Don Gardner has some nice plans.

Here is a link that might be useful: Don Gardner House Plans

It would help to know what part of the country you are in, what general size of house, and if you want it to be conventional traditional, historic traditional, or a more modern design.

The website plan mills are mostly grab bags of eclectic styles by many designers of greatly varying skills, some of which are included in as many as 6 different architectural classifications.

Don't start looking for a design before making a complete list of the important elements you want in the house and an idea of the size and the general category of design style because you will only spin your wheels and be tempted to lower your standards to what is easily available.

Southern Living's house plans has the best website I've found www.slhouseplans.com and is the site we found all our plans. They do not list simply southern homes and have a good search engine along with plans that have won "Best Home of Year" status. Frank Betz and Don Gardner Homes also are very popular with members of this site (many Frank Betz plans are on the SL site).

Thanks I,m not in the market yet I just want to start getting ideas about what styles I,m drawn to . The house its self will probly depend alot on the lay of the land we buy, hill view ect.

Here is a place to begin understanding American residential architectural styles although it seems to have a few styles jumbled together and some are missing. It's difficult to find a complete accounting of all of them but this site is more accurate than what you will find on a plans-for-sale site.

Here is a link that might be useful: American house styles

Here is another partially complete internet guide.

Here is a link that might be useful: House Styles

This is probably the same info as the earlier link but it's organized differently and includes a good section on "Neo" House Styles that even includes a McMansion.

Here is a link that might be useful: more house styles

These are all great thanks for posting them.

Now's the time to start your idea notebook. And be sure to include negatives as well as positives. Sometimes we know at once what we like (dormers or hip roofs or french doors) and sometimes we just have to keep collecting ideas until we can figure out what draws --or repels-- us to a particular form. Interestingly, many people are more able to determine that they don't like a particular style than to choose what they do like. Just don't ever choose something because someone else likes it! Your notebook should reflect *your* preferences, not anybody else's.

Once you do find your preferred style, whether Craftsman or Colonial or any of the other thousand styles, it will be easier to make subsequent choices --- those who love Victorian aren't going to be searching Craftsman sites or vice versa.

Photographs and renderings, especially on the internet, don't tell you enough so you are likely to get worn out and discouraged from looking. It's not an easy task.

I find it is far better to walk around and photograph what you like on a nice day. If you don't live near nice houses take a trip to the Boston area; it's all here.