The skyscrapers of New York and the casinos of Las Vegas are just the outer façade of one of the largest countries in the world. Real America is cozy, a little provincial, “one-story.” Projects 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 involve 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 low level crime and friendly relations with neighbors in private sectors make it possible to do without the usual Russian buyers security systems and precautions. The designs of American-style houses presented in our database are modified and adapted to the climatic conditions of 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 barriers 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 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 under the very 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.
Interior layout of American houses August 24th, 2016
With walls, and we sorted out past messages. Now let's look at the layout of American houses.
In American homes you almost never see a hallway or hallway. Instead, all entrance doors lead directly to the living room or other living room. You can enter the house not only through the front door. Most often there are at least two or three entrance doors. Front door or front door. Backdoor(usually glass) leads to the back patio. The third door is to the garage. Sometimes a door to the outside can be found in the most unusual place, for example in a toilet. This is explained quite simply - so that you can go to the toilet from the pool without entering the house.
When you ask an American about the size of a house, you will almost always hear three parameters - the number of bedrooms, the number of bathrooms, and the total area. For example, 3/2 1600 sq. ft. means that this is a house with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a size of about 150 sq. m.
Private rooms
The interior space of American houses is divided into a private zone and a public zone. The private zone primarily includes bedrooms. The bedrooms are divided into a “master bedroom” and all other bedrooms. A separate bedroom is provided to the parent couple and each adult family member. Children of the same sex, up to a certain age (12 years old), can share one bedroom, and then get their own. For example, a family of 4 will almost always live in a house with 3-4 bedrooms. The bedroom must have a window. If a room does not have a window, then it cannot be a bedroom. Also, almost always the bedroom should have a built-in wardrobe or storage room.
The master room is the largest bedroom, it usually has a walk-in closet, or even two dressing rooms s, and almost always has its own separate bathroom with toilet and bath. In expensive houses, the bathroom in the master room can be very fancy, with a Jacuzzi, several washbasins, fancy showers, etc.
The remaining bedrooms usually have smaller wardrobes. The remaining bedrooms may not have their own toilet and bathroom, and they can combine one toilet/bathroom for 2 bedrooms.
For children's bathrooms, a fairly typical layout is washbasin>toilet>bathtub. Also, very often lower washbasins, toilets, and bathtubs are installed in children's bathrooms.
Here's an example of a typical low-cost plan American home.
Sometimes there is a configuration where the toilet has two doors, and access is possible from two different bedrooms (this is called a Jack and Jill Bathroom). 
There is almost never a chandelier on the ceiling of a bedroom. Often instead of a chandelier there is a fan (with or without a lamp). And the main lighting in bedrooms, as a rule, is not very bright and is arranged with the help of spotlights or floor lamps.
Public rooms
If the house is two-story, then the private zone is located on the second floor, and on the first there will be a public zone - kitchen, living room, hall, dining room. If the house is one-story, then the public area will be in the center. Also, one room can be reserved for an office or library. The basement, if there is one, will be equipped as a library, gym, bar or game room.
The public area is usually not divided into separate rooms; instead, the entire space is open and divided only by arches, partitions, and shelving. The kitchen from the dining room is most often separated only by a bar counter or not separated at all. For example, on this plan, the family room, dining room, living room and kitchen are actually combined into one space. It is worth remembering that in English language, the word room means both a room with 4 walls and just a place/space, so a dining room can be either a dining room or just a place for a table.
In addition, half of the bathroom is often in the public area. What is half a bathroom? This is a toilet with a hand washbasin so that guests do not have to go to the toilet through the bedrooms. 
A patio is not only welcome, but considered a must. There you can arrange a children's playground, a small garden, there are often swimming pools, and there will almost always be a place for a barbecue.
Auxiliary or work premises:
For storing things there are ba large number of built-in wardrobes, storage rooms, a basement and attic equipped for storage, and a spacious garage attached to the house. The washing machine is not installed in the bathroom or kitchen, but in a special room for washing. Sometimes they are placed in the garage. Linen can also be dried and ironed here.
