What is Spanish Eclectic Style? I went on a search for just that term… I found that it is a blend of Spanish Revival and Mediterranean architecture, popular from 1915 - 1940.
Picture stepping through a stucco archway and lingering in the tiled courtyard, and you might think you were in Old Mexico. Spanish inspired homes embrace the entire Mediterranean world and combine it with ideas from Southwest Pueblo Indians.
In Southern California, these homes are usually described as Spanish Colonial Revival. This would reflect the historic Spanish architecture from as far back as the missions built along the coast.
Virginia and Lee McAlester, authors of A Field Guide to American Houses, characterize Spanish Eclectic homes as having the features listed below.
Spanish inspired houses usually have these features:
* Low-pitched roof
* Red roof tiles
* Little or no overhanging eaves
* Stucco siding
* Arches, especially above doors, porch entries and main windows
Some Spanish inspired homes have:
* Asymmetrical shape with cross-gables and side wings
* Flat roof and parapets
* Or, a hipped roof
* Carved doors
* Spiral columns and pilasters
* Courtyards
* Carved stonework or cast ornaments
* Patterned tile floors and wall surfaces
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The courtyard extends the Spanish Eclectic aesthetic to the outside. "We had added a fountain and a pond in the courtyard," Merle says. "We tried to create an ancient garden: We planted grapes, pomegranates, figs, lavender, and rosemary hedges. There's an olive tree. The yard is all terraced on the hillside, so it's the kind of garden you would see in the Mediterranean: Spain, Italy, Tunisia."
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The courtyard, an extension of the kitchen addition, was planted with grapes, pomegranates, figs, and lavender to enhance the house's Mediterranean origins.
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This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 12th, 2007 at 12:47 pm and is filed under Portal Patio, The Hacienda Style. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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