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Architecture/style of my 1930s house?
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Question
Hi, My house was built in the early 1930s. It is located in Vallejo, California.
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My two questions are:
1) What style is my house?
2) Would shutters be appropriate next to the front windows and if so what color scheme would be traditional for this house?
Thank you.
Becky
Your house reflects some of the design trends of the late 1920s when modern design begins to fuse with more traditional styles. The Colonial Revival is all about formal symmetry and simplicity. Modern styles started softening that formality by adding asymmetrical details ... the facing gable and the lower roof pitch being two notable elements in your home. The garage under the house was an innovation too ... people were rapidly becoming attached to their vehicles so architects started exploring ways to incorporate car storage into the house. This style is also the precursor of the split level of the 1950s. I'd define your house as a Minimal Traditional, which is a transitional house type that was very popular from about 1925 to 1955. It faded out when the Ranch style really took hold in the early 1950s.
As for color, you can pretty much do whatever pleases you. The buff and white would have been popular when it was originally built, but you can go just about any direction you like. Blue, tan, and green in various hues would have been complemented by white or ivory trim. It's a simple house so keep your scheme fairly simple ... three colors and the roof color should do it.
As for shutters, you can certainly put some on if you wish. It will make your home appear more traditional and "colonial" than it does now. Because the image is so small, it's hard for me to give you more detail ... but it is a very cute home and with fresh paint and some strategic landscaping, it would be even prettier.
Hope this helps!
Best regards,
Rikki Nyman
Antique Home Style
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Answers by Expert:
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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