Americana Week: American Style House Plans

The United States will celebrate 243 years of independence this year on July 4th. Our country is a unique and beautiful place that has been influenced by generations of innovators, immigrants and pioneers. There is no way to boil down the American identity into just one picture or sentence. We have always and will continue to be a melting pot of ideas, cultures, languages and beliefs. Our homes are no different. The house plans that we have in the U.S. have adapted from years of necessity and creativity. Let’s take a look at some of the styles of house plans that have come to define our American landscape.

The idea of an “American Style" home is different for everyone and depends entirely on the environment that creates the feeling of home for them. Each one is rooted in history and reflects what was going on during that time period. Our plans are modern interpretations of these styles

Log Cabin

The log cabin was the first of the major styles of American homes. It was easier to build. It was simple to maintain, and it didn’t require a lot of tools and machinery. Our plan actually comes from the Barna Collection of Log Cabin Plans. (Note: These plans can not be modified. They are sold “as is".)

This plan is a perfect example of a modern log cabin. This plan offers you 3 bedrooms and 3.5 baths in over 2,500 square feet of living space. The first thing that you are going to notice about this home is the striking full height front porch with a gabled covering.

Rustic beams immediately let you know that this is a log cabin and not just some bungalow stuck out in the middle of the woods. The large window dominates the space of the porch giving the home some serious eye candy for the curb appeal.

Stepping into the home, you find yourself in the foyer with a large staircase directly to your right. To your left, you will find a coat closet and a half bath. Moving further into the home you find your self in the Great Room. This room and the rest of the entry way are both open to the upstairs giving your guests a fantastic view of the home.

The Great Room has entryways to the large, wraparound deck at the rear of the home. The rear wall of the Great Room has gorgeous picture windows giving you a wonderful view of the deck and the back yard.

To the left of the Great Room is the Dining Room and Kitchen. The Dining Room features a large entryway to the rear deck of the home, perfect for that early morning cup of coffee. It also features an entry way to the screen porch on the western side of the home. This is even better for that cup of coffee because the mosquitos won’t be begging for breakfast.

The Kitchen features a large wrap around countertop with seating for 4 and an island for prep work. There is also a dumbwaiter so that you can finally get those kids to get the send down those dirty dishes!

The other side of the first floor is taken up by the Master Suite. This features a large Master Bedroom. The Master Bath features a corner shower and whirlpool tub with a window ledge for those long soaking baths. The Master Suite is finished off by a walk-in closet and a laundry chute.

Bedrooms 2 and 3 are on the second floor and each has their own bathroom. They are kind of like mini Master Suites! Bedroom 3 may have the better option because it does have its own little private deck area. They both feature large areas for storage and large open windows to bring the beauty of the outdoors inside.

Farmhouse

Another great American style home is the farmhouse. We have a brand-new collection of farmhouses if you would love to check those out. One of the best is actually one of our newest from designer Michael E. Nelson.

This house plan gives you over 2,000 square feet of living area with 4 bedrooms and 3.5 baths. This home features a 2-car garage that allows you to enter the home and go straight into the kitchen. No lugging heavy bags of groceries across the whole house!

From the garage you can also make your way directly to the laundry room which has a space for a large farm style sink, or you can go directly to the Master Suite. The Master Suite features a boxed ceiling and the adjacent master bath has room for a glass shower as well as a freestanding tub. The walk-in closet gives you plenty of room to store all of your clothes and is conveniently located right beside the Master Bath.

From the garage you can go down the hallway directly into the open floor plan featuring the Kitchen, Great Room and Breakfast Room. This large space features a vaulted ceiling with false beams and an island that gives you seating for 6. And let’s not forget the large pantry area that gives you plenty of room to store all of the goodies your family will ever need.

The Breakfast Room features a large bank of windows that give you an uninhibited view of the rear of your home. The Great Room features a centrally located fireplace so that you and your loved ones can cuddle up on a cold day. From the Great Room you can access the Dining Room and Foyer. The Foyer leads to the covered porch that greets your visitors as they enter your home.

The Foyer also opens up to a Guest Room that can also be used as Bedroom 4 or as a Study/office. This room has its own adjacent bathroom and a walk-in closet. From the Great Room you can proceed to the hall leading to Bedrooms 2 and 3 which each have their own walk in closet and share the Jack and Jill hall bathroom.

The home is finished off with a large Grilling Porch with vaulted ceilings that has space for the optional gas fireplace. From this Grilling Porch you can walk under the covered walk directly into the Master Suite. This house plan also has space for an optional third garage giving you space for more vehicles or storage.

Craftsman Bungalow

There is no way that you can talk about American style without mentioning a craftsman bungalow plan. This is THE American plan. It’s as American as apple pie or baseball or bald eagles. Did you know that the only reason we have the bald eagle as our national bird is because turkeys tasted better? Moving on…

This home gives you nearly 2,000 square feet of living space with 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths. This gorgeous plan would be great in the middle of the woods or in the urban wilderness.

