Field guides and similar resources are handy tools to help you identify an architectural style on-site. Below, we've listed a number of resources to help you find the right one for your needs.
Andersen® Home Style Pattern Books
Discover what specific windows, trim styles, colors, grilles and other details are historically appropriate for 10 common home styles. Every detail was meticulously researched by Andersen design teams to help you create architecturally accurate designs for your homes.
American House Book
By John Milnes Baker
Gain a strong historical understanding of how home styles evolved over time in the United States, from colonial to the present day. Baker illustrates the architectural styles with a basic home floorplan that depicts the different essential characteristics.
The Abrams Guide to American House Styles
By William Morgan and Radek Kurzaj
Learn to distinguish between approximately 20 different architectural home styles common in the United States using this handy field guide. Depicts images of 350 homes from 40 states, provides a brief history of each architectural style and lists defining characteristics as well as regional variations. Color-coded sections make this reference book easy to use.
Field Guide to American Houses
By Virginia McAlester and Lee McAlester
Explore the prominent home styles built in America from the 1700s to the present, aided by more than 1,200 illustrations, including details of windows, doors, and each style’s identifying features.
American Shelter: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American Homes
By Lester R. Walker
Follow 500 years of residential architectural development throughout the United States with this field guide, illustrated with useful diagrams and drawings of 103 home styles.
The Visual Dictionary of American Domestic Architecture
By Rachel Carley
Expand your ability to identify home architectural styles with this guidebook by learning what exterior and interior features define particular residential architectural styles in North America.
Identifying American Architecture
By John J. G. Blumenson
Go beyond home styles with this guidebook. Using photographs rather than illustrations, key architectural features of the design style is identified to help the reader learn to recognize architecture styles applied to homes and public buildings.
Need inspiration and insight into how different residential architectural styles have been applied in real homes and buildings? View hundreds of photos in the image galleries linked below.
Andersen Project Showcase
Search our Andersen Window and Door Gallery by home style or room type to see how Andersen products create a beautiful, historically accurate homes with details such as style-appropriate grille patterns, period colors, and trim size.
HGTV: Home Styles: A Guide to Residential Architecture
Learn about 24 different residential architectural styles with links to homes for sale and style-appropriate decorating photo galleries.
Trends Ideas: Architecture Photo Galleries
Browse through photo galleries of homes organized by home style on trendsideas.com.
Visit these online resources for instant help in identifying architectural styles' defining characteristics.
About.com: Guide to American Homes, 1600-Present
By Jackie Craven
Use this guide as a quick portal into American home architectural styles popular from 1600 to the present day. Readers can access links to more detailed articles and photos of both famous and reader-submitted examples of the various home styles.
House Style Guide and Examples
Quickly reference the brief history, key identifying features and photos of six residential architectural styles on this website, which also features a real estate search function.
An Overview of 20th Century House Styles
By Antique Home Style Magazine
Learn how cultural influences affected home styles from the 1900s to 1960s. Published by an architecture-enthusiast magazine.