Italianate architecture continues the trend of asymmetrical design, romanticism, and Medieval influence — this time borrowing features from Medieval Italy. Italianate style is common up and down the East Coast and peaked in popularity between 1850 and 1880.

Italianate architecture features:

• Belvederes for natural light and airflow
• Overhanging eaves with decorative support brackets
• Tall and narrow or pedimented windows with rounded crowns
• Cast iron detailing and decor

Pattern books were becoming a popular way for craftsmen to build homes in different styles. This flexibility meant Italianate features were accessible for a variety of homes including large estates and urban townhouses.

A French Country home has a rustic yet upscale charm. French Country architecture is designed after French chateaus and became popular with American soldiers returning from World War I.

French Country homes offer a unique house style featuring:

• Steep pitched or hipped roofs
• Tall ceilings and windows
• Traditional materials including clay, stone, and brick offer a rustic appeal
• Exposed wooden beams in ceilings and walls

French Country homes are designed with their environment in mind. They often feature neutral colors with soft, nature-inspired pops of color like sunshine yellows and grass greens.

Ranch house styles are the most searched style in the US today and are common in cities and suburbs across the country. There are various ranch house styles, including California and split-level ranch homes. The main distinguishing features between these styles are living space and home layout.

Ranch style homes feature:

• Single-story floor plans with low-pitched roofs
• Rectangular, “U,” or “L” shaped open floor plans
• Patio or deck space connected to the home
• Often includes a finished basement or attached garage

Ranch homes are the most popular homes in 34 US states — particularly in the Midwest and on the East Coast.

There was a renewed interest in handcrafted art and design following the industrial revolution. This became the “Arts and Crafts” era and paved the way for the Craftsman home, or “arts and crafts” home.

Craftsman homes focus on simplicity to counter the ornate stylings of Victorian homes. They’re also designed to highlight the craftsmanship of its builders and include:

• A low-pitched roof with overhanging eaves
• A covered porch
• Woodwork including exposed beams and built-in features like shelving
• Natural tones to complement the warmth from woodworking

Craftsman homes are favored for their character and are another versatile style that may borrow common elements from other home styles.

Cape Cod homes are similar to the British or American Colonial homes, though they originated further north in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. These are often seen as the classic American family home since the style’s revival in the 20th Century.

Cape Cod homes are identified by their:

• Shingle exteriors
• Modest size and ornamentation compared to British Colonial homes
• Originally single-story homes
• Large central fireplaces
• Attic lofts (20th-century revival)
• Dormer windows (20th-century revival)

Cape Cod homes are built of local wood and stone to withstand the north-eastern weather. This exterior weathering provides an iconic weathered-blue color to these homes.

Most Dutch Colonial homes you find today are actually from the Colonial Revival period of the early 20th Century. Original Dutch Colonial homes feature flared roof eaves and creative wood and brickwork. They are much more ornamental than classic Colonial homes, though the Dutch Colonial Revival style tends to be more subdued than the original Dutch Colonial homes.

Dutch Colonial Revival houses feature:

• Broad gambrel roofs that are visually similar to barn-style roofs
• Open-floor plans
• Flared roof eaves
• Split doors

The large barn-style roofs are the most identifiable feature of a Dutch Colonial home and even became known as “Dutch roofs.”

Colonial-style houses are simple rectangular homes that became popular in the 1600s as colonists settled the East Coast. These homes have many variations due to the fact that new communities all over the world built Colonial-style homes to suit their culture.

British Colonial style is the most common and recognizable Colonial home. Its key features include:

• A side-gabled roof
• Two floors
• A centered front door
• Symmetrical windows on either side of the door

The rectangular shape and interest in symmetry are seen in other Colonial house styles, too. Materials and decorative features can vary by region, as some Colonial houses sport brick exteriors and ornate trim, while others showcase shingle siding and simple shutters.

These are also some of the cheapest types of houses to build.

American popular music has had a profound effect on music across the world. The country has seen the rise of popular styles that have had a significant influence on global culture, including ragtime, blues, jazz, swing, rock, bluegrass, country, R&B, doo wop, gospel, soul, funk, punk, disco, house, techno, salsa, grunge and hip hop. In addition, the American music industry is quite diverse, supporting a number of regional styles such as zydeco, klezmer and slack-key.

Distinctive styles of American popular music emerged early in the 19th century, and in the 20th century the American music industry developed a series of new forms of music, using elements of blues and other genres of American folk music. These popular styles included country, R&B, jazz and rock. The 1960s and 1970s saw a number of important changes in American popular music, including the development of a number of new styles, such as heavy metal, punk, soul, and hip hop. Though these styles were not in the sense of mainstream, they were commercially recorded and are thus examples of popular music as opposed to folk or classical music.