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House Design - Style
Get the
classic house style you want.
Architecture too important to let someone else do it
There are many aspects to house design, or architecture to give it the more usual term. Picking a style you like is one aspect, but it's also necessary to come up with something that fits your everyday needs without introducing friction into your life. It is also necessary to negotiate and compromise with other family members so that everyone is happy. It is often said that a big reason to hire an architect is that they act as an independent referee between spouses. Personally I would encourage you to be your own architect because house design is too important to be subcontracted to a third party.
Style
Opinions vary, but I think what works best is to start by picking the house style you want. Think what you want the house to look like when you drive by, or drive up the driveway. Look at lots of pictures of houses by typing "House" into an image web search engine. Initially you will see lots of random styles but as you see styles you like, start to refine your image search by adding various keywords, eg "Plantation House" or "Greek Revival House" or "Palladian" or whatever you want. Here are some pictures that I downloaded as a starting point to give inspiration...
Of course all the house designs I like owe a lot to the Parthenon in Athens Greece.
If you choose to go for a classical design then it is important to follow the style and dimension rules associated with classical architecture. These rules are described here .
