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French-Inspired House Styles

By Jackie Craven, About.com

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French Normandy House Style

Half-timbering and towers

French Normandy House Style

Photo from Clipart.com
Some French style homes borrow ideas from Normandy, where barns were attached to the living quarters. Grain or ensilage was stored in a central turret. The Norman Cottage is a cozy and romantic style that features a small round tower topped by a cone-shaped roof. Other Normandy homes resemble miniature castles with arched doorways set in imposing towers.

Like Tudor style houses, 20th-century French Normandy homes may have decorative half-timbering. Unlike Tudor style homes, however, houses influenced by French styles do not have a dominant front gable.

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