Bringing Your Home to Life Through Design

Every home has its own individual story.

From raised arches and towered entryways to stone accent walls and vibrant color palettes, every element within a home is carefully designed around a specific style.

Just because your home was built with one design style in mind, however, doesn’t mean you can’t combine styles. The days of having the interior of the home match the exterior are a thing of the past.

“Nowadays you can mix modern and traditional styles — anything goes,” says Kathy Cioffi, vice president of design for Neal Signature Homes.

Neal Signature Homes, southwest Florida’s premier, private, luxury homebuilder, offers eight different design styles within its communities, including Country French, British West Indies, Spanish, Tuscan, Mediterranean, Coastal, Island and Neo Classical.

While each of the builder’s communities are built with a specific theme in mind, some of the larger communities may feature a mix of five different design styles utilizing various arches and color palettes.

“When you see a mix of arches in a neighborhood, it gives it more of a neighborhood feel,” says Kathy. “It makes it feel like a custom community with an assortment of design details.”

So how do you distinguish one style from another? Here’s your quick cheat sheet of highlights from each:

Country French typically features steeper pitched roofs, French Colonial glass on the entry doors, crossbars on the windows and stone accents. When it comes to color, Country French homes usually feature a neutral background with rich blue, burgundy and green accent tones.

Looking for something with a more of a traditional Florida feel? Neal Communities Mediterranean, British West Indies and Island elevations are perfect for homebuyers envisioning a more coastal look for their home.

Often characterized by entry tower elements, island shutters and brackets under the fascia, British West Indies homes feature light and fresh coastal color palettes with bright front doors.

Coastal and Island elevations are similar in style to the British West Indies style with the addition of hardy plank siding. Island-style homes also feature medium to small front porches.

“It gives a whole different look to the house,” says Kathy.

When it comes to architectural styles, it’s not uncommon for different styles to cross paths. Both Spanish and Tuscan elevations typically feature bracket details and arches, especially around the entryway, while Tuscan architecture also incorporates stonework. When it comes to color, both elevations feature cream or white palettes with dark accents.

Finding the perfect exterior design to fit your style is just the first step in building your dream home. From there, you can move into the interior of the home and begin creating a space that speaks to your own personal style. Whether it’s traditional colonial or coastal with a modern interior flair, anything goes when it comes to designing your dream home.

It’s important to remember that the interior of the home doesn’t necessarily have to match the exterior. The key is designing a beautiful space that fits your lifestyle, and we look forward to helping you bring your new home to life.