Bay Area Home Styles: Spotlight on the Edwardian

Edwardian-style homes in San Francisco.

This is the sixth installment in a series of bimonthly posts about architecture styles, each dedicated to a popular home type that can be found in the Bay Area.

The Edwardian architectural style gained popularity in the early 1900s (approximately 1901-1914).  The style is named in correspondence with and in honor of the reign of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, Queen Victoria’s son. The well-known and easily identifiable Victorian home actually refers to a style born during her reign (1837–1901).

The Edwardian-style home takes influences from Victorian, Art Nouveau, Georgian, and Arts and Crafts architecture. In fact, the popular Craftsman-style home was being built at nearly the same time (1905-1929) as the Edwardian.

What makes an Edwardian an Edwardian? For one, it relaxed the heavy, ornate style used in Victorian architecture. Edwardian homes brought back a simpler, classic look but still included external decorative touches to reflect wealth. Generally, Edwardian houses were painted lighter colors and featured less complex ornamental patterns, both inside and out. While the Victorian was filled to the brim with furniture and decorative elements, the Edwardian was all about less clutter. These homes were built at a time when gas and electricity were being introduced to dwellings, and this is reflected in the lighter, airy style.

Inside, the Edwardian was fresh and light, with floral patterns and pastel colors. Bamboo and wicker furniture was used, ceilings were tall, wallpaper was cheerful, and fireplaces were smaller. Stained glass was still prevalent, but woodwork was generally less elaborate.

According to the Bold Italic in its Guide to San Francisco Architecture, “Edwardian homes are highly concentrated in areas that were rebuilt after the fire, such as in the south of Market, downtown, and Mission neighborhoods.” And, according to a The Culture Trip article, “There are actually more Edwardian-style homes in San Francisco than the famed Victorians.” Again, this is due to the 1906 earthquake and fire that destroyed so many homes in the city.

Is it a Victorian or an Edwardian? SFGate helps break down the difference in styles in this blog post. And this Know Your Architectural Styles article from Curbed SF links to a great visual timeline.

Many public buildings that were constructed in the British Empire during the Edwardian era used the Edwardian Baroque style. Its characteristics draw from the style of Sir Christopher Wren (England, 17th century) and French architecture of the 18th century. Sometimes this architecture is referred to as “Wrenaissance” style. Hallmarks of Edwardian Baroque include rusticated facades, arched openings, domed corner rooftop pavilions, and grand central columns. Large, open spaces were common. Click here for a list of examples of Edwardian Baroque architecture from around the world.

If you are a house hunter looking to purchase an Edwardian-style home, we wish you luck on your royal chase. If you are currently living in an Edwardian, congratulations on your classic — and classy — residence.

Article and images sourced from http://blog.pacificunion.com/bay-area-home-styles-spotlight-on-the-edwardian/

Bay Area Home Styles: Spotlight on the Victorian

A Victorian home in the city of Alameda.

This is the second installment in a series of bimonthly posts about architecture styles, each dedicated to a popular home type that can be found in the Bay Area.

Ah, the beautiful, stately Victorian home. A Victorian home actually refers to a style born during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837–1901), though it transcends that exact time frame.
The Victorian home combined elements of Gothic architecture with French, Italian, and Tudor details. Victorian homes are typically on the larger size (two to three stories) and feature wood or stone exteriors. Victorian homes are usually asymmetrical, featuring ornate trim, scalloped shingles, and steep rooflines.
Victorians are often called “dollhouses” or “gingerbread houses.” Many Victorians are painted numerous colors, highlighting architectural artistic details in all of their glory. Some Victorian variations include the Queen Anne, the Second Empire, the Shingle- style, and the Stick-style.
Inside the home you’ll typically find smallish rooms and equally small closets if the structure has not been extensively remodeled. Ornate details such as wainscoting, picture rails, buttresses, and decorative ceilings are common features, and fireplaces are ubiquitous. Traditionally, the interior of a Victorian home was stuffed to the gills with furniture and covered in wallpaper.
At one time, there were approximately 50,000 Victorian homes in San Francisco, but it is said that nearly 75 percent of them were damaged during the 1906 earthquake and the fires that followed.
Without a doubt the most famous Victorian homes in the Bay Area are San Francisco’s Painted Ladies. This row of iconic, colorful homes adjacent to Alamo Square Park was featured in the beginning shots of the popular TV show “Full House,” and tourists from all over the world make it a point to stop and take photos of the homes. If you are interested in learning more about the Victorians of San Francisco, you can take a San Francisco Historical Walking Tour.
Another Bay Area Victorian of note is San Jose’s Winchester Mystery House, which was once the residence of Sarah Winchester, widow of gun magnate William Wirt Winchester. The home was in a constant state of construction from 1884 until Sarah Winchester’s death in 1922.
The house has 160 rooms and is filled with secret passageways and winding stairways, supposedly built to confuse ghosts and spirits. The Winchester Mystery House is now a California Historical Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is open to the public, and tours are available.
In the East Bay, according to Alameda Magazine, “It’s said there are more Victorian-style homes in Alameda, based on our population, than anywhere else in the country.” And though that statement may or may not be factually correct, there are approximately 3,000 Victorian homes on the island city.
Living in a historic home isn’t for everyone. Of course, due to their age, Victorians need special care and attention. You can learn more about Victorian homes on the HGTV website. This Victorian Homes website has a wealth of content about this architecture style, including restoration information, decorating ideas, and a photo gallery. And this The Old House Guy article follows the restoration of a Victorian home in New Jersey, complete with before-and-after photos.
Interested in a Victorian home? Make sure to speak to your real estate professional about the features you deem important. Together, you can find your dream “dollhouse.”

