Maryland’s Top 10 Rising Home Styles To Watch In 2026
Maryland homeowners are getting ready for some exciting changes in the housing world. Fresh architectural trends are popping up all over the state, blending classic charm with modern innovation.
Whether you’re building new or remodeling, these rising home styles will shape neighborhoods from Baltimore to the Eastern Shore.
1. Modern Farmhouse
Picture white walls meeting rustic wood beams in the most unexpected ways. Modern Farmhouse style grabs that cozy country vibe and shakes it up with clean lines and metal accents.
Your kitchen gets shiplap backsplashes while your bathroom rocks matte black fixtures. Big windows flood every room with natural light, making spaces feel twice their actual size.
Barn doors slide open to reveal walk-in pantries stocked with mason jars and woven baskets. Open floor plans connect your cooking zone straight to the living area, so nobody misses the conversation.
2. Craftsman
Handcrafted details make Craftsman homes stand out like a custom leather jacket in a sea of mass-produced coats. Thick columns support deep porches where you can actually sit and watch the neighborhood.
Built-in bookcases and window seats become your favorite reading nooks without even trying. Wood trim frames every doorway and window like little works of art. Low-pitched roofs with wide overhangs keep rain off your porch furniture during summer storms.
Stone or brick accents ground the design, giving your home that solid, been-here-forever feeling Maryland loves.
3. Contemporary
Forget everything you thought homes should look like. Contemporary design throws out the rulebook and builds something completely fresh.
Glass walls erase the line between your living room and backyard, making nature part of your decor. Flat or slightly sloped roofs create dramatic silhouettes against Maryland sunsets.
Mixed materials like concrete, steel, and natural wood play together in ways that shouldn’t work but absolutely do. Your neighbors might raise eyebrows at first, then secretly wish they’d been brave enough to build something this bold.
4. Colonial Revival
Symmetry brings calm to chaotic streets. Colonial Revival homes balance perfectly down the middle, with your front door sitting dead center like a bullseye.
Shutters flank every window, even though they haven’t closed in decades. Brick exteriors age gracefully, developing character instead of looking worn out.
Columns frame your entrance, making even a Tuesday trip to grab the mail feel slightly presidential. Two-story layouts give families room to spread out, with bedrooms upstairs far enough from the kitchen that morning coffee makers won’t wake sleeping teens.
5. Mid-Century Modern
When your grandparents were young, architects designed homes that still look futuristic today. Mid-Century Modern brings back those groovy vibes with horizontal lines stretching across facades.
Floor-to-ceiling windows turn walls into transparent barriers that barely exist. Open floor plans invented here make entertaining feel effortless and natural.
Sliding glass doors connect indoor spaces to patios designed for atomic-age cocktail parties. Wood paneling adds warmth without the stuffiness of traditional designs, proving retro never really goes out of style in Maryland neighborhoods.
6. Tudor Revival
Half-timbered facades transport you straight to an English countryside you’ve only seen in movies. Tudor Revival homes wear their decorative woodwork like bold fashion statements.
Steep roofs peak dramatically, shedding Maryland snow and rain like water off a duck. Tall, narrow windows with diamond-paned glass add character without sacrificing light.
Brick and stucco team up to create a texture that flat siding could never match. Stone chimneys anchor the design, promising cozy fires on cold winter nights when Chesapeake winds howl outside your fairy-tale fortress.
7. Minimalist Urban
Less becomes more when you strip away everything unnecessary. Minimalist Urban style cuts straight to the essentials, leaving clean lines and functional beauty.
White, gray, and black dominate the palette, letting architectural forms do the talking. Zero decorative trim means your eye focuses on proportions and materials instead of fussy details.
Large windows punctuate smooth walls like carefully placed punctuation marks. Storage hides behind seamless cabinet doors, keeping clutter out of sight so your brain can finally relax in spaces designed for modern Maryland living.
8. Traditional Brick
Brick never apologizes for being brick. Traditional Brick homes embrace their material honestly, wrapping entire exteriors in earthy red, brown, or tan tones.
No painting, no siding replacement, just solid masonry that laughs at Maryland weather. Gabled roofs top rectangular floor plans that maximize usable square footage without weird angles stealing closet space.
Symmetrical window placement creates a visual rhythm that feels comfortable rather than boring. Your maintenance to-do list shrinks dramatically when the exterior basically takes care of itself for generations.
9. Coastal Cottage
How do you bottle that Eastern Shore vacation feeling and pour it into everyday living? Coastal Cottage style answers with breezy porches and weathered wood finishes.
Light blues, soft grays, and crisp whites reflect sunshine and salty air. Shingle siding weathers beautifully, developing a silvery patina that screams authenticity.
Covered porches wrap around corners, creating outdoor rooms for every time of day. Casual layouts prioritize comfort over formality, letting sandy feet and wet dogs feel welcome instead of like home-wrecking disasters.
10. Smart Home Designs
Your house can finally think for itself. Smart Home Designs weave technology into every wall, floor, and ceiling.
Lights adjust automatically based on time of day, while thermostats learn your schedule better than you know it yourself. Voice commands control everything from window shades to door locks, making you feel like a sci-fi character.
Solar panels and battery systems turn your roof into a power plant that might actually pay you. Security cameras and sensors create invisible shields, letting Maryland homeowners travel without worry or sleepless nights.
