Layouts of American houses in the suburbs. American-style houses: exterior, floor plan, turnkey cottage

We sorted it out in past messages. Now let's look at the layout of American houses.

In American homes you almost never see a hallway or hallway. Instead, all entry doors lead directly to the living room or other living room. You can enter the house not only through the front door. Most often there are at least two or three entrance doors. Front door or front door. The back door (usually glass) leads to the back patio. The third door is to the garage. Sometimes a door to the outside can be found in the most unusual place, for example in a toilet. This is explained quite simply - so that you can go to the toilet from the pool without entering the house.

When you ask an American about the size of a house, you will almost always hear three parameters - the number of bedrooms, the number of bathrooms, and the total area. For example, 3/2 1600 sq. ft. means that this is a house with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a size of about 150 sq. m.

Private rooms

The interior space of American houses is divided into a private zone and a public zone. The private zone primarily includes bedrooms. The bedrooms are divided into a “master bedroom” and all other bedrooms. A separate bedroom is provided to the parent couple and each adult family member. Children of the same sex, up to a certain age (12 years old), can share one bedroom, and then get their own. For example, a family of 4 will almost always live in a house with 3-4 bedrooms. The bedroom must have a window. If a room does not have a window, then it cannot be a bedroom. Also, almost always the bedroom should have a built-in wardrobe or storage room.

The master room is the largest bedroom, it usually has a walk-in closet, or even two dressing rooms, and almost always has its own separate bathroom with toilet and bathtub. In expensive houses, the bathroom in the master room can be very fancy, with a Jacuzzi, several washbasins, fancy showers, etc.

The remaining bedrooms usually have smaller wardrobes. The remaining bedrooms may not have their own toilet and bathroom, and they can combine one toilet/bathroom for 2 bedrooms.


For children's bathrooms, a fairly typical layout is washbasin>toilet>bathtub. Also, very often lower washbasins, toilets, and bathtubs are installed in children's bathrooms.

Here is an example of a typical plan for an inexpensive American house.

Sometimes there is a configuration where the toilet has two doors, and access is possible from two different bedrooms (this is called a Jack and Jill Bathroom).

There is almost never a chandelier on the ceiling of a bedroom. Often instead of a chandelier there is a fan (with or without a lamp). And the main lighting in bedrooms, as a rule, is not very bright and is arranged with the help of spotlights or floor lamps.

Public rooms

If the house is two-story, then the private zone is located on the second floor, and on the first there will be a public zone - kitchen, living room, hall, dining room. If the house is one-story, then the public area will be in the center. Also, one room can be reserved for an office or library. The basement, if there is one, will be equipped as a library, gym, bar or game room.

The public area is usually not divided into separate rooms; instead, the entire space is open and divided only by arches, partitions, and shelving. The kitchen from the dining room is most often separated only by a bar counter or not separated at all. For example, on this plan, the family room, dining room, living room and kitchen are actually combined into one space. It is worth remembering that in English, the word room means both a room with 4 walls and just a place/space, so a dining room can be either a dining room or just a place for a table.


In addition, half of the bathroom is often in the public area. What is half a bathroom? This is a toilet with a hand washbasin so that guests do not have to go to the toilet through the bedrooms.

A patio is not only welcome, but considered a must. There you can arrange a children's playground, a small garden, there are often swimming pools, and there will almost always be a place for a barbecue.

Auxiliary or work premises:
For storing things there are ba large number of built-in wardrobes, storage rooms, a basement and attic equipped for storage, and a spacious garage attached to the house. The washing machine is not installed in the bathroom or kitchen, but in a special room for washing. Sometimes they are placed in the garage. Linen can also be dried and ironed here.



You almost never see wallpaper on the walls inside American homes. Interior walls are almost always painted. Light and plain walls dominate


Separately, it is worth mentioning the internal doors. In addition to conventional doors with hinges, American homes have a very wide variety of other options:
1. Barn door, moves sideways on a rail.

