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Style 26 / 45
European Traditional

Georgian / Federal

High-formal / historic

Pure classical symmetry — the most formal of the traditional houses.

Your take
Overview

Pure classical symmetry — the most formal of the traditional houses.

The high-formal English classical tradition that shaped early American architecture. Strictly symmetrical, proportioned by classical orders, and elegantly restrained: a paneled door crowned with a fanlight, perfectly balanced windows, and refined interior millwork. The Federal variant lightens it with slender, delicate ornament and elliptical forms. This is traditional architecture at its most disciplined.

01 Key principles

  • 01Rigorous symmetry and classical proportion
  • 02A center entrance with fanlight, sidelights, and pediment
  • 03Evenly ranked, multipane double-hung windows
  • 04Brick or painted-wood box with hipped or side-gabled roof
  • 05Refined classical millwork — pilasters, cornices, dentils
  • 06Delicate, elegant ornament (especially Federal)
Spatial direction
Center-hall plan; balanced formal rooms; a graceful stair; elaborate cornices, chair rails, and door surrounds; refined symmetry throughout.
Furniture
Refined and tailored — Hepplewhite and Sheraton lines, inlaid wood, silk and damask, crystal and brass lighting, gilt mirrors.
Textures
Detailed plaster moldings, paneled wainscot, polished mahogany, fine upholstery, antique rugs, classical accents.

02 Materials & finishes

Red brick, painted wood, marble, fine hardwood, plaster moldings, brass and crystal, stone quoins

Color palette
7 tones — the working palette for this direction.
Brick Red
#9C4A38
Crisp White
#F4F1E8
Black
#1B1B19
Wedgwood Blue
#6E8DA6
Pale Yellow
#E6D79C
Sage
#9CA587
Gold
#B89653
The feeling

“Disciplined, elegant, and formal. Classical architecture at its most refined and balanced.”