(Photo: Flickr/David Brossard)

Article and images sourced from http://blog.pacificunion.com/bay-area-homes-spotlight-on-the-victorian/

Bay Area Home Styles: Spotlight on the Craftsman

A Craftsman-style home in San Jose.

This is the first installment in a series of bimonthly posts about architecture styles, each dedicated to a popular home type that can be found in the Bay Area.

The Craftsman home is a piece of work. Literally. And by that we mean that the home builder’s highly skilled work is prominently on display.
Simple and natural, the Craftsman home often features porches with round columns or stone supports, low-pitched gable roofs, wide eaves with brackets or exposed rafters, and handcrafted stone or woodworking. The Craftsman home’s emphasis is indeed all in the craft — the pared-down, simplistic quality of the workmanship. In its original era, it was also a response to the ornamentation of the Victorian home.
Craftsman-style homes were built from approximately 1905 until the Great Depression. They were constructed all over the country and can be found scattered in most older Bay Area neighborhoods. Many homebuyers look specifically for the Craftsman-style home and make a project of restoring it to its original glory.

The bungalow is a popular version of the Craftsman, and though the name might suggest a small home, this isn’t always the case. There are definitely Craftsman bungalow-specific enthusiasts, and this website is an excellent resource for them and those who want to learn more.
There is plenty to say about the Craftsman home, but here are a few highlights:

The Arts and Crafts Movement
In the mid-1880s, the Arts and Crafts Movement made its way from Britain to Europe and the U.S. This decorative and artistic style presented a more natural, less ornate style of décor and architecture. This movement was the inspiration behind the Craftsman-style home.

The Prairie-Style Home
The Prairie-style home was popularized by Frank Lloyd Wright and the Chicago school of architects. Built from 1905 to 1920, it was said to be the first American architecture style. Prairie-style homes feature an open floor plan, strong horizontal lines, a central chimney, and built-in cabinetry.
“The Prairie style had many similarities with Craftsman-style bungalows — including a low, horizontal form and roof lines with wide, overhanging eaves,” according to a post at Historic Home Blog.

Sears
What does Sears have to do with the Craftsman home? The department store actually sold them through its catalog from 1908 to 1940. Sears had a selection of more than 400 different designs, ranging from small bungalows costing $450 to large two-story homes priced at $4,500. It sold approximately 700,000 kits that were shipped to buyers via boxcar and came with instruction books and 10,000 to 30,000 pieces. There are several ways to tell if you do indeed have a Sears-catalog home — check them out here.
The Internet is teeming with photos of, and resources for, the Craftsman-style home. You can check out 10 Bungalow Restorations from Old House Online. Houzz offers a gallery of Craftsman homes to further acquaint you with its unique features. HGTV will take you on a few tours that will give you decorating ideas. Better Homes and Gardens will give your some layout, design, and color inspiration.
If you do end up choosing a Craftsman-style home for your residence, congratulations on a great investment. You now own a work of art in a sturdy, square package. Enjoy!

(Photo: Flickr/David Sawyer)

Article and images sourced from http://blog.pacificunion.com/bay-area-home-styles-spotlight-on-the-craftsman/

Aggressively Mauve Alamo Square Victorian Demands $1.695M

The Victorian at 1513 Golden Gate Avenue hasn't changed hands in nearly 25 years, and whoever has owned it during that time is clearly a lover of all things Victorian. The four-bedroom, two-bath home is filled with period details, from wainscoting to etched windows, that are currently combined with dark wood furniture and quite a lot of heavily patterned wallpaper (quite!). The home may not be as historically pure as the intensely Victorian Queen Anne in Eureka Valley that went up for sale a few weeks ago, but it is clearly dominating in the dusty rose-to-mauve spectrum. The home just landed on the market asking $1.695 million.

The new owners of this turn-of-the-last-century home will likely need to make some upgrades, most notably the addition of parking. The brokerbabble mentions that the large basement could easily have a garage added, and there is a quote already available from SF Garage. Hopefully the renovations won't go too far, because elements like the detailing on the main staircase are impeccably preserved, and all that carved dark wood in the dining nook could be shined up quite nicely. Here's to hoping the home will fall into the hands of another Victorian lover who will carry on its heritage (if not every scrap of wallpaper) for a few more decades.

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Article and images sourced from http://sf.curbed.com/archives/2015/06/08/aggressively_mauve_alamo_square_victorian_demands_1695m.php