What is a Southern-style house?

Southern style houses date back to the 17th century when colonists first began living in the American South. They're designed to house large families and withstand the hot southern summers. Common architectural elements on Southern-style houses include large front and rear porches or wraparound porches, large pillars on the front of the home, pitched or gabled roofs with overhead dormers, elevated foundations, high ceiling heights, and French doors.

What does a Southern house look like?

Georgian , Neo-classical, and Greek revival style homes and mansions, French Colonial, and the Federal style heavily shaped the type of architecture in Southern houses.

Why do Southern homes have porches?

Southerners may not have invented the porch but they have certainly perfected it. Born of necessity due to the intensely hot summers, these outdoor living spaces have captured homeowners' imagination, delighting them with deeply set and widely proportioned porches designed to offer respite from the weather and a place for family and friends to gather. Wide eaves and deep overhangs contribute to the practicality of these outdoor spaces and offer a way to reduce the direct sunlight the interior of the home receives. Before the invention of central air conditioning, these large outdoor spaces were necessary for the brutal heat and humidity of the South's summers. Breeze-friendly and community-convenient, Southern porches shielded homeowners from the sun and protected the homes' interior and furnishings. Along with front, rear, and wraparound porches, screened porches offer great spaces to relax and enjoy the weather while being sheltered from the elements.

Why are Southern homes elevated?

Many Southern homes are located on the coast in areas that frequently flood. Southern home designers learned long ago that if they wanted their coastal homes to survive for more than a few years, they needed to elevate the foundation so the water could pass under the house.

What are some considerations when designing the layout of a Southern style house?

While we live in a time with more modern conveniences than the originators of southern house plans and can build a home with excellent, energy-efficient central cooling, so you are no longer reliant on a breeze to cool down your home, there are times of the year in the South when throwing open all the doors and windows and letting the breeze cool your home is pure bliss. Keeping true to the Southern colonial house plans that allowed for ample airflow through the house is one thing to consider when considering designs for your dream home's layout. Also, be aware of the proximity of your home to the waterline before you decide on a home plan. For example, a basement cannot be installed in homes close to the coast because you couldn't dig deep enough without hitting the water.

Southern House Plans | Plantation Style, Colonial, Modern

Southern house plans are a historical fixture that dots the landscape of the Southern United States. They are an amalgamation of various architectural styles born from the original homes of British immigrants once they settled in the Southern half of the United States during the colonial period. However, new architectural styles came with new waves of immigrants, including Greek and Mediterranean designs. These styles, combined with the temperate climate of the southern states, led to many of the design features that Southern house plans are so well known for.

Some of the key characteristics of Southern-style house plans are:

Symmetrical and graceful exterior designs
Large front and rear porches; often, a wraparound porch is found, and screened porches
Stately columns
Substantial pillars
Triangular gables
Pitched or gabled roofs with overhead dormers
Elevated foundations
Tall ceiling heights
Arched windows
French doors

Southern house plans display elegant charm, beauty, and a gracious, sophisticated way of living. This luxury home style combines fine amenities, charming exteriors, and comfortable and inviting interior floor plans.

Southern plans are designed to capture the spirit of the South and come in all shapes and sizes, from small Ranch plans with compact, efficient floor plans to stately manors depicting elegant exteriors and large interior floor plans. Our collection of Southern plans ranges from 800 square feet of living space to more than 10,000 square feet, with an average square footage of approximately 2,500.

As an ode to days gone by, most Southern house plans today maintain an exterior that echoes the past; however, their interiors have been upgraded to reflect modern, refreshing floor plans. While most floor plans are two-storied designs featuring dramatic entrances and foyers, there are also one-story floor plans.

The family-friendly layouts may typically offer a first floor dedicated to relaxing family space and entertaining space, while the second floor may be wholly devoted to the family's sleeping quarters and bathrooms. However, regardless of whether the plan is a one- or two-story layout, these homes are highlighted with large gathering rooms for entertaining, perhaps more formal living and dining rooms, as well as copious amounts of outdoor space, all of which deliver comfort, function, and versatility while capturing the true Southern spirit of family, home, and hearth.

These often-sprawling homes of the American South are synonymous with grace, comfort, and practicality. Romantic exteriors of a bygone era and refreshingly new and modern interior layouts allow for historically accurate detailing and contemporary amenities to co-exist in a harmonious relationship that delivers a home style that is beloved and cherished. Southern house plans continue to offer some of the most desirable details homeowners desire while delivering architecturally aesthetic value and growth in the housing market.

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