You almost never see wallpaper on the walls inside American homes. Internal walls almost always painted. Light and plain walls dominate
Separately worth mentioning interior doors. In addition to conventional doors with hinges, American homes have a very wide variety of other options:
1. Barn door, moves sideways on a rail. 
2. Folding doors are usually used for closets and other utility rooms.
3. Sliding doors 
4. Pocket doors that go into the wall are also common. 
A few more different plans
Projects of American-style houses and cottages are houses characterized by a spacious layout, versatility and convenience. Such projects are mainly designed for, since almost every building is complemented by terraces and asymmetrical facades. It is also worth noting the roofs, which, due to their decorative effect, give the house an unusual and original look. Very often it is possible to have a sharp shape with large angles of inclination.
Modern private frame-panel American Vacation home with pitched roof
An American frame house requires, first of all, the presence of large areas. This style, which appeared in the colonial era, first became widespread in the states where people were engaged in farming.
Despite the fact that large areas make it easy to implement many of the most incredible design solutions, Americans still prefer to build houses in which convenience and comfort come first.
Project one-story house American style The layout of a house in America is mainly horizontal, “in breadth”. Such buildings have several wings, in which each subsequent wing has a lower ceiling height than the previous one. In this case, each wing has its own, often strongly sloping, roof. The top floor, in most cases, is an attic, intended for bedrooms.
Project of a two-story American house with attic floor and garage You can often find in American houses that smoothly transition into the local area. The boundary between the house and the surrounding landscape is further “blurred” due to large quantity doors and windows, which are a mandatory attribute of housing. In cottages, where there is little light, windows and doors, Americans usually feel extremely uncomfortable.
American residents pay a lot of attention to the design of backyards adjacent to kitchens and terraces. A recreation area, etc. is traditionally located here.
The layout of an American-style house is carried out according to certain rules, taking into account certain features. The interior is zoned in such a way that the guest lingers in the hallway, without looking at the interior chambers of the owners of the house. For this reason, a guest area is often set up next to it, where you can calmly drink tea at the table, sitting on a comfortable sofa or chairs.
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Japanese style houses
If the layout of the house does not allow for a formal place, then guests are sent to a common room, which includes a kitchen, dining room and recreation area. In parallel, the common room acts as a room for family gatherings. Typically, family dinners take place either at the dining table or as close to the kitchen as possible. Guests, in turn, are received at a separate table intended for dinner parties.
Typical layout one-story house When dividing zones, they are often used different kinds partitions (except for the walls themselves), or furnishings placed in the most suitable manner for these purposes. In the kitchen areas there are kitchen islands with built-in washing machines or stoves. American style is, first of all, simple but massive furniture of clear shapes, with a predominance of one or two light shades.
American style kitchen Recreation area in common room includes home theater and . Ceilings are often equipped with additional light sources. IN one-story houses prefabricated lighting predominates, allowing the rafters to be left open. Americans rarely use stretch ceiling, giving more preference natural materials. Houses in the USA are illuminated using tabletop and wall lamps, which turn on simultaneously. Ceiling lamps usually used only in the common room, and even then rarely.
American style interior The front part of the house is not complete without use floor tiles And parquet board. Moreover, in some parts of the house these materials are combined with carpet, which allows you to significantly save money on finishing the premises. The owners allocate the largest room in the house for the bedroom, which is often equipped with its own bathroom and access to the terrace. Children have smaller rooms, the bathroom of which is adjacent to all children's rooms.
In this video you can see the layout of a typical private house, which is located in the USA in the state of Texas
American colonial style, clearly expressed in the architecture of residential buildings, in Lately is becoming very popular among domestic developers. The reason for this is the combination of convenience, visual appeal and functionality of the building, where the living space is used with maximum efficiency. An American-style house is ideal for families leading an active lifestyle, especially for couples with children.
What is a private American home? It's usually spacious two-story cottage frame type, with a complex shaped roof and a large number of windows. Most often, such houses have a symmetrical shape, many rooms, and an open spacious terrace at the entrance. The second floor, as a rule, protrudes above the first, and is supported by wide, even columns.
This style has other distinctive features:
- low foundation and lack of a basement;
- built-in garage;
- availability of an emergency entrance;
- lack of facade decor;
- mansard roof;
- window frames have many sashes;
- a low porch framed on the sides by simple railings.
