Friday, July 11, 2014

Gloriously Eclectic Architecture

Arctic Garden Studio

Touring new listings this week with several agents, one new to town, the question arose - how do you tell Victorian from Edwardian? A memory trick I picked up somewhere is that Victoria was a woman, and the style is pretty fancy and curvy, while Edward was a man, and the style is simpler and more square.




Of course it's soooo much more complicated then that. Here's some wonderful video from the amazing James Dixon that gives a good overview of Victorian and Edwardian and San Francisco's multiple other architectural styles: When and Why Styles Changed. The short answer to why so many styles over time is the intersection of architectural fashions and cyclic economic booms.


Paragon Victorian Edwardian


If you like to read text and see still images, look here for Victorian and Edwardian periods. 


James Dixon Architect


The SF Department of Planning's Preservation Bulletin #18 (scroll down a bit for photos) also has lots of great photo's and details about the many styles and periods of San Francisco architecture.
and lest we forget the avenues out there in the fog, here's a link to your Doelger styles.

Curbed - Planning Sunset District Historic Resources


Information on more modern styles, from 1920 forward, can be found here.  So there you have it, now you can impress your friends.          

house.com



Happy Friday!