2. Folding doors are usually used for closets and other utility rooms.

3. Sliding doors

4. Pocket doors that go into the wall are also common.

A few more different plans







American style is a special chapter in architecture and design. It has a number of characteristic features that distinguish it from the rest. These features attract many, which is why American-style houses are increasingly being built in the CIS countries. They are many-sided and have a lot of advantages and disadvantages.

Let us consider in detail in the article what a typical American house is. The layout and architecture of the cottages, features of the interior decoration of the premises will be described below.

Where did it all start?

The American style, which we all know very well, originated from the old European one. Immigrants from England and Europe brought architectural trends from their countries, which took root in the United States for many years. Of course, everything has changed over time, but the origins are the projects of old European dwellings.

The architecture has such features as spaciousness, symmetry, numerous cascades of roofs, a large number of windows, columns and a minimum of relief details. The layout of American houses, photos of which are presented in the article, is characterized by the absence of a full hallway and the original arrangement of the kitchen and dining areas. The main idea of ​​the premises is primarily convenience and comfort. Let's look at this in more detail.

Architectural features of American houses

The architecture of American cottages combines simplicity and intricacy. Just look at the cascades of gable roofs! There is often a spacious terrace around the perimeter of the house, and plenty of natural light comes in through numerous windows. By the way, shutters are also quite common.

American-style homes are usually light or pastel in color. And some elements (for example, the foundation or chimney) are made of natural stone or sandstone. But most of all, the choice of materials from which houses are built and the appearance of buildings is influenced by the specific location of the house.

The weather is different in all states, and this also affects construction. For example, the terraces mentioned above are mandatory attributes of cottages located in the southern regions of America. In the northern regions of the country, houses with thick walls and basements are more appropriate. It follows from this that, although all the cottages belong to the American style, each has its own characteristics.

What is American planning?

As mentioned above, the American one promotes convenience and comfort. The first thing here is simplicity and freedom. Therefore, American houses are characterized by the absence of a full hallway and partitions between the dining area and living room. And this despite the fact that the American layout of the house initially assumes quite spacious premises. Not only the living room and dining room have a wide area, there is also a lot of space in the bathroom, kitchen, and children's room.

But, no matter how strange it may be, the American layout of the house only provides for one family to live in the cottage, and not several generations. Therefore, they most often have only two bedrooms: a master and a guest. And each house requires at least two exits: the front door and the backyard. Also, the entrance door can be located in other rooms on the first floor (for example, in a bedroom or office). There may be an entrance to the garage if it is attached to the house.

We must not forget about them. They are also included in the layout and are a mandatory attribute of every American-style home.

One-story cottages

The layout of American one-story houses is striking in its diversity. Quite often such cottages are made with a wide porch or veranda. There is no hallway in the usual sense. In the best case, the entrance will be fenced off from the rest of the premises with an arch or columns.

The dining area is usually connected to the kitchen or living room. As a rule, one-story houses have two bedrooms and one children's room. The cottages also have space for three bathrooms and several dressing rooms.

Quite often, garages are attached to the house, so there must be an entrance to the parking lot, next to which there is a place for a laundry corner (washing and drying machines, ironing board, etc.). Usually it is placed behind the walls of a built-in closet.

Two-story cottages

Buildings with two floors are compact and occupy less space, so their number prevails over one-story cottages. The American layout usually looks like this.

On the ground floor there is a spacious kitchen, dining room and living room. All three rooms are often connected to each other. There is also a toilet, a storage room, and if the garage is attached to the house, then the entrance to it. There may also be an office and a guest bedroom here.

If the first floor is intended for receiving guests, then the second is completely the owner’s territory. There is a master bedroom, a children's room, bathrooms, and a dressing room. If the size of the room allows, another living room is often installed on the second floor.

Interior decoration

Wood is often used. The floor is covered with real parquet, there are decorative beams on the ceiling, and the walls are finished with wooden panels.

