From intown to the suburbs, communities are taking cues from the past. Neighborhoods boasting homes with Craftsman, Charleston and Victorian-era details are attracting buyers bored with ubiquitous two-story contemporaries.

"They want something that reminds them of Grandma's house," said Mike Baptist, president of Haven Properties and a board member of the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association.

Christopher Oquendo/Special (ENLARGE)

Susan and Keith Bentley say their new neighborhood feels homier.

Christopher Oquendo/Special (ENLARGE)

A modern kitchen meets Craftsman style at the Bentleys' home.

Christopher Oquendo/Special (ENLARGE)

The wide trim on the windows at a Riley's Walk home is a Craftsman touch.

Berkeley Village (ENLARGE)

The townhomes in Berkeley Village have Craftsman touches.

Christopher Oquendo/Special (ENLARGE)

The Hallorans' kitchen opens onto a living room with a traditional stone fireplace.

Christopher Oquendo/Special (ENLARGE)

Jim and Diane Halloran are happy to live at Valley Farm.

Christopher Oquendo/Special (ENLARGE)

The Victorian homes at Valley Farm are full of charm, resident Dorothy Anne Voegeli says.

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The dining room takes on a traditional feel.

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This home at Clubside Estates has several porches and is designed to remind buyers of grandparents' homes.

He noticed buyers seeking the look after 9/11, when people were worried about traveling and staying home instead. There was an increase in demand for historical touches, from porch columns to shutters to front doors, that Baptist believes help fill the desire to "remember a better time."

There's always been a segment of the market seeking Craftsman-style homes, builder Tom McClure said. But he's seen a rise in popularity this decade. While it may seem trendy, he said it's a "tested and true" classic look.

"Now what people are wanting is more of a period look," he said. "They want something that looks like it was built 80 years ago."

Just like people restoring vintage automobiles, buyers are seeking the charming details that Craftsman-style homes offer, such as wider square-cut trim around the windows and larger roof overhangs, said Randy Justice, managing partner of Berkeley Village Partners.

"I think it's a little nostalgic. I think our life has gotten so complicated and hectic. More people are going back to a simpler time," he said.

Buyers want user-friendly homes that make a warm first impression. The porches aren't just for show, but are usable, and instead of a "4-by-4 post, they want really cool posts," said Baptist, who is building homes with what he calls "historically accurate" features in communities including Tributary at New Manchester, Hawthorne at Lost Mountain, Chestatee and Le Jardin.

Buyers notice aspects on the front porch, such as tapered, stone-accented columns, before anything else, said Ann Richardson, vice president of Richardson Housing Group, which builds Gwinnett County communities such as Hollowtone, Wynterberry Parke and Castleberry Hills.

She believes the colors and textures in Craftsman-style homes create a feeling of warmth.

"I think it's going to be strong for a quite a while," she said.

At another Gwinnett County neighborhood, Buchanan Station in Norcross, McClure Construction Co. is building homes with decorative brick and stonework, period columns and large front porches.

"It's what people are wanting," McClure said.

Here are four communities offering these hot housing styles.

CLUBSIDE ESTATES

In a market flooded with brick traditional homes, builder Daphine Dixon thinks buyers can relate to Charleston-style homes and Southern Living floor plans that she and husband Danny Dixon are creating at Clubside Estates in Monroe.

"These are the type of homes that maybe their grandparents have had, and they see them when they go on vacation. It gives more of a homey feel," she said.

Location: Monroe

Price range: low $400,000s

Style: Charleston-style single-family homes

Number of homes: 80

Special feature: Porches with tongue-and-groove flooring and ceiling fans

BERKELEY VILLAGE

Berkeley Village builder Randy Justice has seen the transition from brick traditional and ranch homes to Craftsman-style residences, which he started offering about three years ago.

"The Craftsman style really took off intown. I think just now builders are doing Craftsman-style or Craftsman-influenced homes in the suburbs," Justice said.

Location: Decatur

Price range: $249,900-$290,000

Style: Craftsman-style townhomes

Number of homes: 60, when complete

Special feature: Walking distance to Avondale Estates

VALLEY FARM

Dorothy Anne Voegeli just happened upon Valley Farm when she and a friend stopped to use the restroom off I-20 on the way to Lake Oconee one day.

"I felt like I just stepped back into time," she said.

She was living in a ranch in the Chastain Park area, witnessing the construction of McMansions near her neighborhood. So she persuaded her husband, Bill, to stop by the new Madison community on their way to the Masters in Augusta.

They bought the first completed home in Valley Farm. That was almost nine years ago, and she has been thrilled with the move.

"This place is fabulous. It's just got charm," she said.

Location: Madison

Price range: $300,000s-$400,000s

Style: Victorian

Number of homes: 43 completed (about 85 percent built out)

Special feature: Restored 1870 farmhouse serves as the community clubhouse.

RILEY'S WALK

Susan Bentley adores the details in her new home: the arched front entryway, dormer windows, shake and stacked stone exterior, tapered columns and metal roof on the porch, six-pane glass door, and wainscoting in the dining room and master bedroom.

"I've always liked the Craftsman-style homes. My great-grandmother's house was an original Craftsman bungalow. That style has always appealed to me," said Bentley, who moved into Riley's Walk with husband, Keith, last year.

Her four-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath house by Monte Hewett Homes is painted gray with white trim. She believes these styles appeal to baby boomers like herself, especially having grown up in a small town in South Carolina.

"We [previously] had a typical Gwinnett County brick two-story traditional home that we loved to pieces, and we loved our old neighborhood,. But it's different here," she said. "It just evokes a feeling of hometown to us."

Location: Smyrna

Price range: $540,000s-$600,000

Style: Craftsman-style single-family homes

Number of homes: 26

Special feature: Walking distance to Smyrna's Market Village