Part of the joy of house-hunting in New Orleans is the architecture. The city’s historic homes come in a handful of distinctive styles, each with its own history and layout. Here is a quick field guide to what you will see.
The shotgun
The most iconic New Orleans home: one room wide, several rooms deep, with rooms opening directly into one another. Shotguns come as singles and doubles (a side-by-side duplex), and many have been reconfigured with hallways or additions. They are found across the city, from the Irish Channel to Bywater.
The Creole cottage
Dating to the early 1800s, the Creole cottage sits close to the sidewalk with a steep roof and four rooms, often with no hallway. You will find beautiful examples throughout the Marigny and French Quarter.
The camelback
A shotgun with a partial second floor at the rear — the “hump” that gives it its name. Camelbacks offer extra space while keeping the classic shotgun footprint and street presence.
The double-gallery house
Grand two-story homes with full-width galleries (porches) on both floors, often Greek Revival or Italianate. These line the avenues of the Garden District and Uptown.
The center-hall and raised-basement homes
Center-hall homes place a hallway down the middle with rooms on either side; raised homes lift the living floor above the ground for airflow and flood resilience — a practical New Orleans adaptation.
Bungalows and beyond
Craftsman bungalows and mid-century homes appear in areas like Mid-City and Lakeview, offering different layouts and, often, off-street parking.
Every style has its charms and its quirks. Tell our AI concierge the style you love, or talk with Kari to see which fits your life best.