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The most idyllic building material that encapsulates the feel of Federal architecture is a brick facade, often with bricks alternating between long side and short side. Palladium and arched transom windows are also prevalent, as are flat, white window lintels. More ornate Federal architecture buildings also include columns on either side of the front door. More important than most of the finer details, though, is the symmetry from the exterior. On the interior, ornate plaster moldings and plaster ceiling medallions are indicative of the style.

Open floor plans can come with drawbacks—mainly the lack of privacy and noise dampening. Walls act as an important barrier for traveling sounds, meaning in an open floor plan you could hear your dishwasher running while sitting in your living room. Storage limitations and separation of activities (for example, keeping the kid’s playroom away from the dining room) are other reasons some homeowners are opting out of an open floor plan.

Greek Revival and Federal architecture are quite similar in that they focus on symmetry and a blend of utilitarianism and opulence, but they differ in a few key areas. First, Federal architecture tends to include a brick facade, whereas Greek Revival homes more often have stucco siding, much like you’d find in Mediterranean houses. Greek Revival homes also tend to be a bit more ornate, with columns as decor, and more decorative and formal porticos.

Greek Revival architecture was popularized in America in the early- to mid-1800s, around the time when archaeologists were discovering buried ancient Greek buildings. As a means of celebrating the democratic government in ancient Greece, American architects borrowed from those newly discovered buildings as a way to emphasize that America would remain a democratic country in the wake of the American Revolution.