Everything You Need to Know About Tudor Homes

While we can all appreciate a home that showcases tall columns and grand architecture, there is just something so wonderful about a small home. A house that reeks nostalgic charm is so inviting and welcoming. And Tudor-style homes do just that.

Whether they are large or small, a Tudor home promises comfort, making you feel like the king of your own castle. It provides history and imagination all in one. If you ever get the opportunity to live in a Tudor home, please move right in. Take a look at these Tudor homes and you’ll learn everything you need to know about them, as if you needed help convincing.

History of Tudor Homes

There are those who would argue that Tudor style actually began back in the Tudor period and they would be partially right. Between the 14 and 1600’s, so many buildings resembled the castle that we all associate with medieval England. That would be the original Tudor style. However, the Tudor homes we’re talking about here are definitely not castles. Sometimes called Tudor Revival or Mock Tudor, these homes were inspired by the aspects of rustic medieval cottages.

In the mid to late 19th century, many architects in the UK were inspired to leave off the faceted towers and sprawling floor plans of Tudor in favor of mullioned windows and half timbering. Across Europe, so many were finding the quaint medieval cottage look more to their taste. And the trend hit America just in time for the Arts and Crafts Movement. Being expensive to build with the use of so much brick and stone, these homes were often a style chosen by the wealthy. You could always find those classic Tudor elements like elaborate chimneys and pitched roofs and sometimes there was even a tower, harkening back to the days of kings and queens. Nowadays, any of these Tudor style homes being built are modified to fit our standardized floor plans but you can still spot the classic styles of the past.

Interior of Tudor Homes

Get ready for a mess of medieval spaces because when you live in a Tudor home, you can’t help but lean that way. You’ll find that sometimes, whatever covers the walls of the exterior makes its way inside. Tudor houses might have brick, stone or stucco featured around the house, giving you a jumping point for your decor.

If you don’t have any of those elements, you can probably count of some wood paneled walls someplace in your home. Not the bad kind of paneling, the good kind. With a bold moulding and a rich stain, you’ll find yourself loving brown more than you ever thought you would and embracing all the wooden walls.

Those pitched ceilings can create some cramped attics or some spacious living spaces. Obviously we prefer the latter. With a high ceiling that comes to a point, it provides the perfect spot for open beams, making your room feel cozier.

Since your eyes are already drawn upward with the height, don’t be afraid to make a statement out of it. Hang curtains high to make those Tudor windows look even bigger. Showcase windows in interesting high places. Hang art above the level you normally would. Fill the space to it’s full capacity with interest.

If it works in your floor plan, consider upgrading your staircase with a balcony. High ceilings are just asking for a spot to look up to and there is no better opportunity for a Juliet worthy balcony than a Tudor style home. Choose between wood spindles or iron, depending on the look you’re going for.

While you’re looking up, you may have noticed the penchant for medieval lighting in Tudor homes. Lots of candles on an iron ring is nostalgic and seems appropriate for King Arthur and his knights. Obviously you don’t have to have real candles on your chandelier but if you’d like the illusion, get the flickering light bulbs.

So you aren’t a fan of iron lighting. No problem. Find a chandelier of fairytale proportions with lots of curlycues and candle lighting. Of course if you can afford the dripping crystals, that’s the best choice but you could also opt for wooden beads and get a similar effect.

When you live in an old home, it’s important to keep as many of the unique nuances as possible. So before you think about tearing out walls in your Tudor home, consider what you’ll be losing in demolishing the vintage shapely doorways. You won’t find those kinds of lines anywhere else.{found on traditionalhome}.

Leaded windows are such a cottage like feature in a house. Thankfully you’ll find them in many Tudor homes. That lattice design will give you a pattern to pull from before you bring anything else into your home. Plus, your house will look amazing inside and outside.

Lattice patterns aren’t the only patterns you’ll find in your Tudor. Some of them are much more intricate, boasting a good bit of stain glass. Then not only do you get the pattern but you also basically have a built in work of art on the wall.

Does your Tudor home have a fireplace? If so, it’s most likely the eye catching piece in your living room. Rather than painting it or downsizing, embrace that grandeur to the fullest. Style out your mantle and arrange your living room so you catch sight of that beautiful piece no matter where you sit.

Some Tudor homes have a tower on them. If you’re lucky enough to have that feature, you gain some magical square footage. Towers can be decorated into lovely office areas, breakfast nooks or even a giant window seat for reading. You’ll be able to bask in the sunlight all day without moving a muscle.

What about a Tudor kitchen? Well let’s look to the main space occupier, the cabinets. Cabinets in a Tudor home are usually wood and sometimes you get those fun accents underneath the countertop. If that seems a little boring to you, replace some plain cabinet doors with paned ones so you can show off your medieval dishes.

Like the fireplace, the stove is your main eye catcher in your Tudor kitchen and you can achieve that with a range hood. It might already have one and if so, decorate your kitchen around it. If your range is hoodless, seriously consider installing one to complete your medieval kitchen feel.

What happens if your Tudor home has been remodeled recently? How do you put that vintage charm back into the space? Start with the walls. Go crazy with paneling and trim and moulding. Even if you paint over it all, it will add back that authenticity that so much remodeling takes away.

Exterior of Tudor Homes

A Tudor is very noticeable from the outside. Those half timbered walls give it away instantly. However if that’s just a little too medieval for you, you can always paint the timber a lighter color that will blend better with the other stone or brick of your house.