The color scheme is quite restrained: pastel colors are most often used in combination with white. But bright contrasting colors in the decoration of facades are very rare. Concerning exterior finishing: the most popular material is wood of various species and its imitation. Most often you can see facades covered with overlapping clapboard, the so-called “American”. Well, since natural wood quite expensive material, many use siding that imitates the same American, timber, wood chips. Also used in finishing a natural stone, especially sandstone, decorative brick.
Great importance is attached to the landscape surrounding the house. Usually, local area very well-groomed, open, the central part is occupied by a lawn. Flower beds with low shrubs and flowers can be located close to the house, along the perimeter of the terrace, on both sides of the porch, giving the building a very cozy look. And here climbing plants are not among the favorites, and see the walls completely covered with decorative vines possible only in isolated cases.
American style facade decoration
It doesn't take much effort to make your home look like an American one. Even if the architecture of your home is extremely simple, with the help of exterior decoration you can give it characteristic appearance, which we see so often in American films. The greatest expressiveness will be provided by a combination of materials and correct selection color range.
The best option is zoning the facade using wood paneling and plaster.
How it looks in practice: the outer walls of extensions and bay windows are smoothly plastered, the remaining walls are sheathed with overlapping boards. The gables of the house can also be highlighted by covering them with wood chip siding.
Basement siding "under shingles"
If there is a high base, it is lined with stone-like tiles or torn bricks. Finally, the trim is painted beige or grey colour, trims, corners, railings - in white to give contrast.
Now let's look at the finishing technology in more detail using the example of a brick house.
Preparatory stage
For high-quality finishing, no less high-quality preparation of the base is required. They traditionally begin with the dismantling of all hanging elements that may interfere with finishing work.
Use a wire brush to clean the masonry joints and thoroughly clean the crumbling areas.
If the wall is old and individual bricks have also begun to crumble, they need to be knocked out with a chisel and hammer, and the recesses should be thoroughly cleaned.
Next, select whole bricks of the appropriate size, knead a little cement mortar(3 parts sand and 1 part cement M300 or M400), repair the masonry. The same solution is used to seal cracks in the walls, through holes, small potholes and empty seams.
When the solution dries, the walls are treated with a primer with antiseptic additives. It is best to prime with a brush, this makes it easier to distribute the composition over all seams and recesses. If the surface of the bricks is dense and smooth, one layer of primer is sufficient, but for a porous, highly absorbent surface, 2-3 layers will be needed. After this treatment, the walls under the cladding will be reliably protected from moisture and fungi.
Plaster surface
First, you need to identify areas that are not planned to be sheathed with clapboard. This can be not only the walls of the extensions, but also the areas around the openings, along the terrace, ground floor. It is also possible that the facade is completely covered with wood, and the back side of the house is plastered. Here everything depends on the imagination of the homeowner and his financial capabilities, because the cost of plaster is much lower than that of lining.
To make the task easier, it is recommended to draw a sketch of the future cladding in several options and choose the most suitable one. After this, mark the boundaries of the sections on the wall so that the wooden paneling subsequently overlaps the plastered plane by 15-20 cm. The marking is done using a level. You need to start work with thermal insulation of the wall, and the best insulation under the plaster is polystyrene foam.
Step 1. They attach it to a clean primed wall, which will act as a support for the insulating boards. To do this, determine the lower border of the finish, mark the horizontal line according to the level, mark drilling points for fasteners in increments of 30-40 cm. Drill holes in the wall, insert dowels, and fix the base plate with self-tapping screws. At the joints the strip is overlapped by 20 mm.
Step 2. Prepare glue for insulation: pour the dry adhesive mixture into a container of water, stir with a mixer until smooth, leave for 5 minutes to swell and mix again.
Step 3. Take the first insulation board and apply glue along the perimeter in a continuous strip at a distance of 2-3 cm from the edge. The glue is applied in the center of the slab in small strokes or splashes. Next, the foam is applied to the wall from the corner, the lower edge is supported on the base strip, the slab is leveled vertically and gently pressed to the surface with your hands.
Step 4. The next plate is attached close to the first, trying to prevent the glue from being squeezed into the seam. After laying the first row, proceed to the second, shifting the seams by approximately half the width of the slab.
