One of the popular home styles in Lawrence is the craftsman style, such as this home shown above.

What’s your style? When buying or building a home, the style you pick will have an impact on the way you live your life.

When researching what house style is best for you, think about how you live day to day. For example, do you like to entertain large groups? Do you have physical needs that require one-level living? If you have children, do you want their bedrooms on the same floor as yours?

Some of the more popular home styles in Lawrence are:

Craftsman, or Arts and Crafts Style — also known as the bungalow style, this home type has overhanging eaves, a low-pitched gabled roof, and a wide front porch with tapered, square columns. The home is built with lots of rough wood, stone and stucco. Inside is an open floor plan with wood built-in cabinets and shelving.

Prairie Style — Developed by Frank Lloyd Wright, this type of home is built with low, horizontal lines and open interior spaces, a low-pitched roof, and a central chimney. It also has clerestory windows, which are narrow bands of windows located high on top of a wall.

Victorian — Known for steep roofs, complicated shapes, front-facing gables, a wrap-around porch, and elaborate decorative trim. In Lawrence, the square-shaped National Folk, the curved lines and turrets of the Queen Anne, and the mansard roof-design of the Second Empire are all popular Victorian styles.

Colonial Revival — Popular throughout the 20th century, this style matches the elements of Colonial design (rectangular shape, symmetrical façade, two to three stories, simple detailing, and multi-pane, double-hung windows with shutters) with elegant entrances, central entry-hallways, and staircases. The main living area is on the first floor, with the bedrooms on the upper floors. The living room is large with a fireplace as the focal point, with more fireplaces throughout the home.

Ranch — Known for one-level living and an efficient use of space, ranch homes are built in a rectangular shape, or in variations of an L or U shape. Most have an open floor plan, lower pitched roof and attached garage. These homes can be handicapped accessible and easier to navigate as people age. Also, Ranch homes are energy efficient because of the single-level low profile. Today, many are a hybrid ranch style, with design elements added from other popular home styles. Plus, there is the split-level ranch, where one section of the house is lowered and another section is raised, with short flights of stairs leading from one level to the next.

Perhaps the most important aspect to consider when choosing a home style is where the lot is located. If you own land, then you can build any style house you want. However, if you purchase a lot in a new home development, you will more than likely choose a style from home plans approved by the developer, who wants the new neighborhood to have a cohesive appearance.