Adam Categorized under the Colonial umbrella, the gracefully proportioned Adam (or Federal) style was based on the work of the Scottish architect Robert Adam. Federal-style homes, originally popular from 1780 to 1820, are symmetrical, two-story, rectangular-shaped designs embellished with elliptical fan lights over the front door, curved wrought-iron stair railings and Palladian or Venetian windows. The fanlight over the front door may be incorporated into a more elaborate door with a decorative crown, a small porch or columns.