Home decorating is something that everyone does, however, the style of your home might vary depending on where you live. You have likely noticed these differences if you've ever watched any popular home improvement or travel shows. Nothing is as clear as to what continent you're one as it's when you're looking at homes. So, what are those differences, and how did they come about? Let's find out.
In this post, we look at the differences between the interior design of European and American homes. Knowing the differences and how they came about is a great way to help you find the best style for your home. After all, there is nothing wrong with combining the best of both worlds.
The differences between the two styles have been influenced by many factors, including geography, climate, culture and history. While European settlers brought their building knowledge to North America, they had to rely on available resources to build their new dwellings, which adapted over time.
As more people migrated to America, their home styles evolved while European homes stayed the same. Over the years, urban planning has also played a role in home design and style of living.
Size matters
One of the biggest differences between the two continents is size. American properties, including houses, condos and apartments, are significantly larger than the ones in Europe. While American homes continue to grow, European houses have remained static.
American properties are also larger, allowing more space between homes, while many European homes are smaller and clustered closer together. Larger properties also mean more outdoor spaces like backyards and a lot of space for families to spend time and entertain. There is a greater emphasis on insular living in America, where sprawling suburbs and car-dependent living.
In Europe, there is a greater emphasis on communal living and public spaces where people are more likely to socialize together. European neighborhoods are denser and allow people to have greater interaction with their neighbors as well as service providers and shopkeepers.
Layout and floor planning
American homes tend to be more open and spacious, while European homes are more compact and cozy. In an American home, you’re likely to find a living room, kitchen and dining room all in one big open space. On the other hand, in a European home, these rooms tend to be smaller and separated from each other.
With more available space, American families have more bedrooms and bathrooms, often including guest bedrooms. In Europe, most people have fewer bedrooms and only one or two bathrooms that the whole family shares. American construction also incorporates larger, built-in closets, while Europeans have freestanding wardrobes and dressers instead.
Decor
When it comes to decorating their homes, Americans focus more on comfort while Europeans emphasize tradition. In America, you’ll find large, cozy furniture with a preference for quality fabrics and luxurious materials. The furniture in American homes tends to be modern, while in Europe, there is a greater emphasis on traditional pieces of furniture.
Europeans are more likely to mix and match styles for a simplistic and elegant aesthetic. Their furniture tends to be wooden and heavier, often passed on through generations and built to stand the test of time. However, Europeans are also about function and minimalism, so you'll also see a lot of simple, streamlined decor in their apartments.
When it comes to kitchens, Europeans tend to prefer hidden appliances and under-cabinet lighting, whereas Americans use their appliances as a focal point and prefer recessed lighting. Wooden floors are common across both continents, with Americans also preferring carpets in some parts of the house, while Europeans favor stone and marble floors in the kitchen.
Energy efficiency
There is a higher emphasis on energy efficiency in European homes than there is in American ones. This trend doesn’t just focus on energy-efficient appliances. It also relates to how European homes are built and what materials are used to heat and cool them, including stone, brick and concrete. Most European governments also have more stringent laws that push for maximum energy efficiency and insulation.
European homes and apartments are generally smaller, making them easier to heat and cool. The materials used to build them stem from centuries of construction practices that were meant to cool and heat homes before there was air conditioning and indoor heating. This helps to keep the down energy costs for heating and cooling. Americans, on the other hand, don’t have the same approach to energy efficiency as Europeans do, and their homes are not built to maximize energy
While there are many differences in styles between the two continents, both styles are a great source of inspiration for any home. You can easily design your home in any style you like with our Planner 5D design software. Find inspiration and ideas from other users and try out the different design styles, using furniture and finishings from our extensive library of items. Whether your tastes lean more towards American or European design, we have it all.
American homes tend to be more open and spacious, while European homes are more compact and cozy. In an American home, you're likely to find a living room, kitchen and dining room all in one big open space. On the other hand, in a European home, these rooms tend to be smaller and separated from each other.