The bathroom uses traditional materials - tiles, tiles. In the kitchen, the floor is also covered with tiles, but the walls can be very diverse. It all depends on the features of the layout. For example, if the kitchen area is not separated from the dining room and living room, then everything is done in the same style.

In most rooms the walls are painted. Friezes, moldings and panels are used as decorative elements. For the fireplace area, choose either wood or stone. The main principle of American interior design is that everything should be harmonious and not irritate the eye.

Furniture

The layout of private American houses is not complete without providing space for furniture, and it takes up quite a lot of space. After all, the furniture in American cottages is large in size; it is customary to place it almost in the center of the room. But it is, as a rule, very soft and cozy. And this proves the principle of American style - convenience and coziness.

The rest of the furniture is no less bulky. Dining rooms in American homes are often decorated with tables and chests of drawers made of natural wood. The same principle is present in offices. But in bedrooms, among the furniture there is usually a bed with a massive headboard and a pair of bedside tables. Sometimes you can find a chest of drawers, a dressing table, a pouf or an armchair.

As a place for storage, the American house layout provides dressing rooms, which are located not only in the bedrooms, but throughout the house (for example, near the front door and in the kitchen).

Who is American suitable for?

Despite all its advantages, the described type of premises is not suitable for everyone. The layout of American-style homes involves frequent communication with family and friends. Therefore, it is recommended for people to build such cottages:

  • active and sociable (large space and combined living and dining rooms encourage this);
  • focused on family values ​​(a large number of dressing rooms allow you to store expensive things, and the interior is conducive to placing frames with cute photographs and various cozy accessories);
  • those who love to travel (think of cozy furniture that is nice to sit in when you return home).

If you are more inclined towards a clear division into zones and love corridors, then such a layout will definitely not bring you joy.

The origins of the American style originate in old European houses - since after emigrating to the United States, the British, Germans, Italians, Poles and other inhabitants of the old world brought their architectural styles and trends to America, which first took root and then began to develop independently. It is the old European architecture, and especially the English projects of the Victorian era, that is the foundation American style projects that combine simplicity and functionality. As a rule, American-style houses have light shades, large windows that provide the project with natural light, and a spacious covered terrace.

American house layout

The classic layout of American houses also has some distinctive features. The rooms are usually large and spacious; as a rule, the kitchen area is combined with the dining room and living room. It is envisaged that such a house will have a wardrobe, laundry room, children's room, office and personal bathrooms. American-style houses must have a garage for at least two cars, which can be entered both from the outside and from the inside.

Characteristic features of American houses

Classic American-style houses have some special characteristics:

  1. Non-standard roofs. This characteristic is especially obvious if the house has several floors. In this case, the projects have gable roofs with an acute angle of inclination of a complex broken shape at several levels.
  2. Exterior view of the building. A special feature of this house is its light facade, as well as the presence of a spacious terrace. The use of natural materials - wood for finishing facades and shutters, natural or artificial stone for finishing foundations and pipes.
  3. The presence of a significant number of large windows. They help with home lighting and visually increase the interior space due to the large amount of natural light. Thanks to the milder climate, this is a completely justified decision.
  4. A very well-kept local area with clear zoning.

American style is to some extent a mixture of styles, because America is a multinational country. At the heart of the American style you will find the prim classics of England, which were reinterpreted by the Americans into versatility and practicality.

The American style can hardly be called historical, but it cannot be classified as a modern style either. It balances between modern and classic.

The American interior is characterized by the following features:

  • Liberty;
  • ease;
  • relaxation;
  • restraint;
  • neutrality.

Most often in America you can find classic red brick houses for this country.

As well as cottages with a large veranda, reminiscent of farmhouses.

Living spaces are characterized by wide, high windows - they make the room truly bright and cozy.

Americans are characterized by openness and hospitality. The interior always reflects this trait of their character. Guests are always welcome in such a house.

Residents of this country use zoning and love large, massive furniture indoors. A country house is no exception.

