Why More People are Choosing Mediterranean House Plans

If you’re considering building a new home, it can be very difficult to choose a house plan. There are almost unlimited styles available, each with its own distinct advantages. However, some home plans have already stood the test of time and continue to be favorites for new generations of home owners. One such house plan is the Mediterranean.

Mediterranean style homes are on the rise again, with people across the U.S. choosing this look for its classic stylishness, its breezy layout, and its excellent use of space. Here are a few elements of a Mediterranean house plan that make it stand out as one of the best choices:

• Stylish stucco exterior – Mediterranean homes from ancient times to today have brilliant white or tinted stucco plaster exteriors. The original lime plaster, like today’s modern stucco, is a strong, pliable, natural material that helps maintain a constant interior temperature while creating an attractive texture. For an upper class Roman villa look, stucco and stone elements can be interspersed, while a Spanish mission look might use red brick instead. Either looks fabulous with a tiled roof.

• Courtyard or atrium – The key feature of a Mediterranean house plan is a central courtyard that the surrounding rooms open into, creating both beauty and a semi-open floor plan. Traditionally, you would enter the home through a small atrium which opens directly onto the central garden. In many modern house plans, the atrium and courtyard are combined or a high-ceilinged central atrium/living room completely replaces the courtyard.

• Cool in the summer – The Mediterranean is prone to high summer temperatures, but still has a reasonably chilly winter. In ancient times, that meant the challenge of a good house plan was to make it breezy and cool without losing insulating qualities. Unsurprisingly, the most enduring Mediterranean house plans meet both these requirements. Because each room opens onto the next and/or onto a central space, breezes from open windows on any side of the house circulate freely throughout the entire home.

• Adaptability– Mediterranean house plans are some of the most adaptable. Just as some people prefer a central living room rather than a central courtyard, others like to have several of the surrounding rooms open completely onto that central space, such as an open kitchen and dining area. Using a U-shaped design can also allow the central “courtyard” to open directly onto the back yard while still maintaining privacy. This is a common Spanish Creole and French Colonial house plan in the New World.

What kinds of house plans are you considering?

Pictured Above: Our Mediterranean home plan "Dentro".

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