As you approach the home, you notice the wrap around covered porch with stonework columns. A bay window immediately draws your eye to the right side of the home while a gabled window and chimney give the plan a good middle ground for curb appeal.

Walking into the home you are immediately met with an open floor plan featuring a Great Room with a fireplace and a stairway leading to the second floor. The stonework fireplace gives you ample warmth on those chilly, windswept nights and the perfect ambiance for a late night snuggle with your loved one.

Moving through the Great Room, you find yourself in a large open Kitchen. The Kitchen features a Dining Space as well as a bar with seating for 4. This kitchen gives you ample room for the largest of refrigerators and dishwashers and plenty of counter space. You even have a pantry built right in!

The Dining Room features large windows that open up to the rear of the home. From the Dining Room you can step out on to the covered Grilling Porch. This Grilling Porch has plenty of space for grilling and entertaining as well as a storage area for all of those pesky grill implements.

Stepping back into the Dining Room, you can take a look into the Supply Room that has built in shelving for all of your household goods. It can also be used as a pantry! To the right of the Supply Room you find a short hallway that gives you access to the downstairs Main Bath. This full-size bathroom features space for a linen closet.

Moving back into the hallway, you find space for a stacked washer and dryer. The last room on this floor is the Master Bedroom. Remember that gorgeous bay window I mentioned earlier? It is here in the Master Bedroom. It would be perfect for a window seat or to place a chair there for afternoon reading.

The second-floor features Bedrooms 2 and 3 each with their own large closet. The secondary Bathroom is also up here and it, too features a linen closet. This home is perfect for those wanting to step away from the hustle and bustle of urban life. Enjoy the simplicity of Rustic surroundings in your own living room!

Federal

The Federal style of home comes from the early days of the colonies. These are the homes that you see in Boston and Philadelphia. Here we have one of our plans that pulls that idea into the modern times.

This gorgeous home gives you just over 2,000 square feet of space with 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths. It also includes a 2-car garage! Walking up to the home, the first thing you notice are the windows. This is what helps define a Federal style of home. These 6 over 6 windows are the hallmark of this style.

You step into the home from the covered porch and into the Foyer. Remember, this type of style comes from a much more refined time of history. Foyers were still very useful then. This one would be great with a bench and coatrack.

To the left of the Foyer is the Dining Room. You enter between two 8’ columns. From the Dining Room you can step directly into the Kitchen. The Kitchen is large and has plenty of countertops. It includes a bar with seating for three as well as a pantry just inside the door and close to the refrigerator and stove. From the Kitchen you can move into the Breakfast Room. This gives you an informal eating space for those quick breakfasts of cereal and coffee. (Or is that just me?)

The Breakfast Room features large windows and an opening out onto the Grilling Porch at the rear of the home. From the Breakfast Room you can move to the right and go into the Great Room. This room features a brickwork fireplace and a built-in media center.

At the rear of the Great Room is the entrance to the Laundry Room as well as a Kid’s Nook that can also be used as a mudroom. The Kid’s Nook features a large bench with hanging storage and room for storage bins. Perfect for busy families. From here you can make your way to the Garage.

Moving down the hallway back towards the front of the home, you will notice that there is a half bath in the hall. This is a perfect bathroom for guests. The rest of the first floor is dominated by the Master Suite.

The Master Suite features a large bedroom with front facing windows. The Master Bath gives you Jack and Jill sinks, a whirlpool tub and a corner glass shower. No more yoga just to shave your legs, ladies. The walk-in closet is absolutely enormous and gives you plenty of space for all of your odds and ends.

The second-floor features Bedrooms 2 and 3 as well as the third bathroom. Each bedroom has a large closet and access to the built-in computer center in the front of the home. This plan is perfect for any modern family.

Maybe you're looking for something in particular? Don’t worry, we have you covered. Come check out Nelson Design Group’s collection of over 1,800 house plans. And come check out the past blog posts in our house plan series:

• Farmhouse style
• Farmhouse House Plans
• Contemporary Modern style
• Contemporary Modern House Plans
• Rustic Style
• Rustic House plans
• Mountain and Cabins House Style
• Mountain and Cabin House Plans
• Examining House Styles: Pool Houses
• House Plan Spotlight: Pool Houses
• Examining House Styles: The Florida Collection
• House Plan Spotlight: The Florida Collection
• Outdoor Buildings: Garages and Pool Houses

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• Building Your Dream Home: Site Prep and Grading
• Building Your Dream Home: Foundations and Underground Utilities
• Building Your Dream Home: Framing
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• Building Your Dream Home: Rough-In
• Building Your Dream Home: Exterior Doors
• Building Your Dream Home: Choosing Windows

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