American country interiors strive above all for simplicity and practicality. Furniture, walls, discreet decor - everything emphasizes the naturalness and ease of style.

A characteristic feature of an American-style interior is simplicity and practicality.

Americans rarely install interior doors in their homes. And the hallway, guest room, and kitchen are combined into one spacious room.

In American country houses, it is not uncommon to see floors of varying levels and textures. This floor copes well with the task of zoning a spacious but multifunctional home.

The lighting in such houses is also zoned.

You will probably only see a large communal chandelier in the living room. In other rooms, a combination of light is often used from different light sources - floor lamps, sconces, various lamps.

An American-style country house is unthinkable without a wooden plank floor with preserved wood texture and large plain carpets on it.

On a note! Ethnics look good in an American country interior.

Living room of a country house

The design of the living room in the American interior is neutral. Calm colors of decoration, decorative wooden elements, simple furniture emphasize the practicality of the interior.

On a note! Americans love spacious rooms. They prefer to combine the kitchen and living room.

The colors that are most often found in the living room of a country house are natural - green, beige, brown, terracotta, sometimes you can find accents in the form of burgundy shades.

Items and interior elements that are most often found in American homes:

  1. Americans love wood very much. In the interior it is often found in decoration.
  2. A large, soft and spacious sofa is placed in the center of such a living room. It will fit all the guests of the country house. Nearby is a coffee table.
  3. Rocking chair and fireplace.
  4. Bookshelves together with indoor plants create a special mood in the living room.
  5. There are few accessories and they are usually functional in nature.
  6. Framed photographs often decorate an American's home - the living room, bedroom, nursery, because they are very sensitive to the family, proud of its achievements and place certificates and awards of family members in a prominent place.

The living room is the largest room in the house. Usually it is located on the first floor. This is where the life and energy of the entire room is concentrated.

Country house kitchen

The kitchen in such houses is always spacious, bright, with a large window. It is usually located directly opposite the sink and offers a view of the beautiful territory of the house.

Here you will find a bar counter, which divides the space into a working and dining area and is an island area in the kitchen.

The colors of the kitchen will most likely be contrasting, but at the same time neutral, not bright.

The kitchen set is most often light, but it can be dark and contrast with light wall decoration and textiles.

It is customary to place the work area along the wall, but if the kitchen space allows, it is placed in the center. Above the surface there are spotlights.

The kitchen is always decorated with curtains, flowerpots, flowers, and textile decor. The floor is usually wood or tile. Often textures are combined in one space.

To implement such an interior in your country house, you will not need large budgets. You can replace natural materials with artificial ones. The American style allows this.

Bedroom

A bedroom in an American country house is usually restrained in mood, but cozy. It can combine a modern interior and elements of antiquity and antiques. But at the same time, Americans never overload the space.

The color of the room is usually calm, but contrasting - dark furniture, light walls or vice versa.

American country style is characterized by:

  • sophistication;
  • discreet luxury;
  • harmony in details.

The bedroom will definitely have a lot of textiles - pillows, curtains, carpet.

Americans love chunky, functional furniture. Therefore, the bed in such a house is always large, high and wide. There will be spacious cabinets on the sides. Perhaps there will be a chest of drawers in the room. As a rule, each bedroom is equipped with a dressing room.

Bathroom

There are tiles on the floor, tiles or textured plaster on the walls. The preferred color is white. American bathrooms are spacious and bright. An important element is a large mirror above the washbasin. Decorative wood trim is often found. Often in the bathroom you can find a window with curtains.

Children's room

The children's room is a bright spot in the balanced interior of an American home. Here you will find a wide variety of colors and textures. A prerequisite is zoning. The children's room is divided into recreation, play and study areas. Furniture and textiles are made from natural materials.

Good lighting and a large window are typical for the children's interior of an American country house.

Hallway

The entrance hall forms one whole together with the kitchen and living room. A staircase in a country house is not only a necessity, but also an integral element of the interior.

