The sky is the limit when it comes to architectural styles, as we live in an era where anything is possible. Materials and resources are endless to the right buyer, and architects and drafting companies often make their mark by creating the unthinkable.
However, most people build and design within safe boundaries as they realize they may one day have to sell their custom home and find another family with wants and needs similar to their own.
With the warmer climate and an abundance of sunshine & vacation mentality, Florida seems to thrive around the following architectural styles:
#1. West Indies
While this type of architecture originated in the British Caribbean islands during the 18th and 19th centuries, it has made quite an impact in the US.
Characteristics of the West Indies home include:
- The trademark stucco/siding combination with the first floor is typically finished in stucco and the second floor with siding.
- The West Indies home also includes outdoor living areas, columns, louvers, covered porches with railings and shutters, and an abundance of windows and sliding glass doors.
- Other character traits include a metal roof repair and replacement, large wooden verandas, vaulted ceilings, and tongue and groove roof decking.
#2. Craftsman
The Craftsman designers believed in simplicity. They believed that natural materials and high-quality, functional, and aesthetically pleasing homes led to a healthier, more comfortable, and more productive way of life.
Characteristics of the Craftsman home include:
- Fine details and excellent workmanship distinguish the Craftsman style.
- This style also includes:
- Covered front porches with large battered columns
- Hammered copper and bronze metalwork
- Double-hung windows
- Low-pitched gabled roofs with broad eaves and exposed rafters
- Exposed wooden structural elements
- Houses are typically 1-1½ stories of wood construction, including built-in cabinetry
#3. Modern
Descendants of the international architectural style created the modern home in the 1920s.
Characteristics of the Modern home include:
- Simple, open floor plans with clean lines
- An abundance of natural light and windows
- Flat roofing or shallow-pitched roofs
- Extensive outdoor living and dining areas
#4. Key West
With Key West’s diverse heritage and the environment’s challenging demands, it’s no wonder the Key West architectural style is also wide-ranging.
Characteristics of the Key West home include:
- Gorgeous pastel colors
- Structures set on piers, above ground
- Deep, covered front porches
- Second-floor windows under an overhanging porch roof
- Louvered window shutters
#5. Modern Farm House
Two words. Fixer Upper. If you’ve ever watched an episode of Fixer Upper with Chip & Joanna Gaines, you know the Modern Farmhouse.
Characteristics of the Modern Farmhouse include:
- Perhaps the most recognizable trait is the gable roof
- Lap siding is typically used for the exterior
- Solid white exteriors that utilize a monochromatic color palette
- Open porches
- Double-hung windows
- Straight, unadorned lines & modest ornamentation
Whatever architectural style you want to use, Start to Finish Drafting & Design can help. For more information or free initial consultation, email jason@stfdd.com or call 941.342.9401.
