bathrooms.

Colonial colors are muted and simple. The palette mirrors the colors of the building materials used by early Americans, such as wood tones and brick. The standard colors of the day were brown, burnt orange, tawny red and pink, rich tan, and yellow.