Usually it is located in the kitchen. It has a simple design and contrasting steps. Sometimes there is gold and silver trim, and there are forged black elements. An ethnic carpet fits well into the hallway of a country house.

The difference between American and Russian interiors

America and Russia are two different cultures. Their way of life and way of life are different in many ways. Let's look at the differences between American and Russian residential interiors.

Table of differences between American and Russian residential interiors.

Countries/Interior DifferencesUSARussia
WallsIn America you rarely see wallpaper in a living space. Usually the walls are finished with plaster or painted with special paint.There is wallpaper on the walls. It's common
WardrobeIn the USA, having a dressing room is a ubiquitous phenomenon.In Russia, you rarely see this in the average ordinary home. In the layout of Russian houses there is no space for a separate dressing room
TextileAmericans rarely use duvet covers. They wash the blanketsDuvet cover is an essential attribute of bedding
KitchenIn America, the kitchen is combined with the living room. The space is zoned. Every country house has a huge ceramic sink in the kitchen.The kitchen in Russia is always a separate room. Regular sized kitchen sink

Conclusion

The versatility and practicality of the American country style is expressed not only in the layout and discreet interior, but also in its relevance to any country. The style easily fits into the interior of any home in any country.

American country interior style always reflects the special way of life of the inhabitants of this country - stable, practical, respectable. That's why this style is very popular.

Video - 6 ideas from American interiors

Video - modern American classics - style in the interior

By writing this title, I mean a house that the average American family can afford. In this case, I simply went to realtor.com and looked for houses within a 30 mile radius around me.

By the way, I searched for a long time because the photos are bad. Americans don’t really bother taking photos, since everyone roughly knows what’s inside. You'll still have to go and see.

In general, I have chosen a couple of houses with a cost of up to 200 thousand. And I will try to comment on what you will see in the pictures. Because such houses are even very familiar to me.

Here's a look at the house. 3 Bed 3 Bath, that is, 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms with toilets. In the first photo, as the song says: “This will be the front, it’s called the façade.”

I've lived almost exactly like this before. So, I know the structure of the house well. On the right is a garage for 2 cars, and the garage is quite long and spacious. On the left is the entrance and a small porch. A tiny front garden, by default the builders plant rose hips there. We go into the house:

On the left is the entrance door, immediately from it there is a staircase to the second floor. Directly you see the windows facing the front yard, that is, right in front of the house. In the first photo, these are the same windows to the left of the front door, are you oriented? There are two figurines hanging on the wall, just for beauty.

If we don’t stop there and keep walking, we will reach the opposite wall of the house and go out through the glass sliding door into the backyard, that is, the back yard.

Our kitchen was made differently, and even on the right, not the left. Here is the same kitchen in more detail:

The refrigerator is a bit far from the stove. Not very convenient, we had it next to the stove. Here, above the stove, a microwave oven is attached to the wall - this is often done now. This also seems inconvenient to me, because it is simply dangerous to lower the hot stuff from above.

The stoves are now made with double ovens. That is, the lower one is large, and the upper one is slightly smaller, so as not to waste gas if you just need to stew one chicken. There is one oven here. There must be lighting above the stove and a hood with a fan at two speeds.

When renting out a house, as a rule, everything is already worth it, except for the refrigerator. Or maybe they’re already building in a refrigerator now. To the right of the sink is a dishwasher - dishwasher. The sink itself must have a built-in waste shredder - a disposal.

I stole this from another house, but that’s the point. There are suspended ceilings upstairs, long white doors to the right and left—these are built-in storage rooms. Well, here is a hacker's workplace as I see it. A pair of monitors for what else?

In general, I didn’t see anything in the basements: bars, game rooms, gyms, workshops. I show a piece of my basement in this video: Fizkult-Greetings from Doctor Vlad I’m not inserting it here so as not to take up space, just click on the link.

