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Architecture/Style - Cottage? Tudor offshoot?

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Expert: Rikki Nyman - 1/19/2009


Question

1920's Cottage House?
We just purchased a home which seems to be a bit style confused. We are planning on remodeling but would like the exterior to have a cohesive style - the problem is, what style is this house?

The house was built in the 1920's & is surrounded by bungalows and a few colonials. It has a very steep roof pitch, eyebrow dormers, and a columned porch (not sure if this is original). The interior is typical 1920's - compartmentalized rooms, built in storage, with one large room upstairs.

Any help on the exterior would be appreciated. So far my research points to a bit or cottage or tudor offshoot??
Many thanks, Karin

Answer
Karin --
So many 1920s houses were eclectic. They were a mix of whatever design elements the architect or builder thought to put together at the time. I don't think the covered porch is original ... hard to tell when it was put on. Maybe during the 30s. I think you could eliminate that from the equation, if you don't love it.

The basic shape of your house appears to have more in common with the Cape Cod, a Colonial subtype. The roof pitch is steep but not English. Subtracting the space over the garage and the garage itself, it's symmetrical. That's usually an indication of Colonial Revival antecedents as are the 6-over-6 windows. The narrow eaves would have been considered very modern in the 20s.

The eyebrow dormers were a common detail used on shingle-style homes during the 1880s. They were brought forward on small cottage-style houses like yours during the 20s. Sometimes you see them incorporated into the rolled "thatched" composition roofs. They contribute a light European touch.

I've posted an image at Flickr that might give you an idea about making the house appear somewhat more coherent by using a hood instead of the entry porch. http://www.flickr.com/photos/10197266@N05/3211605770/  I wouldn't clip the gable because it wouldn't be right with your house, but the vault and corbels would be nice. (You could paint the stucco ivory or pale yellow and the underside of the vault robin's egg blue.)

Depending on where you live that might not be practical ... in a cold climate the "air lock" probably saves energy.

The entry hood (at Flickr) might take your home in a slightly more bungalow direction. By the same token, you could emphasize the Colonial Revival aspect by giving the existing porch gable a little more definition  I'd get rid of the quatrefoil element on the gable though. To me it says Spanish Eclectic.

The nice thing about an eclectic house is that you can emphasize the elements you like without being concerned that you are destroying the integrity of the style.

I hope this helps. If you have any thoughts about what style appeals to you most, I can dig up more examples for you to look at.

Best regards,
Rikki Nyman
www.antiquehomestyle.com

Rikki Nyman

Expertise

Residential architectural questions concerning houses designed between 1900 and 1950, where the question pertains specifically to styles, designs, plans, building materials, color schemes, paint colors, interior finishes and so on. I am NOT qualified to answer engineering questions or issues involving construction methods, plumbing, electrical and the like. For example, I can describe what an appropriate color scheme would be for a vintage 1920s kitchen, or sources for plans for Storybook Style houses. I can not tell someone how to replace the electrical wiring in their old home.

Experience

I have been researching old houses and writing about them for more than five years. (See www.antiquehomestyle.com, which is my site.)

Organizations
Oregon Historical Society Architectural History Center, Portland Oregon

Publications
www.antiquehomestyle.com

Education/Credentials
B.S. History, Minor in Architectural Design

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