There’s a lot of confusion about different styles. John Milnes Baker has put together a great book that describes the major styles. He takes a “standard” floor plan and adapts it to fit the style of the house. The plan is as much a part of the style as is what it looks like. Before you go to your designer, I highly recommend American House Styles: A Concise Guide.

Some great design just happens!

In design school, I once had a professor say that “designers make great use out of accidents.” Hard to believe that you are hearing a designer say this, but some of the greatest things I have ever seen weren’t planned by anyone. They just happened. Some of my favorite works of my own are the result of some unforeseen, unintended circumstances that resulted in a great effect. Some of the greatest spaces are what was left over when adjoining designs were completed. Some of the most interesting streets are interesting by the very fact that different uses, buildings, driveways, signs and other elements all fell into line and created by its chaos a unified texture of interwoven colors, spaces, shadows, elements, characters and cultures. And it seems that the only thing that our master schemes to recreate these impromptu moments do is guarantee that it won’t happen.

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I recently stumbled upon a great video presented by Chevrolet about the “American Look”.  Click here to view. Here’s the source.  It’s about 30 minutes long.  In many ways, we’ve lost some of the desire for style.  Apple and Ikea are doing a pretty good job, but for the most part, the “American Look” is something of yesterday.