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Colonial Style House

Era: 1600s–1800s, revived since the 1880s

The colonial style house is defined by order: a rectangular two-story block, a front door in the exact center, and windows spaced evenly on both sides. It descends from the homes built by European settlers in the American colonies and has been revived so often that it remains one of the most common styles in the US.

See my house as a ColonialSee 8 design ideas
Classic colonial style house with white clapboard, black shutters and centered door
The textbook colonial: white clapboard, black shutters, a centered door and perfect symmetry.Try this design on my house
Symmetrical two-story colonial house with pedimented entrance
A pedimented entrance and evenly spaced double-hung windows on a two-story facade.Try this design on my house
Dutch colonial house with gambrel roof, shingle siding and dormers
Dutch colonial: a gambrel roof with dormers over cedar-shingled walls.Try this design on my house
Dutch colonial home with gambrel roof and columned porch in autumn
Gambrel roof, columned porch and shingles — the Dutch colonial in autumn.Try this design on my house
Modern colonial farmhouse with white painted brick and metal porch roof
Modern colonial: white painted brick, black windows and a standing-seam porch roof.Try this design on my house
Modern colonial house with dormers, white brick and black windows
Five dormers and a metal porch roof give a symmetrical colonial a modern edge.Try this design on my house
Federal colonial house in red brick with fanlight door and white shutters
Federal colonial in red brick, with a fanlight over the door and white shutters.Try this design on my house
Red brick Federal style colonial with arched fanlight entrance
An arched fanlight entrance centered on a strictly symmetrical brick facade.Try this design on my house

There are several branches — Georgian, Federal, Dutch colonial with its gambrel roof, and today’s modern colonial farmhouse — but they share the same calm, symmetrical face. That symmetry is also what makes colonial homes easy to update with new colours, shutters and doors.

Key features of a colonial style house

  • Symmetrical facade

    Equal windows either side of a centered entrance.

  • Two full stories

    A simple rectangular volume with a side-gabled roof.

  • Shuttered windows

    Double-hung multi-pane windows, often with paired shutters.

  • Formal entrance

    A pediment, pilasters, transom or small portico over the door.

  • Chimneys

    Central or paired end chimneys in brick.

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Common questions

What are the main types of colonial houses?

Georgian, Federal (Adam), Dutch colonial (gambrel roof), Spanish colonial and the modern colonial or colonial revival built from the late 1800s to today.

What colors suit a colonial house?

White or soft grey clapboard with black or deep green shutters is classic; painted brick, navy and warm cream are popular modern choices.

Can a colonial house look modern?

Yes — painted brick or white siding, black window frames, a simplified door surround and a metal porch roof give a colonial a modern farmhouse look while keeping its symmetry.