Author: This summer we went to the Poconos, about which I wrote several posts, and at the same time we stopped by to look at a house that our good friends were selling. We dream of moving away from New York sometime in the future, closer to nature and all that, and if possible we are exploring various options. Of those more or less nearby, everyone praises Pocono. This is a resort town in Pennsylvania, where quite a lot of Russians live and vacation, and which is considered a fairly popular place for recreation and permanent residence many New Yorkers. Pros: relative proximity to New York (only two hours by car), beautiful nature(mountains), availability of infrastructure (shops, restaurants, etc.), low prices on housing (compared to New York). Of the minuses: relative proximity to New York (as much as two hours by car), lack of railway connections (you can only get there by car or bus), provinciality (this is not New York). Pocono isn't close enough to commute to work every day (although some people do), but it's not so far away that you can't travel to New York a couple times a week for business if you need to. In general, what we need is if you work from home, have a desire to live in a beautiful place in nature, and at the same time want to be able to get to New York in a reasonable amount of time.
There are no questions about the place itself. The Poconos are truly a great place to live, with something for everyone to enjoy. There is everything you need for life and recreation: an excellent water park, a bunch of different shops, shooting clubs, decent restaurants, hunting, fishing, and wildlife, And alpine skiing, and so on, and so on. This is certainly not New York, but it’s hard to call this place a wilderness. A sort of village with minute transport accessibility to urban civilization. Pennsylvania also has more relaxed laws and you can, for example, own a gun without any problems. Even black bread and boiled sausage you can buy it - the Poles sell it (for some reason I have a special attachment to these products). Car insurance there is much lower than in New York, many Russians buy land or a house there, and then drive around New York with Pennsylvania license plates (this is illegal, but if you are careful, it is possible). Pocono also compares very favorably with New York in terms of real estate prices. If in New York there is nothing to catch with $100,000 in your pocket, then in Pocono you can already look for something. With two hundred thousand dollars, you can choose pickyly. With three you can start making your childhood dreams come true.
Our friends are selling a house located in a closed community. A fairly popular format for living outside the city, which can be compared to a gardening partnership. A limited area inhabited by additional rules and agreements. This is both good and bad. It’s good that you live in an area that is guarded, cleaned and lives according to certain laws. It’s bad that you have to pay extra for this and you have to obey these laws. But here everyone chooses what they like.
Central community road.
This community, for example, has its own beach, a swimming pool with a restaurant and a luxurious children's playground. The entrances are guarded, and the territory is patrolled around the clock by the local security service, which replaces the police in its functions. Among the disadvantages of such a life, for example, the speed limit is 15 miles in the territory.
I like living in a house outside the city, and I have decent experience - I lived in own home in gardening near St. Petersburg. True, it will not be possible to adequately compare, Russian reality is too different from American reality.
One could only dream of such roads in our gardening. The limit is to chip in with your neighbors for a KamAZ truck of crushed stone for backfilling. All the roads here are like this, and no one rushes along them. The local security guards' favorite pastime is catching people for speeding.
The house is a classic frame house, standing on strip foundation and covered with siding. Everything here is like in Russia, except for the decorative external doors. I would also make a canopy over the porch. But here the climate is better and the canopy is not so relevant.
In America they really like to make terraces. It's called damage. This house is no exception.
The damage is obvious better than gazebos or bare ground, but in Russia such a use of space would be considered wasteful and a covered veranda would be made.
In America, the rules of life are slightly different and, in addition to the desire to increase the area of the house, there is also a reasonable attitude towards property taxes and difficulties with permits for any construction work. You, for example, can be a super builder, but you will never be able to build a house yourself unless you have the appropriate license. So the terrace is something you can do yourself, but the veranda covered on all sides is no longer there.
These are neighboring houses. Everything here is like gardening. Everything is in plain sight. Except that no one puts up fences.
But if you look only back, there will be a forest and no neighbors. Not everyone has this look, of course.
You can find living creatures in the bushes on the site. She grazes along the roads and sometimes jumps right under the wheels.
The living creatures are larger. The presence of a person a meter away from her did not bother the living creatures at all.
Inside the house. Entrance door with glass. Not a very popular solution for Russian life. A door in Russia must be iron and impregnable. In America, security is not an issue at all. The lock on the door to the house is no different from the lock on the inside of the office Russian office.
In the USA, all new houses are sold with finishing, equipped kitchens and bathrooms. This is a standard kitchen with a stove, refrigerator and dishwasher. By local standards, parquet is considered not so cool, but kind of an advantage. Here it is made of bamboo. I've always had a soft spot for windows opposite the sink.
The house is small by American standards. But I'm all for these sizes. Cleaning and heating such a house is easier and cheaper than a three-story mansion. I'm silent about taxes.
Living room with gas fireplace. I have a question about the wisdom of using a gas fireplace, but the owners say that it heats well and does not burn oxygen. Let's take their word for it. Ceiling fans are also incredibly popular in America. Cool stuff actually. They say that the Poconos are not as hot as New York, and you can live here without air conditioning. Of course, I don’t believe them, but there really aren’t as many air conditioners in houses as we have.
