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Few franchises have influenced American culture like “James Bond” has—and that includes architecture. Manicured estates, Prairie-style house plans and well-furnished lodges provide more than incredible film sets and backdrops for the movies. They spark inspiration and are easier to imitate on your own property than you might think. Below, you’ll find 50 essential buildings from…

Every state and territory in the United States has strict and specific requirements for architects. At a minimum, they must possess a bachelor’s degree in architecture and be licensed to practice in that state, as well as have a business license and liability insurance. When you learn how to hire an architect, the project usually…

Paul Revere Williams’ astonishing architectural career spanned the growth of Hollywood. Between the 1920s and his retirement in 1973, he designed over 2,000 private L.A. homes – many for Hollywood creatives such as Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball, and Johnny Weissmuller. Wealthy, open-minded clients like this allowed Williams enviable creative freedom and earned him his nickname:…

A well-designed house can lend comfort, inspiration and functionality to a homeowner. Soothing colors bring on a good night’s sleep, while the sitting room layout can turn a small gathering into an unforgettable evening. It’s not all about the inside, either – exterior design can skyrocket curb appeal and create a private outdoor living area…

Buckingham Palace is a historical building, cultural icon and home to Queen Elizabeth II (and her army of corgis). This enormous, instantly recognizable building has served as the official London residence of the UK’s sovereigns since 1837. In order to pay tribute to this architectural feat, we decided to create a complete floor plan (and a…

Everybody wonders whether the real Mona Lisa’s smile was so enigmatic, or whether the figure in The Scream was actually just a bored spaniel. But architecture in paintings can be just as mysterious. An artist might express hidden themes and meanings through the way they portray their buildings or hint at impenetrable spaces that can…

Binge-watch the best TV series long enough and you may notice that a house you recognize is being used as a home by a show’s characters. Sometimes these borrowed homes have fictional addresses – a house in Brentford might act as a character’s home in Bel-Air, for example. Other times, the houses are built as…

Frank Lloyd Wright sought not just to mold the architectural legacy of the US but to change the very way Americans lived their lives. And he succeeded: even if you’re not one of the few who are fortunate enough to call a Wright residence home, the influence of his staggeringly long and wide-ranging career is…

HomeAdvisor created 3D-looking digital renderings from popular video games. Check out these 8-bit-like buildings or structures from Final Fantasy, Zelda, Bioshock, Assassin’s Creed, Dark Souls, Half-Life.

Whether you’re researching for a school assignment or to help define your dream home to a local architect, there’s a lot to learn about these overlapping architectural styles. Let’s start with a quick summary of the basics. What was the Renaissance? Most historians place the Renaissance period between the 14th and 17th centuries, a period…