4 Architectural Styles That You Might Find on a Stroll Through the Bay Area

Clearly this list is not exclusive.  There are plenty of other architectural styles that probably belong on here, and these 4 aren't even the most common.  Nevertheless, these are the four I chose - enjoy!

1) Craftsman

Photo by Flickr user, Photo Dean

The craftsman home initially rose to prominence in the early 1900's as a rejection of industrialization, but a recent revival has made it one of the more popular architectural styles today.  The concept behind the Craftsman home is that it should be in harmony with nature.  The exterior typically consists of some mixture of wood, stone and stucco, and the roof is low pitched and gabled with decorative beams underneath the gables.  Inside, it embraces simplicity, with built-in furniture and an open floor plan.

2) California Ranch

Photo by Flickr user, Ronald (Ron) Douglas Frazier

You can find these single-level, asymmetrical homes (usually L or U shaped) on pretty much any given street in the Bay Area. They became immensely popular around the middle of the 20th century, and have been a fixture in west coast suburbs ever since. The floor plan is usually open, flowing and informal, and the garage is typically attached to the home. Picture windows serve to incorporate views of the outdoors into the interior ambiance, and sliding glass doors give instant access to the back patio.

3) Spanish Colonial Revival

Photo by Flickr user cyclotourist

You know these homes when you see them.  Their signature red terracotta roof tiles, stucco exterior walls, and arched doorways give them away. The stairs are made from painted tile and red brick, and the windows and balcony's are usually adorned with decorative iron grills.  While Spanish Colonial Revival homes certainly aren't uncommon here in the Bay Area, they are definitely a lot more prevalent in the southern portion of the state where they first became popular.

 4) Queen Anne Victorian

Photo by Flickr user SJL

Outside of San Francisco, the Queen Ann Victorian home isn't all that popular on the west coast. However, the painted ladies in the City by the Bay could be the most well-known demonstration of the style.  They're highly decorative, multilevel, and more often than not multicolored.  They tend to have wrap-around front porches, but space constrictions obviously eliminate that possibility in San Francisco.  Bay windows are a signature of this particular architectural style.