On the ground floor, in addition to the hall with the kitchen, there are two more rooms - on the left and on the right. Here is one of these rooms from the same house:

Here it is empty. You can leave it like that. I saw some people have a playroom for children. Let me note that it’s not the wires sticking out of the ceiling, but a standard chandelier like the one in the picture. It has a chain, meaning it can be raised or lowered. Either it is above the table, then they lower it. Or there is no table, then they lift it up so as not to bump heads. As long as I’ve lived, I bump into people like this all the time! 🙂

Often one of these side rooms has a fireplace, TV and armchairs. Now I'll steal the photo from somewhere else at their house.

Yes, here is a classic of the genre - a relaxation room with a fireplace, with a TV on the wall. From about the same house. There is also a sofa and comfortable, soft chairs. We've eaten, now we can sleep! All this is still on the first floor.

And here the fireplace is small. Pay attention to the ceiling - it is sloping. That is, there is a roof right on top, without an attic above this room. And two windows to look at the stars. In the last photo in the article you will see these windows on the left, right in the roof.

It's empty here now, but that's because the house is for sale. Of course, an appropriate environment is always created around the fireplace.

And in this picture there is already the second floor, that is, one of the bedrooms.

Most likely, this is the parent's bedroom, that is, the master bedroom. It is different in that it has its own toilet and bath. There is often a double sink there, so as not to quarrel in the morning.

The ceiling is also sloping, this is done to create more volume in the bedrooms. There's a fan with lights on top. Sometimes it is controlled by a remote control so you don’t have to get up and turn off the lights.

This is the master bedroom bathroom. Our toilet was around the corner and the bathtub was opposite. Well, there may be different subtleties. All toilets must have ventilation. Turns on next to the light.

But this is a children's bedroom. It was the former residents who decorated it this way. Of course, there are a million options. It depends on what kind of children you have. Americans always try to ensure that each child has his own room.

And a third bedroom. So, they took it and painted it in different colors. It is clear that this is also a children's bedroom.

Another small photo: the Landry Room, that is, the washing and drying machines. The author got greedy and apparently filmed it on his phone. And now I’ll steal from another house and glue them together.

You can see for yourself that the cars on the right are more modern. Both there and there you can see where the hot and cold water is connected. The gas for the dryer is connected at the bottom. In the left photo you can see how the washing machine is standing on a pallet, with a drain under the pallet. This room is small, just behind the entrance from the garage.

Finally, look at the back of this house.

In our house the facade was exactly the same, but at the back both floors were full, covering the entire house. Apparently the bedrooms here are small. On the ground floor there is a small window for the kitchen. They always make him so small. There are no pictures of the garages, otherwise I would have posted them too.

I just figured it out, there’s a lot I haven’t talked about yet. Every room must have a smoke detector hanging on the wall or ceiling. And now they are obligated to display a CO indicator, that is, carbon monoxide.

This is the so-called carbon monoxide, colorless and odorless, which is used to “burn” if the stove is closed early. They are the ones who are poisoned. All these sensors howl terribly when my wife is cooking and something is on fire in the house. And they only fall silent if you ventilate everything thoroughly.

These indicators have another unpleasant property. When the battery starts to run low, they seem to beep. The best at night! You get up, pull the battery out of it and put a new one in in the morning.

I haven't turned up the lighting yet. It turned out well, right? There are a lot of switches in the house. The simplest example is that you entered the house, turned on the light, undressed and took off your shoes and went straight up to the second floor. There is a second switch there that can be used to turn off the light on the stairs. And there are plenty of such “paired” or even triple switches throughout the house.

In short, I'm wrapping up. Ask if anything is unclear. Here is a direct link to this house: 2461 Hearthstone Drive And here is another one on the second one, where I also took the pictures from: 1471 Hearthstone Drive As you can see, they are on the same street.

Both houses are from Hampshire, not far from me and from Chicago. The one I mainly talked about costs 190 thousand, the second 170. Approximately, because you can always bargain and come to an agreement.

P.S. And this is what a small apartment looks like, which can be obtained almost free of charge for people with little income.

What else to read