Colonial homes are designed in the style of houses built by America's first European settlers; homes that were an imitation of English building styles of medieval times. The traditional colonial home consists of a two story, square or rectangular house with steep, gabled roofs, a large, central door, a central chimney and fireplace, and an interior hallway off of which the home's rooms are found. This basic design has served as the jumping off point for a number of other house designs that continue to be popular to the present day. Here's a short list of the different styles of homes that make up what is generally recognized as colonial architecture.