TIMELESS HOMES

Filed Under: Sullivan County House Hunting | Catskill Real Estate Home Ownership | Real Estate Renovation Sullivan County | Old Houses and Catskill Farmhouses | Upstate New York Realtors
Written By: Jamie Hollier

Homes that never go out of style

Have you ever walked into a home and had the word dated flash across you mind almost immediately? Sadly, homes and home design often become overly informed by styles and trends and, in turn, produce things like red shag carpet and avocado green stoves. That is not the case for homes that maintain the style of their location, however. Many homes, like Catskill farmhouses in Upstate New York and Adobes in Santa Fe will always be in demand because they fit with their environment and are not based on trends but, instead, on tradition. Below are a few examples of homes that are representative of the history and heritage of the areas in which they reside:

Antebellum is a term that means "before war" and refers to the homes built in the South before the Civil War. Although this term is not technically an architectural term, it is used by many to explain the style of the homes built during the antebellum years along with the homes that mimic that style today. Some of the characteristics that are associated with this style are a symmetrical façade with Greek style columns, a covered porch, balconies, a central entry, a grand staircase, and evenly spaced windows. This is the style that defines much of Southern architecture, and will always be in demand and in style in Georgia.

New England architecture often conjures thoughts of a quaint Cape Cod style home sitting on a green lawn in misty coastal weather. These homes where some of the first built by English settlers in America and took influence from the homes they left behind in England while exhibiting the simplicity of most colonists. Little exterior decoration graces these homes that are usually symmetrical structures with a central hall, dormers, and shutters to close out the New England storms. With Cape Cod homes making up a great portion of the heritage and historical homes in Massachusetts, it is no wonder reproductions of these homes are still being built and cherished today.

Colorado, and especially its mountainous areas, is often characterized by a rustic architecture style. The association of this style with mountains and country is greatly due to the work of Gilbert Stanley Underwood, and American architect that built many National Park Lodges in the early part of the 20th century. The main stylistic element of these buildings is the use of oversized elements, such as masonry with large stones and boulders and immense timbers and logs, all pulled from the local environment. Steep sloped roofs and dormers are also major elements of this style since the snow usually stacks up in the winter. Colorado will always be home to the great outdoors and the style that fits in there, rustic architecture.

American farmhouses appear in a multitude of areas across the nation, but the Sullivan County houses are examples of some of the best. Farmhouses are traditionally homes that pull from other historic American architecture styles and usually have local variations with touches created by locals. These were homes that were built to last and exhibit great craftsmanship. Some of the elements of style universally found in farmhouses are covered porches, dormer windows, and white trim work on sturdy wood construction. The farmhouse is a decidedly American home and, whether it is an old home that has been renovated or a new-old home by builders working in the Catskill real estate market, is an enduring style in New York.

Adobe homes have become an icon of the Southwest and New Mexico. There history in this area has roots that go back much further than other American architectural styles since the native people of the area, primarily the Anasazi, where the originators of the style. Adobe style homes are named after the material with which they are built, which is earth toned and created with clay, sand, and water. Organic, rounded buildings with small windows and round exposed beam roof supports are traditional elements of the adobe home. These buildings seem to become part of the landscape as they are made with the materials that make up the land on which they are built and have forms that mimic the natural world around them. Indeed, it is hard to imagine living in anything but an adobe in New Mexico.