The bathroom is really equipped with fittings and furniture. All you need to do when moving into such a house is just to buy furniture for your rooms.
One of the rooms. In total the house has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. On the floor popular in the USA carpeting. Heating is provided electric convectors.
The classic American window, which I already wrote about.
The bulk of American housing is cozy houses no more than two floors high. Projects of such cottages involve living in them big family under one roof, where large living rooms and kitchens are located on the first floors, and bedrooms and children's rooms on the second (remember the movie Home Alone;)).
Layout American houses has features that can easily and quickly distinguish it from other types of residential buildings:
- wide porch;
- the presence of an equipped additional room in the attic;
- comfortable terraces for reading the newspaper and drinking morning coffee;
- tiled roofs;
- bay windows.
Modern projects adapted to our climate. Cottages are built according to frame technology which involves the use of dry lumber. Next wooden frame insulated and sheathed OSB boards. This is the simplest construction method and does not require the help of large construction crews. A garage for one or two family cars must be present. The house itself must have good sound insulation, while all finishing materials are exclusively natural.
The style of buildings made using this technology can be called recognizable, but the finishing of the facade, which the customer chooses independently, will help make them original and unique.
This construction technology makes it possible to implement any design ideas without the use of complex construction equipment. Despite the absence of the need to use expensive equipment, the cost of houses remains at a premium level due to the implementation of original stylistic solutions and the use of high-quality building materials.
Order the construction of an American house
If you want a beautiful American cottage in St. Petersburg or Leningrad Region, then our company is ready to help you with its construction. We offer you large selection from already finished projects with the possibility of their adjustment, as well as the creation of individual solutions from scratch on a turnkey basis. Photo finished buildings can be viewed on the website in the appropriate section, where the estimated prices for the proposed housing are also indicated.
American home designs are a mixture of different architectural styles. This is a practical home, distinguished convenient layout, which is ideal for a large family.
Features of American-style house projects
This architectural style came to us from America, where settlers year after year added to the classic frame, wooden or brick house their national traditions, constantly improving it. Thanks to this, the facade of such housing always looks attractive, despite its simplicity.
When choosing a suitable project plan for yourself, you should adhere to the following rules:
- It’s convenient if the kitchen is combined with the dining room; as a result, you save usable space, and the room for preparing and eating food is bright and very spacious;
- if there are small children in the family, then their bedroom should be on the second floor or attic, and the parent’s bedroom should be on the first;
- peculiarity American design in brevity, thanks to this the living room can be combined with a children's room game room, or use the glazed heated veranda as an additional room to accommodate a study or miniature fitness room;
- V two-story cottages where a large family will live, it is worth taking care of the presence of two bathrooms and the same number of bathrooms, this will avoid creating a queue in them in the mornings, when children are getting ready for school and parents are going to work.
Types of American-style house designs
The price of a project plan always depends on its complexity or the size of the house itself. Projects one-story houses cheaper. And if additional architectural forms, then the cost will increase slightly. In any case, it is more profitable than ordering individual design from scratch. And you won’t need any extra time to prepare the documentation again.
Such cottages often have a built-in garage, which saves site space. It is convenient to use it in the future for building a gazebo or digging a swimming pool.
Compare projects of American cottages and houses by selecting best option, you can use our catalog. We have a large selection of ready-made design plans, each of which can be modified by architects to suit the customer’s needs. Using our projects for the construction of country housing, you will be sure that everything in it is thought out to the smallest detail.
Skyscrapers of New York and Las Vegas casinos are just external facade one of largest countries in the world. Real America is cozy, a little provincial, “one-story.” Projects of American houses are spacious and substantial cottages “for the whole family”: on the ground floor there is a common living room, kitchen, access to the garage, utility rooms. On the second floor there are the parents', children's and guest bedrooms. Attics in this style are not very common, although they are not completely excluded.
Thus, traditionally house designs in American style imply the construction of one-story, more often - two-story buildings using frame construction technologies. In warm states there is no need for thick walls, and the low crime rate and friendly relations with neighbors in private sectors make it possible to do without the usual Russian buyers security systems and precautions. House projects presented in our database American type modified and adapted to climatic features our country.
Projects of American houses and cottages in Russian
The main thing that we preserve is the expression expressed in architectural features Americans' love for privacy - personal space. The houses are designed in such a way that no one is cramped there, and everyone has their own secluded corner. Also, such house designs imply a backyard, but fences and high fences are not always provided - US residents prefer to be friends with their neighbors and do not hide their estates from prying eyes.
To adapt to Russian realities, we had to slightly change the traditional American cottages: the projects in our database mainly involve aerated concrete rather than a wooden frame “box,” although they can be made using a new energy-efficient frame technology developed specifically for Russia. Also, an architecture connoisseur can find stylistic differences and inconsistencies. This is normal - any project must be “tied” to the place, otherwise the building will be of little functionality. However, we managed to preserve the best and recognizable features of the American style:
- wide porch;
- cozy attics right under the roof;
- bay windows;
- terraces;
- tiled roofs.