It's a philosophy that champions simplicity, practicality, and the beauty found in the everyday. From the sleek, minimalistic lines of Scandinavian interiors to the grandeur of neoclassical architecture in France, European design styles encapsulate this philosophy in diverse ways.
As for interior design preferences, both groups were drawn to using neutral decor, warm woods, and natural materials in their homes. Where they differed was in their ranking of design styles. Americans more often opted for minimalism as an interior design style, while Brits favored traditional over minimalist design.
European architecture emphasizes aesthetics, craftsmanship, and attention to detail. There is a tradition of designing buildings that blend harmoniously with their surroundings, leading to more ornate and context-sensitive designs. In contrast, American architecture leans towards functionalism and pragmatism.
A common characteristic of the European style design is the use of metals throughout the interior and exterior of the home. You'll often see gabled and hipped roofs and dormers around the top windows, and front porches with their own roofs supported by pillars and columns.
American homes tend to be more open and spacious, while European homes are more compact and cozy. In an American home, you're likely to find a living room, kitchen and dining room all in one big open space. On the other hand, in a European home, these rooms tend to be smaller and separated from each other.
European style home plans often use brick or stone and include high steeply pitched roofs, tall windows often with shutters, and traditional ornamental details like pediments and keystones. Arched openings are another common feature of European homes.To see more european house plans try our advanced floor plan search.
In Europe, homes are smaller, made from more robust materials, and the people living there spend more time interacting with neighbors and the rest of the community. On the other hand, Americans prefer an isolated living style, so they build bigger houses and have much larger yards.
French houses tend to be older with thatched roofs, flat roofs, and cellars, while American houses have shingled roofs and no cellars. Bathrooms in French houses combine the shower, vanity and bidet in one room while separating the toilet in another smaller room, unlike American single-room bathrooms.
American design tends to take pieces of other styles, mix them together, and claim them as our own. Hollywood Regency does just that, combining elements of 19th century Regency, Art Deco, and mid-century modern design styles to create spaces that are sleek and modern but also opulent and over-the-top.
The difference in the set up is that the dinner fork would come first and the salad fork second, plate with napkin, salad knife, and dinner knife. The reason for the difference is that in Europe, salad is frequently served after the entrée instead of before the entrée.
Romanesque – from the end of the 10th century to the 12th century. Gothic – 12th to 16th century. Renaissance – early 15th century to early 16th century. Baroque – late 16th century in Italy and continued in Germany and colonial South America until the 18th century.
Houses in the UK are smaller. Actually, they are a lot smaller. The average house size in the UK is 818 sqft (square feet). Compare that to the average house in the US at 2,164 sqft and you can see that things really are bigger in the US.
Anything that takes you back to the Victorian era and features minimalist furniture, light colors, open floor plans, high ceiling, or opulent molding is considered a classic European design. Other styles borrow from nature with an emphasis on simplicity and functionality.
European homes tend to be built with concrete or wood and older homes from stone, and the walls tend to be built thicker. European roofing almost always uses clay tiles, adding a minimum of 50 years of protection.
“European Style" is a very broad term encompassing many strong style influences and overlapping design styles, such as Tuscan, Italian, Spanish, English and French. Each country's architecture has diversity within its regional style, and was greatly influenced by travel across these varied regions.
European design utilizes natural substances such as terracotta tile, marble, stone, brick, stucco, and hardwood materials. You will often see two materials incorporated into ones space to create a balance between textures. Stone and marble are two elements that we love to see together.
In general, European hotel rooms tend to feel a bit more outdated and old-fashioned than American hotel rooms. They sometimes mimic the style of an inn or a bed and breakfast, especially if they're on the more inexpensive side. Even the more expensive hotels often have the tendency to feel somewhat old.
Many Europeans appreciate classic and timeless fashion. You'll often see people wearing well-tailored clothing, such as blazers, trench coats, and well-fitted trousers. Quality and durability are valued, so investment pieces that last are common.
Introduction: My name is Aracelis Kilback, I am a nice, gentle, agreeable, joyous, attractive, combative, gifted person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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