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Architecture/1922 house style mystery

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Expert: Rikki Nyman - 3/23/2009


Question

1922 House
We are looking at a house to purchase in southern california, but it is difficult to identify the style.  There is Dutch Colonial, Tudor, and there is Spanish Mission on the stained glass.  Can someone help identify it?

Answer
Laith --

That mystery style is an eclectic mix of styles and as such isn't a single defined style. When that house was built, architects and builders were actively experimenting with all kinds of different combinations. Dutch Colonial, a subtype of Colonial Revival, was extremely popular during the 1920s with the English Revival a distant competitor. It looks like someone decided to combine the mass of a Dutch Colonial with an English Revival entry. It's an unusual combination.

It's probably worth checking any records to see if there have been recent modifications (between 1930 and 1970) to the exterior. It looks original, but more detail would be interesting.

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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