The American-style house designs presented in the catalog were developed by professional architects and contain photos, layouts, and detailed descriptions.
American-style houses are considered one of the most popular in Russia for the construction of suburban buildings. This is because such houses have been seen more than once in films, in pictures, and, perhaps, with our own eyes. These houses, in addition to their visual appearance, differ in mass interesting features, which are most often ignored in our country.
In this article, using a photo of an American-style house as an example, we will tell you about all its features, origin and construction.
Origin of American style
The American style was finally formed back in the 18th century and this is considered not only an element of the taste of developers of that time, but also the comfort of residents.
Americans feel much better in small private houses and believe that having your own personal independent territory is much better than being cramped in apartments multi-storey buildings. In the USA, people live in families and housing five to ten people in one apartment is not very convenient.
Also, the appearance of the style is based on religious principles. In Russia, people profess a completely different Christianity and do not think much about the design of their house, which fits the design of the local church.
In the USA, people are accustomed to being distant from others, since everyone shares their own views on religion and politics. This is a country of freedom of speech, so all people are different and you want to live separately from the annoying neighbors whom you constantly see in the entrance. In their opinion, only poor people live in apartments.
Today, American style has reached the peak of its development. Gradually improving, under the influence of changes in the world of technology, American homes have become even more interesting, comfortable and in in some cases even non-volatile.
It is also worth noting that this kind of house was originally built because of its environmentally friendly features, as well as the ability to buy materials that are not produced in the country. Today this restriction has been lifted, but classic version residents of the country still adhere to it.
Main characteristics of American-style houses
Before creating an American-style house project, everyone always thinks about what other advantages there are that are not yet known?
In fact, there is much more to them than just beautiful appearance, interior, as well as landscape design. The main features of an American-style house include the following:
- symmetry of the structure;
- low-rise;
- attached garage;
- several entrances;
- vast territory;
- environmentally friendly finishing;
- veranda, terrace or wide porch.
American houses perfectly symmetrical, this means that there is one smooth whole structure, which most often resembles the shape of a cube. Americans prefer to build houses not in width, but in height, since they do not always have the opportunity to stretch the house over a large part of the site.
A proper ratio of the house frame to the site, as well as the proportional dimensions of the walls, are considered the most convenient option for housing today.
The main feature of the American house is its low-rise structure. In general, it is not at all necessary to build houses on three floors; Russian residents also know this. Nobody wants to build tall buildings, and then heat those rooms in which no one lives.
As a rule, the style consists of an advantageous layout, where on the ground floor there is a connection to all communications, as well as a kitchen, dining room, bathroom, living room and offices for work, if necessary. On the second floor there are bedrooms, as well as rooms for personal purposes. One-story houses in American style have fewer rooms and are not equipped with cabinets.
Like any other residential area, American cottages are also equipped with a garage. The only thing is that they most often have it attached to the main structure, but if there is no need for an additional room, then you can find houses with a built-in garage.
In our country people are accustomed to metal gates, Americans, in turn, prefer roller shutters or doors that open remotely.
The layout of an American-style house is more complicated. In houses for large families You can often find several bathrooms (on the first and second floors). It’s simpler, more convenient, and if there is free space, you can use it for an additional bathroom.
Also, such a house may have two entrances - one is the front entrance, and the second is a “service” entrance, which leads to the courtyard. Americans like to divide a plot of land into several small areas so that there is room to roam, even if the plot itself is small.
As a rule, in Western countries not much territory is allocated for personal needs for ordinary citizens. That is why for centuries it has been in people’s minds that the territory needs to be zoned, which creates the effect of vastness.
On their plots, Americans prefer to create a beautiful landscape design rather than plant a row of vegetable crops. This must be taken into account when building a house, since a properly planned plot, even a small one, can look much more interesting.
A distinctive feature of an American house from a Russian one is also the environmental friendliness of the finishing. Today, more and more often, Russian owners began to decorate their premises with environmentally friendly materials, as they have become more accessible both in price and in quantity. Americans love cleanliness and nice fresh air, so the environmental friendliness of their houses was noticed hundreds of years ago.
As for the area around the house, various playgrounds are most often built here, terraces, verandas are added, and a wide porch is made.
As a rule, in front of the entrance to the territory a beautiful alley leads to the house, and the house itself closely borders the neighboring plot, separating its premises from the neighboring one a simple fence. American-style home design is all about simplicity and without unnecessary elegance.
American style room decoration
Most often, the interior of an American-style house is decorated in cream tones. For this purpose, any matching tiles, as well as other materials that allow you to recreate classic style, which gives some zest from the past.
In this matter, Americans are conservative and it is much less common to find an interior in high-tech style or in other variants. You can often notice different wooden structures, which complement the interior well.
But the basis of the composition is lighting, which will bring the whole idea to life. Over the past decades, houses have begun to install energy saving light bulbs in lamps, but the lampshades must give off yellow light to everything.
And yes, lamps are an important part of the decor. The more lamps and night lights, the better. Country house American style can be done without unnecessary lighting.
Photos of American style houses