Love the big statement but don’t love brown? Tudors aren’t required to be brown to keep their style. Paint your half timber in a dark popping color like navy or deep teal. It will help you modernize your Tudor home without losing any of the charm.

While we’re considering painting, why not just flip flop the whole color scheme? Paint your stucco areas darker and your half timber lighter. Suddenly your house becomes unique, even if it’s on a whole block of Tudor homes.

Sometimes the most memorable houses are the ones that are painted a different color, especially when they aren’t on a beach. Who wouldn’t want to live in a fairy tale pink Tudor home? Or maybe bright green is more your style. It just might be worth taking the risk to have the best home you could ever find.

Of course most Tudor homes aren’t completely covered in stucco and half timber. You’ll often find variations of stone and brick as well. If it’s an older home, this might require a bit of restoring on your part but in the end, it will be worth the price to beautify such a classic home.

You’ve probably already identified those steep roofs on Tudor homes. They’re a basic element of the style. However usually Tudor homes won’t have a flat roof. Instead, you’ll find gables on gables, sometimes in various sizes. It helps break up all those shingles and keep the visual interest going.

Some of the old Tudor homes have a tower on them. It might be at the entrance or it might be on some corner, but it really gives your home that castle feel. Embrace it and style around it because you can bet that every kid on the block wishes they lived in your house.

While it might not have a tower, many Tudor style homes have some kind of curved window accent on the exterior. While this is fun to style on the inside, it can be tricky on the outside. The goal is to make it look like part of your home and not stick out like an eyesore. Use landscaping to bring the whole thing together.

There isn’t a Tudor home around that doesn’t feature mullioned windows someplace in the design. It might be on a protruding tower or it might be across your living room wall. Give them extra style with multi paned glass instead of basic frames.

Or go the extra mile with leaded windows. If you think that lattice pattern looks amazing on the inside, you should see what it looks like on the outside. It gives the perfect backdrop for a cottage garden and wispy landscaping.

Let’s talk about Tudor style doors. No basic delivered from the hardware store door is going to be right for your Tudor. Tudor homes have rounded doorways. Often they include a small window and look like they’re made out of wood. Very appropriate for a home trying to look like a medieval peasants cottage.

Do you have a garage on your Tudor home? Yes, even your garage doors should be rounded at the top. Why you ask? Because it looks like you should find a horse behind that door instead of a care. Just the look you want for a classic Tudor home.

When you find a Tudor style home that has kept is original details, you’ll probably see lantern lighting. It only makes sense with the style you’re going for. If you are the more modern sort, plain lantern lighting will do the trick on your Tudor porch. But if you want to go all out, find some lantern lighting with fancy details.

Don’t forget to add a pop of color to your Tudor style home. Whether you achieve that in your architecture, your landscaping or just a bright front door, color will bring your home up to date without losing any quality charm.

Landscaping has changed a lot over the years. But back in medieval days, it wasn’t as much landscaping as plants on your property. Give your front yard that authentic look with overgrown ferns, feathery grasses and wild roses. You’ll feel like you stepped into the English countryside. {found on traditionalhome}.

Beautiful Tudor homes

Every home is, of course, unique so you can expect a lot of the features mentioned earlier to be combined in all sorts of different ways and to take a variety of different forms. You can get a taste of how that can be put into practice by checking out a few projects like the ones below.

A refreshed Tudor home in Minnesota

This is a Tudor home located in Minneapolis, Minnesota which had plenty of charm on the outside but was in need of a major update on the inside. It was up to SALA Architects to come with a plan to make that happen. The owners wanted a refreshed interior design more in line with their lifestyle and they also wanted to improve the overall curb appeal of the house without however doing too much on the exterior.

The entire interior was redesigned and got a more refined and user-oriented look and feel. What was once a fairly useless den became a beautiful staircase filled with light. The lower level was restructured and opened up allowing the areas to better communicate with one another and the upper level was remodeled as well to make space for a new laundry room. The modifications done to the outside were kept in a fairly similar style to the original design of this beautiful Tudor home.

A modernized English Tudor home in Minnesota

This is a house with plenty of space inside, 7,836 square feet of living space to be more exact. These are divided into four bedrooms, several bathrooms and plenty of open and spacious living areas. It’s a grand home designed in a classic English Tudor style but it also has a strong modern vibe both on the inside and the outside. The eclectic design was a collaboration between studios Hendel Homes and Vivid Interior Design.

The location was quite important for determining the design direction of this project. The house has really nice views which the architects and designers made sure to take advantage of. They gave the house large windows and doors which frame the beautiful scenery and allowed the interior areas to easily expand outside and to link up with the landscape. Of course, the interior looks and feels very welcoming and has lots of character while maintaining a simple and classical vibe.

A lakeside Tudor home in Seattle

This is a house that was originally built back in 1931 so it has a long and rich history. Its current owners wanted to preserve that but also wanted to make it more suitable for a modern lifestyle. They worked closely with studios DeForest Architects and Ore Studios to renovate this whole place and they focused mainly on the interior. The exterior would remains as close to the original as possible.

The interior of this 5,000 square foot Tudor home was completely re-imagined and transformed. The layout and circulation were optimized and everything was toned down and simplified. The kitchen was moved from its original place to the garden-facing side of the house and how gets to enjoy a lovely view and a beautiful connection to the outdoors. The main living areas were clustered together into a large open space but retain the welcoming appeal and coziness of the original home. There’s also a new staircase that connects the two floors and lots of charming little details sprinkled throughout this entire place.