The architectural styles of homes in New Jersey are as diverse and interesting as the people who live there. The Garden State’s rich history played a key role in the home styles preferred by residents today.
If you’re planning to buy a home in New Jersey, it’s important to know which home style would best suit your family. Next to your needs, the architectural style you choose reflects your aesthetic and helps narrow down your choices, too.
Here are some of the popular architectural styles in New Jersey if you’re looking for a home.
Cottage
Cottage style usually refers to small, cozy homes made of stone or wood siding with gabled roofs. This home style sports an arched entryway or brick front walkway and plenty of windows to bring in natural light. Bright exterior colors are typically complemented by flowering plants for maximum curb appeal.
While sought after, Cottage style homes are few and far between in New Jersey so expect to pay a premium when you come across such homes.
Farmhouse
Typically surrounded by acreage, the Farmhouse evokes the peace and quiet of agrarian life. Functional porches as well as formal and informal areas once characterized the style. Today, simple open floor plans, minimal ornaments, and highly adaptable spaces are its hallmarks. Decorative elements were introduced over time, such as wraparound porches and elements of Victorian and Colonial styles such as tall windows.
Porches serve as a transition area between the inside of the home and surrounding farmyard but also provide plenty of fresh air and open views. Farmhouse-style homes usually have bedrooms upstairs and communal rooms downstairs.
Georgian
Once associated with the upper classes of New Jersey, this architectural style was popular throughout the 1700s.
Today, homebuyers with a sense of history are drawn to the symmetrical, two-story houses with center-entry facade. Windows mirror each. Roofs are either side-gabled, gambrel, or hipped and there are chimneys on both sides of the homes.
Entrances are often grand, embellished with pediments, arches, and columns. High ceilings, window headers, and crown moldings mark the interior spaces.
Italianate
Inspired by the Italian villas of Northern Italy, this architectural style features square towers called belvederes and asymmetrical, open floor plans. Low-pitched or flat roofs with projecting eaves supported by corbels and intricate cornice designs characterize the Italianate home style. Angled bay windows are combined with tall first-floor windows. Some may include an attic with a row of awning windows.
Queen Anne
Intricate brickwork, terracotta panels, or tiled upper stories are some of the features of a Queen Anne-style home. It also showcases bright white woodwork, touches of blonde limestone, and oriel windows stacked two-high and set apart from upper stories. Corner towers or turrets, roof crests, brackets, and embellished chimneys are recognizable details.
A Queen Anne-style home has an asymmetrical design quite similar to Italianate architecture. Adding to the allure (or intrigue) of this architectural type are broad porches, multiple balconies, and shadowy entrances.
Contemporary
Contemporary homes evoke the modern feel its name conjures, with flat roofs, large windows, lots of natural light, and symmetry. They fall under the general category of Modern House styles, which include Ranch and Split-Level, among others. Modern homes don’t usually draw from historical or classical architectural traditions.
In choosing the home style that suits you best, work with a local Realtor who knows the communities of New Jersey like the back of their hand. Contact our team at Pagnotta Homes. Call 908.436.7947 or send an email to info(at)pagnottahomes(dotted)com. You can also contact us here.