To cut foam plastic, use a sharp mounting knife or a fine-toothed hacksaw.
When the entire area is covered with slabs, they are additionally secured with disc-shaped dowels, drilling holes in the center of the slabs and in the corners.
Method of fastening foam plastic with “recessing” the head of the dowel-umbrella
Step 5. Next, all corner protrusions must be covered with perforated corners: apply the solution along the entire length of the protrusion with a spatula, apply a corner, level it, press it into the glue. Excess mass is carefully removed so as not to leave sagging.
Step 6. Apply the solution in a continuous thin layer (2 mm thick) onto the foam plastic from top to bottom, apply a reinforcing mesh, and forcefully smooth it with a spatula to evenly sink it into the glue. You need to smooth it out very carefully, avoiding the formation of folds and voids under the mesh. Adjacent mesh strips are overlapped by 5 cm. Having completed the reinforcement of the area, leave the surface to dry.
Step 7 After about 2 days, you can continue plastering work. The surface is sanded sandpaper medium grit, sweep away dust with a brush and prime. After the primer has dried, mix the plaster solution and distribute it in an even thin layer over the treated surface. You need to work very carefully so as not to leave streaks from the tool, drips or other defects. The spatula should be wiped periodically with a damp cloth.
After a day, the surface must be rubbed again until perfectly smooth. For a better effect, you can make a liquid plaster solution, apply it very thinly to the wall and smooth it with a polyurethane float. The movements are performed counterclockwise, with equal pressure, processing the wall in squares.
At this point the finishing process is completed; painting will be done later.
Lapped wall cladding
For such cladding, you can use either a simple edged board or “American” lining, characterized by a wedge-shaped plank.
They are fastened differently, but the sheathing is installed in the same way in both cases. When choosing edged boards you need to make sure that the material good quality and its humidity does not exceed 16%, so stock up on a moisture meter in advance.
Also, you should not buy wood if there are visible stains of mold and blue stains on it, there are cracks, and there are many knots. All boards must be smooth, have the same thickness and color.
The optimal width of the boards is from 130 to 180 mm, and the thickness is about 20 mm. For the frame you will need a dry, even beam with a section of 50x50 or 60x40 mm.
You can mount a frame from a galvanized profile, but it will cost more, but a wooden beam will do an excellent job with the task assigned to it.
Advice. Before starting work, all lumber must be treated with an antiseptic primer and air dried.
Step 1. Make markings on the wall for the frame fasteners. Since the sheathing is horizontal, the frame guides must be strictly vertical. If the sheathing will border on the plastered surface on the same plane, the outermost beam should be located close to the plaster. So, take a plumb line or level, determine the vertical, draw a line on the wall with chalk, and so on along the entire wall in increments of 50 cm.
Step 2. Next, holes are drilled on each line at a distance of 30-40 cm from each other, and dowels are inserted. Take the first beam, place it against the wall, and control the vertical level. If the surface is uneven, pieces of wooden slats are placed under the beam until it is level. After this, screw in the screws and fix the guides to the wall. The outer beams are fastened first, then a nylon thread is pulled between them at the top and bottom, and the remaining guides are aligned along these guidelines.
Step 3. The next stage is insulation. It is advisable to use the same insulation for the entire house, because each material has different heat capacity characteristics. Therefore, if we used polystyrene foam for plastering, then we also choose it for the cladding. Sheets of foam plastic are tightly inserted between the guides and, if necessary, cut to size. Next, fix the material with mushroom dowels, about 5 pieces per sheet. If there are gaps left somewhere between the insulation and the timber, they need to be blown out with foam.
Step 4. Let's start covering. To give her desired angle tilt, along the lower edge of the sheathing a wooden strip with a cross-section of 20x20 mm is stuffed, having previously beaten it horizontally. After this, take the first board and apply it to the sheathing so that its lower edge completely covers the batten. Nail the board along the top edge to the guides.
Overlapping sheathing - structural diagram
Step 5. The sheathing boards should overlap each other by 20 mm, and in order not to measure the required distance each time, you can use a template from the trim wooden slats appropriate thickness. This template is applied to the already fixed board in the upper part, mark an indent of 20 mm with a pencil, and repeat the same on the other side. Now all that remains is to attach the new board to the marks and nail it to the frame.
