When I am showing homes to prospective buyers, they often have many questions about the different architectural styles evident in our City. Here is a brief description of some of the common types of architecture and some pictures to help jog your memory the next time you are wondering what kind of home you are staring in awe at!

Tudor Style

This romantic home style evokes a sense of old England. American Tudor style homes are built with visible timbers exposed as a design element (usually not structural, but decorative), with steeply pitched rooflines, and may have ornamental windows and leaded glass. These homes almost always have an exterior of stucco or brick. Tudor homes were typically built from the late 1800s through to the 1940s.

Tudor Style 1

Tudor Style 2

Old PDX – Foursquare

You’ve no doubt seen these big solid homes lining our streets. Two or more stories high, these homes are based on a square foundation, with a dormer window on the second story. They usually have a nice, broad covered porch. Old Portland homes were typically built in the timeframe of about 1895 to the 1930s.

Foursquare 1

Foursquare 2

Cape Cod

A classic and popular style, the Cape Cod home is 1.5-2 levels high and typically has a steeply pitched roofline, which may include dormer windows. These cozy homes were typically built around the 1930s to 1950s.

Cape Cod 1

Cape Cod 2

Craftsman and Bungalow

This is a wonderful Portland style home that can be found in many neighborhoods. These houses look and feel solid and comfortable. With wide, low slung rooflines, and inviting overhung porches, these home are generally 2 stories high, and usually come with fireplaces and craftsman touches like built-in shelving and cabinetry.

Bungalows have similar features, with low slung rooflines and detailed woodwork, but tend to be smaller, with 1-1.5 stories. The front porch often has a a square, pillared entry, and the roof usually slopes forward.

Craftsman 1

Craftsman 2

Bungalow 1

Colonial

Colonial homes are impressive, solid, two-story homes, usually broad, symmetrical, and rectangular in design. They are often decorated in a classic style with pillars or pilasters over the door and entry, dentil molding, and shuttered windows. These homes were built from about the late 1800′s to the mid 1950s. Similar names and styles are Colonial Revival, Federal and Georgian styles, all sharing in common understated refinement of detail, and a solid, conservative appearance.

Colonial 1

Colonial 2

Victorian

Depending on the period, there are several different Victorian style homes, but they are typically ornamented and may include boldly colored paint and fanciful trim. Whimsical fretwork, gingerbread shingles, balustrades, spindles, turrets, and heavy use of ornamentation can be commonly found on this style of home. These homes were typically built around the mid to late 1800s through to about 1900.

Victorian 1

Victorian 2

Ranch

Ranches are one-story homes that come in any number of floor layouts depending on the size and shape of the lot–rectangular, L-shaped, U-shaped with a courtyard, etc. A daylight ranch is a ranch home with a basement or lower story that is partially underground and at least partially open to ground level–typically built on a slope or to take advantage of a view. Smaller ranches often make great starter homes as they are economically designed. In addition, ranches are excellent homes for small children, or those with physical disability as there are no stairs to navigate. Ranches have been popular homes since the 1930s.

Ranch 1

Ranch 2

Choosing The Right Home Style

While there are other styles of homes in Portland, and variations of these styles, this gives you a basic understanding of what some of the distinct features that each architectural style possesses. Feel free to let me know if you have any questions as to the style of a particular home!