Step 6. Before attaching the topmost board, determine the border of the sheathing, mark the horizontal line and screw a 25x75 mm rail along this line. They try on the end board, if necessary, cut it to width and mount it end-to-end with the batten. Finally, the joint line is covered with a board with a section of 150x25 mm. If the roof overhangs are lined with soffits, the edge board is attached close to the soffits, and the joint is closed with a wooden batten.
Step 7 In the corners they stuff vertically two wide boards with a cross section of 150x20 mm, closing the gaps at the ends of the skin. Window and door openings are also covered on the sides with boards of the appropriate width to completely cover the end part of the sheathing.
If factory American lining is chosen for finishing, the work process will be even simpler. The design of the panels facilitates quick and convenient fastening sheathing with self-tapping screws or using clamps.
Finishing the gables
The gables can also be covered with clapboard, but it is better if they are slightly different. And one of the finishing options is siding with imitation wood chips. Chips and shingles give the building a special flavor; they combine well with other materials, but the process of their manufacture and installation is quite labor-intensive. For this reason, natural wood chips and shingles are almost never used, but their imitation is very popular and in demand.
Vinyl siding for wood chips is lightweight panels 46-48 cm wide and up to 1.23 m long. The thickness of the material varies between 1-4 mm, depending on the type. Plinth panels thicker and stronger, but mainly wall siding is used for cladding gables.
Step 1. A vertical sheathing made of 40x40 mm timber is mounted on it. The distance between the guides should be equal to half the length of the panel, that is, about 60 cm.
Step 2. The ebb is attached first: the strip is cut to length, applied to the bottom of the sheathing, aligned horizontally and screwed to the guides with self-tapping screws. The starting strip is mounted on top, and the J-profile is screwed to the sides close to the roof overhangs. The upper ends of the profile are cut at an angle to secure these planks end-to-end.
Step 3. The panels are cut from the ends at an angle (for convenience, use a template from scrap materials), the first panel is applied to the starting bar and the ends are inserted into the J-profile. Align the casing horizontally and screw it to the guides with self-tapping screws.
Advice. As is the case with conventional siding, fasteners should not be overtightened so as not to cause deformation of the panels. There should be a gap of 1 mm between the screw head and the vinyl.
Step 4. Panels in one row overlap each other by a few centimeters. They have additional end locks that hide the joints and give the sheathing a natural look. The final panel is trimmed so that its edges fit freely into the grooves of the J-profiles to compensate for thermal expansion.
If there are openings on the gables, additional jumpers are made in the frame along their perimeter, after which slope strips are attached along with other additional elements. This siding can be used to cover not only the pediment, but also bay windows, balconies, one of the floors or the entire house, the basement - the choice depends only on your preferences and capabilities.
Final finishing
Chip siding does not require additional finishing, and therefore the work with the gables is considered complete. As for the walls, there is still painting to be done to give the house the most attractive look. Plastered walls have a non-uniform, dirty color and cannot be left that way, while wooden paneling requires increased protection, which a coat of paint will provide.
In principle, wood can be treated with colorless impregnation or varnish, leaving the natural color of the material. But this finish is more typical of country - one of the areas of traditional American style. Therefore, for the walls you need to choose some pleasant color of a muted shade. You can choose one color for both wood paneling and plaster walls, or paint them in different shades, here everything depends on your imagination. The main thing is that the colors match each other and harmonize with the cladding of the gables.
For plastered areas, water-soluble paints based on acrylic and silicone are best suited. They are the most durable, resistant to fading, moisture and temperature changes. It is convenient to apply them with a roller or spray gun. Before painting, the walls must be brushed to remove dust and primed. The paint itself is applied in at least 2 layers - this way the color will be deep and uniform.
Wooden cladding can be painted with alkyd enamel or the same acrylic paint. Oil paints It is better not to use them, since they require frequent updating, and with a large area of painting this is very expensive. It is recommended to paint with a brush, carefully rubbing the composition along the fibers. Special attention should be given to the joints and ends of the sheathing. As a rule, 2-3 coats of paint are required to obtain an even shade, depending on the absorbency of the wood.
